The MMA History Podcast welcomes Ant Evans for his third appearance in episode 352. The former head of UFC media relations for the UK and continental Europe revisits 2010 as Zuffa’s international expansion accelerated. Evans covers the UK fighter wave led by Michael Bisping and Dan Hardy, the “cursed” UFC 108 card with multiple major pullouts including Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort, and the office culture of the early Las Vegas years.

He details Chael Sonnen’s Ric Flair-inspired belt stunt, press access battles of the era, and landmark shows such as the sold-out UFC 110 Australian debut with Cain Velasquez, Jon Jones’ first main event against Brandon Vera, Georges St-Pierre vs. Dan Hardy at UFC 111 (including Hardy’s storage-unit training camp), UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi with Anderson Silva vs. Demian Maia and Frankie Edgar’s upset of B.J. Penn, Randy Couture’s submission of James Toney at UFC 118, and Brock Lesnar’s comeback win over Shane Carwin at UFC 116.

The conversation contrasts the lean, record-breaking Zuffa period with the later corporate era while teasing a Cro Cop Canada story for the next instalment.

0:00 start

0:37 MMA History Podcast Intro

1:08 Joey Venti’s guest introduction

1:21 interview start

1:24 head of PR in the UK for the UFC

3:48 UFC 108 disaster

6:43 Joe Silva issues with Gerald Harris

7:27 UFC 109 helping Chael Sonnen with bad guy image

12:17 interactions with Doug Crosby

13:34 Chael Sonnen Dark side of the cage

15:24 Joey Venti’s studio set up

16:59 camaraderie in the UFC

19:18 the UFC original US office

20:36 2 UFC employees fighting

30:14 UFC hiring Karen Bell

31:45 UFC limiting access to the press

34:43 Sherdogs relationship with pride FC

37:10 getting media coverage for the UFC

40:13 issues with modern coverage on UFC

44:07 reporters receiving bad seating

46:33 importance of having reporters at events

47:59 Teddy Atlas and Max Kellerman

50:54 UFC 110 Australia

55:10 Mark Hunt legal issue with the UFC

58:41 Jon Jones vs Brandon Vera

1:03:04 UFC 111 GSP vs Dan Hardy

1:11:16 UFC 112 Ariel Helwani reporting

1:16:49 Ariel Helwani refusing pay from the UFC

1:21:13 Anderson Silva vs Damian Maia controversy

1:26:13 UFC 112 card

1:26:27 Frankie Edgar fight shorts controversy

1:29:55 UFC 113 card

1:30:22 Paul Daley sucker punching Josh Koscheck

1:31:10 Mike Russow vs Todd Duffee

1:32:12 Chuck Liddell condom story

1:35:05 UFC 116

1:39:36 Kendall Grove comments about TUF

1:41:04 UFC 117

1:41:25 James Toney vs Randy Couture

1:45:52 IRS issues with James Toney

1:47:55 Dana Whites personality behind the scenes

1:50:59 UFC in 2010

1:54:03 interview wrap up

1:55:19 outro/ closing thoughts

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#MMAHistory #UFC2010 #AntEvans #MichaelBisping

Egan Inoue sits down with the MMA History Podcast and opens a Hawaiian career that ran from racquetball world titles straight into the chaos of the early fight scene. Younger brother of Enson Inoue, he talks training with Rickson Gracie before the UFC existed, learning jiu-jitsu from Enson, and a Space Needle street fight that finally pulled him in.

His pro debut came at Lumax Cup: Tournament of J ’95 on October 13, 1995. Armbars over Alexander Otsuka and Akihiro Gono put him in the final, where Tsuyoshi Kosaka stopped the run. From there he covers a 1996 Shooto win over Gordon Dehdman, a Lumax Cup loss to Sanae Kikuta, a Rings disqualification against Masayuki Naruse, and a Pride 5 TKO of Minoru Toyonaga.

