Issue 166

April 2018

The fighting pride of West Lynn, Oregon shares five of the bouts that defined his stellar mixed martial arts career.

1. Yushin Okami, UFC 104

The best performance I ever had was against Yushin Okami. That is my number one fight, regardless of the outcome. I happened to win that fight but even if I hadn’t that was the night I had performed my best in the cage. That was the night I was most proud of in terms of how I competed.

2. Amar Suloev, Bodog Fight: Alvarez vs. Lee

My favorite performance until the Okami fight – and this might catch you off guard – was my fight in Trenton, New Jersey against Amar Suloev. It was in the Bodog organization. I just had this really great night. I knew it warming up in the back. I just felt so good.

I couldn’t get tired. I was fast. I could just feel it. Man, I had a good performance. I never care about the outcome. I care about performing. On that night, I performed.

3. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen

He is such a meaningful competitor. I had beaten a champion from every major organization there was expect the UFC until that night. I respect him. I had him in a front guillotine. I wouldn’t have even gone for it except it was the end of the round. I was giving up position and I figured, what does it matter the round it’s about to end?

He did everything wrong. That’s what sunk the move in. It was an exciting moment to beat him but at the same time, I knew what had happened I knew I got lucky and caught him. I knew what it was like to be in his shoes. I hate a bad winner. I hate when I guy wins and he goes over and consoles the loser.

Or he raises that guy’s hand and wants the crowd to give him applause. It’s fake and condescending and rude. I sat up and said something to him and embraced him and that was it.

4. Jason "Mayhem" Miller, HFP 1: Rumble on the Reservation

He was my first ever professional fight. We fought at a casino that was on a reservation so they were not subject to any restrictions or commissions we know today.

We went through the ring. I took him down with a double-leg and he disappeared. My mom was in the front row and she couldn’t see him anymore. The plywood had given out and he was being held up by the canvas. Imagine what was going through my mind. They sent us to our corners to fix it. After a meaningful period of time, the promoter yells as he’s leaving the ring, ‘We couldn’t fix it. Stay out of that area.’

Well, I didn’t know where that sinkhole was. Guess who the gracious, generous promoter of that event was? Tito Ortiz. Shocking that that would be the case... A Tito Ortiz promotion.

5. Trevor Prangley, WPKO (unsanctioned)

We fought in 1997 in front of 80 people. That was an overwhelming success. That was the biggest crowd I had ever been in front of at the time. The fight was scheduled for seven minutes. I whipped him for all seven. The promoter liked it so much that he just let it keep going.

At seven minutes and 34 seconds, he put me in a triangle choke and he won. My dad and I didn’t even protest. We didn’t even say anything. That’s just the way it was back then. We had this amateur fight in front of nobody and we had a rematch on Spike during a UFC card on a Wednesday night at the Hard Rock (which Sonnen won).