This week on the MMA History Podcast episode 341, hosts Joey Venti and the MMA Detective Mike Davis sit down with two-time UFC welterweight title challenger, Hollywood stuntman and actor Frank Trigg for a raw, unfiltered look at the chaotic early days of mixed martial arts. Trigg shares how he coached a talented high school wrestler named Kid Yamamoto in Phoenix before the Japanese star became a Pride FC standout, the real reasons Yamamoto was deported, and the explosive behind-the-scenes fallout from the infamous Rickson Gracie versus Rico Chiapparelli showdown that got Chiapparelli uninvited from major grappling circles. From his time with Real American Wrestling alongside the likes of Randy Couture and Dan Henderson, the first Abu Dhabi Combat Club tournament against Renzo Gracie, early Japan promotions including Vale Tudo Japan against Jean Jacques Machado, Pride Bushido commentating, and the cutthroat realities of 1990s fight money and worked matches, Trigg delivers stories and details few others have ever heard. You think you know Frank Trigg? Think again. Subscribe to the MMA History Podcast for more exclusive interviews preserving the true history of the sport.

0:00 start

0:30 MMA History Podcast intro

1:02 Joey Venti’s guest introduction

1:20 interview start

1:44 training at RAW

2:51 Reality super fighting tournament

4:50 Rico Chiapparelli forced to leave Renzo Gracie’s gym 9:40 wrestlers banned from early ADCC

11:26 high school state titles

12:57 transferring to Phoenix College

13:30 experience living with Homer Moore

15:39 coaching Kid Yamamoto

17:43 manager Rich Hamilton

18:54 training with Townsend Saunders

19:59 interactions with Ron Tripp

20:16 meeting Pat Burris

23:45 Frank Trigg vs Bill Simpson

24:36 meeting the Lions Den

27:35 thoughts on Oklahoma wrestling

29:32 Paulo Filho Pride Bushido incident

33:50 Frank Trigg vs Dan Gilbert

34:49 Frank Trigg vs Ali Elias

35:53 receiving invite to ADCC

37:24 Frank Trigg vs Renzo Gracie (ADCC)

39:13 Gracie losses being erased

41:20 Rickson Gracie asking for large payment

44:01 training with Lyota Machida

46:12 Mark Shultz worked fight

48:42 experience with Antonio Inoki

51:31 gambling problems in combat sports

53:18 IFC cancelled event

55:50 Andy Foster building a cage with chicken wire

58:18 Frank Trigg vs Marcelo Aguiar

59:28 Frank Trigg vs Jean Jacques Machado

1:01:49 fighting in different promotions

1:03:05 Pride FC Tax evasion

1:04:24 UFC screwed over buying Pride FC

1:07:53 reason for leaving commentary job

1:11:28 reffing from a fighters perspective

1:14:34 Frank Trigg vs Fabiano Iha

1:18:10 Dan Henderson and Rico Chiapparelli’s friendship 1:18:55 dealings with promoter Jamie Levine

1:24:23 leaving wrestling to become a fighter

1:29:29 experience with Ryan Bennett

1:32:23 Ryan Bennett’s departure from UFC

1:35:09 leaking Red Devil fight deal with the UFC

1:36:54 reason for Matt Hughes rivalry

1:38:14 Frank Trigg vs Hayato Sakurai

1:39:59 Plugs/ promotions

1:41:27 interview wrap up

1:43:43 outro/ closing thoughts

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mmahistorypodcast?igsh=aHVweHdncXQycHBy&utm_source=qrSpotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3q8KsfqrSQSjkdPLkdtNWb?si=aL3D5Y3aTDi-PQZdweWL8gApple Podcast MMA History PodcastYouTube https://youtube.com/@MMAHistoryPodcast?si=bj1RBXTZ2X82tv_JOutro song: Power - https://tunetank.com/t/2gji/1458-powerMike - The MMA Detective - @mikedavis632 Cash App - $mikedavis1231Venmo - Mike-Davis-63ZELLE: Cutthroatmma@gmail.com / ph#: 773-491-5052 Thank You for your support#MMAHistoryPodcast #FrankTrigg #EarlyMMA #UFC