Inoue is widely credited as the first non-Brazilian IBJJF world champion, blue belt in 1996 and purple belt in 1997. He also breaks down the footlock game that got him booed in Brazil.

The Relson Gracie feud started on the mats and never really cooled off. Opening Grappling Unlimited in Honolulu, and his ties to kickboxer Dennis Alexio, poured fuel on it. The bad blood spilled into a Hawaii Pan American, a ban from the Florida Pan Ams, and a hired opponent at SuperBrawl 12 on June 1, 1999: Marcelo Dantas, known as Tigre. He also talks weekends at the gym with a young BJ Penn.

At ADCC 1999 he submitted Robbie Kilpatrick, outpointed Renzo Gracie, and dropped the bronze match to Ricardo Libório.

Mike Davis and Joey Venty keep the tape rolling!

0:00 start

0:29 MMA History Podcast intro

1:01 Joey Venti’s guest introduction

1:16 interview start

1:40 first time hearing about MMA

2:15 meeting Royce Gracie

4:11 joining Enson Inoue in learning Jiu jitsu

5:40 Enson Inoue Jiu jitsu on the street

9:28 learning bjj from brother

10:57 landing triangle choke on Relson Gracie

12:52 training with Rickson Gracie

15:39 Lumax Cup 8 man tournament

17:51 Egan Inoue vs Tsuyoshi Kosaka

19:39 pay for 8 man tournament

20:59 pay for racquetball tournaments

21:39 first non Brazilian bjj world champion

22:34 learning how to do foot locks

23:26 rule changes due to leg submissions

24:50 dragged out of arena in Brazil

27:16 Egan Inoue vs Gordon Dehdman

27:34 Egan Inoue vs Yasunobu vs Matsuo

29:25 recognizing the Yakuzas involvement

31:49 Egan Inoue vs Masayuki Naruse

36:10 training with Dennis Alexio

37:47 Jiu jitsu coaches

38:09 rolling with Rickson Gracie

40:34 getting into fight at bjj tournament

43:10 experience at the Pan Ams

48:20 receiving restraining order from Relson Gracie

50:05 Carlos Gracie Jr asking for apology

52:01 Egan Inoue vs Mauricio Silva

53:00 challenged by Saulo Ribeiro

54:56 false claims from Relson Gracie

55:57 BJ Penn theory

58:10 connecting with John Lewis and Andre Pederneiras

59:20 receiving black belt from John Lewis

1:01:24 falling out with bjj figures

1:03:23 invited to the ADCC

1:04:26 Egan Inoue vs Robbie Kilpatrick

1:05:13 Egan Inoue vs Renzo Gracie

1:08:48 Issue with Ryan Gracie

1:10:55 Egan Inoue vs Karimula Barkalaev

1:12:36 Egan Inoue vs Ricardo Liborio

1:13:18 Ricardo Liborio compared to Rickson Gracie

1:14:51 Enson Inoue vs Mario Sperry

1:15:53 opening Grappling Unlimited

1:17:04 not having Enson Inoue during fight camps

1:17:39 Enson Inoue vs Mark Kerr (Cancelled Bout)

1:18:03 Egan Inoue vs Marcelo Dantas

1:21:22 rule meeting for Marcelo Dantas fight

1:23:23 Marcelo Dantas issues with training partners

1:25:02 Egan Inoue vs Marcelo Dantas continued

1:33:14 Career highlights

1:34:30 beating Enson Inoue in racquetball

1:35:01 interview wrap up

1:35:31 outro/ closing thoughts

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Outro song: Power - https://tunetank.com/t/2gji/1458-power

Pete Rodley was co-owner and vice president of Universal Combat Challenge, the Montreal promotion that helped launch sanctioned Canadian MMA and gave early platforms to Georges St-Pierre, David Loiseau, Ivan Menjivar, Mark Hominick and Patrick Côté.

In this MMA History Podcast interview he traces his path from a traditional karate family and godson of UFC 3’s Harold Howard through IFC work on the reserves, the Combat List era, and the first UCC cards with Stéphane Patry.