Isaac Vallie-Flagg: From Street Fights & Jackson’s Gym to UFC, Strikeforce & Sobriety | MMA History Podcast #340Fellow historians, this is one that should never have happened. Isaac Vallie-Flagg had no wrestling pedigree, no karate or boxing background—just a tough kid from Michigan who liked to fight. He moved to Albuquerque, trained under Tate Fletcher and Alberto Crane, then walked into the golden era of Jackson’s MMA and somehow made it all the way to Strikeforce and the UFC.In this raw, unfiltered episode, Isaac sits down with the MMA Detective Mike Davis and Joey Venti and lays out the full story. He talks about the early street-fight days and the punk-rock New Mexico scene, then describes what it was like training as the perpetual nail alongside Nate Marquardt, Mike Van Arsdale, Melvin Guillard, Leonard Garcia, Cub Swanson, Joe “Daddy” Stevenson, Cowboy Cerrone and the rest of the Jackson-Wink murderer’s row. He recounts the chaotic Dominican Republic card where the entire lineup got stiffed, his Strikeforce debut against Brian Melancon (the hardest hitter he ever faced), the career-defining win over Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante, the legendary Yves Edwards fight, and going to war with Takanori Gomi while deep in opiate withdrawal and cutting weight at the same time.

Isaac is brutally honest about the physical and mental hell of kicking opioids while making weight for UFC fights, the difference between a hard partier and a true addict, and what recovery has taught him about grace, trauma, and becoming a better man. This is not a prison interview—it’s a hard-earned happy ending from a fighter who refused to quit.If you’ve ever wondered what the real “punk rock days” of MMA looked and felt like inside one of the greatest gyms of all time, this episode delivers.Like, comment, and subscribe for more interviews and deep dives into the men who built this sport. Drop your thoughts below—especially if Isaac’s story hits home.The only podcast dedicated 100% to the preservation of mixed martial arts history.Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mmahistorypodcast?igsh=aHVweHdncXQycHBy&utm_source=qrSpotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3q8KsfqrSQSjkdPLkdtNWb?si=aL3D5Y3aTDi-PQZdweWL8gApple Podcast MMA History PodcastYouTube https://youtube.com/@MMAHistoryPodcast?si=bj1RBXTZ2X82tv_JOutro song: Power - https://tunetank.com/t/2gji/1458-powerMike - The MMA Detective - @mikedavis632 Cash App - $mikedavis1231Venmo - Mike-Davis-63ZELLE: Cutthroatmma@gmail.com / ph#: 773-491-5052 Thank You for your support#MMAHistoryPodcast #IsaacVallieFlagg #UFC #JacksonsMMA

From surviving one of the darkest childhoods imaginable to becoming one of the most feared knockout artists in the UFC, this is the remarkable and unflinching life story of Drew McFedries.

In Episode #339 of the MMA History Podcast, MMA Detective Mike Davis and Joey Venti sit down with former UFC middleweight contender Drew McFedries for one of the most powerful and honest interviews in the show’s history. Drew opens up about growing up in a home destroyed by addiction and prostitution, where drug dealers and violent strangers constantly came through the house. As a young boy he became the protector for his younger brother and two little sisters, learning early that if he could not fight, the people he loved would pay the price. He discusses his mother’s murder, being stabbed himself, and how every statistic suggested his life should have ended in prison, addiction, or an early grave.Instead, Drew walked into a gym and transformed into a devastating striker. The conversation explores his early days at the legendary Miletich Fighting Systems, the brutal sparring sessions, training alongside Matt Hughes and Robbie Lawler, and his rapid rise through Midwest tournaments. He shares stories from his first fights, the Lee Murray bout with no formal training, his battle with Crohn’s disease that sidelined him for nearly a year, and his UFC debut on just 17 days notice against Alessio Sakara. Drew also reflects on key moments with fighters like Nate Quarry, Claude Patrick, Steve Dao, Tim Sylvia in his corner, and the unique challenges strikers faced in getting booked.Beyond the cage, this episode delves into deeper themes of survival, making different choices than the environment around him, family trauma, fatherhood considerations, and finding peace later in life through fishing, biking, and quiet reflection.This is far more than a typical fighter interview — it is a raw masterclass in resilience, personal accountability, and turning darkness into drive.Guest: Drew McFedriesEpisode: #339Fellow historians, welcome back to the only podcast 100 percent dedicated to preserving mixed martial arts history.Like and subscribe for more in-depth MMA stories direct from the fighters who lived them. Drop your thoughts in the comments.

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mmahistorypodcast?igsh=aHVweHdncXQycHBy&utm_source=qrSpotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3q8KsfqrSQSjkdPLkdtNWb?si=aL3D5Y3aTDi-PQZdweWL8gApple Podcast MMA History PodcastYouTube https://youtube.com/@MMAHistoryPodcast?si=bj1RBXTZ2X82tv_JOutro song: Power - https://tunetank.com/t/2gji/1458-powerMike - The MMA Detective - @mikedavis632 Cash App - $mikedavis1231Venmo - Mike-Davis-63ZELLE: Cutthroatmma@gmail.com / ph#: 773-491-5052 Thank You for your support#DrewMcFedries #MMAHistory #UFC #MiletichFightingSystems