Rodley covers the last-minute UCC 1 main-event scramble after Kimo Leopoldo pulled out, Elvis Sinosic versus Dave Beneteau, Wagnney Fabiano, Sean Sherk against Claudionor Fontinelle, the rain-out show, GSP’s debut against Menjivar, Full Contact Fighter ranking UCC among the world’s biggest promotions, and why he walked away before later returning with Freedom Fight.

A detailed look at the names and chaos that built MMA north of the border.

Subscribe to the MMA History Podcast for interviews and stories from the people who lived the early days of mixed martial arts.

0:00 start

0:29 MMA History Podcast intro

1:01 Joey Venti’s guest introduction

1:20 interview start

1:31 beginnings in MMA

4:24 meeting Harold Howard

8:00 attending IFC events

9:10 Battlecade Extreme Fighting 2

9:47 introduction to promoting

10:43 legalities for Battlecade Extreme Fighting 2

12:54 the Bikers in Canada

15:45 partnership with IVC and Sergio Batarelli

17:03 meeting Stephane Patry

21:00 issues with Stephane Patry

22:25 dealings during UCC

25:22 UCC 1 original main event

28:50 Kimo Leopoldo vs Elvis Sinosic cancelled bout

32:00 negotiations with Tom Erickson

34:28 Dave Beneteau

35:33 giving Elvis Sinosic options

42:48 UCC 1 fight card

43:53 experience with Shawn Tompkins

46:16 losing money due to rain

48:49 fighter pay at UCC events

50:03 Claudionor Fontenelle crimes

52:47 title bouts on UCC 2

53:11 UCC 3 fight card

54:00 Jay Winger vs Richard Nancoo

55:56 working with other Canadian Promoters

59:14 experience with Angelo Exarhakos

1:02:12 Renzo Gracie’s influence on Ottawa

1:04:09 Claudionor Fontenelle vs Donald Ouimet

1:06:52 Claudionor Fontenelle vs Sean Sherk

1:07:11 UCC 4 highlights

1:08:16 fallout with Stephane Patry

1:15:23 false rumor of Stephane Patry

1:19:01 finding out Stephane Patry was ill

1:20:03 Claudionor Fontenelle vs Sean Sherk continued

1:21:18 Full contact fighter 3rd place ranking

1:22:03 understanding how to market

1:25:45 UCC 7 highlights

1:26:33 Sean Pierson current career

1:30:35 Gsp vs Ivan Menjivar

1:32:14 taking a swing at Andy Anderson

1:32:53 Kevin Rosier vs Brad Gabriel

1:37:18 UCC 8

1:38:05 Jason Black vs Ivan Menjivar

1:38:49 Tony Fryklund vs Jonathan Goulet

1:39:51 Michael Depasquale Jr

1:41:46 UFC 3 Harold Howard training

1:43:28 Harold Howard vs Royce Gracie

1:48:35 telling Harold Howard to back of Mark Hall fight

1:49:24 John Anderson

1:49:53 wedding video incident

1:51:06 Sean Alvarez vs Mike Radnov

1:51:45 Mark Hominick vs Richard Nancoo

1:52:10 Ivan Menjivar vs Jeff Curran

1:52:29 Drew McFredies vs Claude Patrick

1:54:11 calling it quits with UCC

1:58:21 Joe Doerksen vs Denis Kang

2:00:52 reason for fall out with Stephane Patry

2:02:14 dealings with David Lee

2:03:20 Freedom fight vs TUF

2:05:25 attempted robbery

2:09:24 regrets from the UCC

2:12:48 interview wrap up/outro

Instagram

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YouTube

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Outro song: Power - https://tunetank.com/t/2gji/1458-power

Mike - The MMA Detective - @mikedavis632

Cash App - $mikedavis1231

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ZELLE: Cutthroatmma@gmail.com / ph#: 773-491-5052

Thank you for your support.

#MMAHistory #CanadianMMA #GeorgesStPierre #UCC