UnderGround Forum >> Interesting Encounter w/fighter/MMA personality?

pmbrent -  I paid $1000.00 to have a 2 hour lunch with Rich Franklin. It was a nice time at the Olive Garden. He even stayed about five minutes longer than he had to.

Charity event in Ohio? Sounds cool man. I love the OG...its where I always take a classy lady but she may only order from teh kids menu...

Leghound - This thread is why I love MMA so much. Hope in the future it doesn't become filled with a bunch of unapproachable assholes like a lot of other pro sports.

TRUE STORY...I have only met like 3 guys that I do not have such nice stories about. But for fear of fighter bashing or soiling this thread with bullshit, ive not mentioned them at all. But they were def not the coolest ive come across

escudo - I actually got to roll with Tom Lawlor once at a local gym.

Nobody knew he was coming in, just showed up out of the blue one day took jiu jitsu class with all the other students. He wasn't anything special only about
6' tall a quiet unassuming guy. Everyone just assumed he was some new guy untill he just ran through 5-6 students no problem and everyone was like "SHIT who is this guy?"

I got my chance to roll with him and got omoplata'd off a single leg. My coach goes up to him all excited thinking he just found some incredible undiscoved talent.

He asks "hey man whats your name?"
"Tom"
My coach just gets one of those moments like his memory just hit him with a lightning strike.
"Filthy Tom?"
"yep."

Everyone started laughing and everyone felt a little better about getting demolished by that new guy.

He stayed at our gym all week, even taught a few classes and seemed like a great down to earth dude.

BTW His strenth and cardio are UNREAL if you've never had the chance to roll withsomebody of that caliber.

Thats awesome man are you up in the New England area at all? So Tom comes into your gym and just starts wrecking everyone :( Man...I would have been on the sidelines screaming "SWEEP THE LEG!!!"

I believe you when you say his strength and cardio are unreal. Most of these guys seem to train like madmen.

But now you've got me wondering if he made one of his now famous entrances haha! During the last UFC he came to the weigh ins and slipped and fell. It was hilarious.

French Fries Malone -  I'm a barber by trade and have been well known for a very close straight razor shave. Around 4 yrs ago I was working in Florida and get called in to the bank Atlantic center in sunrise for some corporate CBS gig. I think it's gonna be a pretty boring day until I find out that ken shamrock the baddest man on the planet is there!! And I'm gonna be shaving him! I did a great job then when getting ready to leave I came back into the room to find him bleeding with my razor in hand!!!

Thats funky...what in the hell was the event? I cant remember the last time Ken even fought

garrote -  Later

how much later?

melendez - 

escudo - I actually got to roll with Tom Lawlor once at a local gym.

Nobody knew he was coming in, just showed up out of the blue one day took jiu jitsu class with all the other students. He wasn't anything special only about
6' tall a quiet unassuming guy. Everyone just assumed he was some new guy untill he just ran through 5-6 students no problem and everyone was like "SHIT who is this guy?"

I got my chance to roll with him and got omoplata'd off a single leg. My coach goes up to him all excited thinking he just found some incredible undiscoved talent.

He asks "hey man whats your name?"
"Tom"
My coach just gets one of those moments like his memory just hit him with a lightning strike.
"Filthy Tom?"
"yep."

Everyone started laughing and everyone felt a little better about getting demolished by that new guy.

He stayed at our gym all week, even taught a few classes and seemed like a great down to earth dude.

BTW His strenth and cardio are UNREAL if you've never had the chance to roll withsomebody of that caliber.

Thats awesome man are you up in the New England area at all? So Tom comes into your gym and just starts wrecking everyone :( Man...I would have been on the sidelines screaming "SWEEP THE LEG!!!"

I believe you when you say his strength and cardio are unreal. Most of these guys seem to train like madmen.

But now you've got me wondering if he made one of his now famous entrances haha! During the last UFC he came to the weigh ins and slipped and fell. It was hilarious.

melendez - 

French Fries Malone -  I'm a barber by trade and have been well known for a very close straight razor shave. Around 4 yrs ago I was working in Florida and get called in to the bank Atlantic center in sunrise for some corporate CBS gig. I think it's gonna be a pretty boring day until I find out that ken shamrock the baddest man on the planet is there!! And I'm gonna be shaving him! I did a great job then when getting ready to leave I came back into the room to find him bleeding with my razor in hand!!!

Thats funky...what in the hell was the event? I cant remember the last time Ken even fought

Rear Naked Chode - 

melendez - 

French Fries Malone -  I'm a barber by trade and have been well known for a very close straight razor shave. Around 4 yrs ago I was working in Florida and get called in to the bank Atlantic center in sunrise for some corporate CBS gig. I think it's gonna be a pretty boring day until I find out that ken shamrock the baddest man on the planet is there!! And I'm gonna be shaving him! I did a great job then when getting ready to leave I came back into the room to find him bleeding with my razor in hand!!!

Thats funky...what in the hell was the event? I cant remember the last time Ken even fought

Me thinks he's joking about the kimbo fight.

I just got punked...

Rear Naked Chode - 

melendez - 

French Fries Malone -  I'm a barber by trade and have been well known for a very close straight razor shave. Around 4 yrs ago I was working in Florida and get called in to the bank Atlantic center in sunrise for some corporate CBS gig. I think it's gonna be a pretty boring day until I find out that ken shamrock the baddest man on the planet is there!! And I'm gonna be shaving him! I did a great job then when getting ready to leave I came back into the room to find him bleeding with my razor in hand!!!

Thats funky...what in the hell was the event? I cant remember the last time Ken even fought

Me thinks he's joking about the kimbo fight.

DanTheWolfman - Good stories everyone, that was fun to read through.

Confirm that Stitch and BJ's Mom are super cool

I've been real lucky over the last few years and have met many, many fighters and icons in the sport.  The first may well be the most memorable though.

Right after I fought in the first UGGP I went back to the table where my now ex gf was sitting with Gladiator Mouthguards owner Icedog11.  He told me Jens Pulver was at the fights and asked if I'd like to meet him.

Well fuck yeah I did.  I still have that pic on my profile.

My other favorite was when I was working a TUFF-N-UFF event right before UFC 100.  Joe Rogan and Eddie Bravo were in Vegas and came to the show, I was working the event and part of my job was escorting VIP's to their seats.  They showed up and introduced themselves to me and I commented that I see them on the UG all the time.  Joe asked me who I was and I said "I used to be Dreamer420 but am DreamerMMA now" and his eyes got wide and he says "You're that guy who's dad grows that huge weed!"

I had to share that one with my dad, one of his proudest moments.

Since people are talking about how cool BJ Penns mom is I'll chime in with one more.

Another TUFF-N-UFF show, I was working a UGGP card attached to it and had some shirts coming in from Tapout for the fighters, I came to find out they shipped the shirts to arrive saturday but didn't set them for Saturday delivery so they were sitting uselessly at a UPS warehouse in Vegas and my fighters were looking to be shirtless.

I met BJ Penns mom, Lorraine, at one of the booths where she was selling gear.  We got to talking and I mentioned my dilemna so she offered to let the guys have some of her gear if they'd wear them to the ring.  The guys were more than happy to do so.  She also gave me a couple of shirts and a hat that I still have.  She gave me contact info if I needed anything but I never did get a hold of her after the event.

Seriously one of the sweetest ladies ever, constantly smiling, warm personality, just a great lady.

DanTheWolfman - Good stories everyone, that was fun to read through.

Confirm that Stitch and BJ's Mom are super cool

Hell ya she is! The is the coolest lady. I think it must be a Korean thing. Ben and BJ both have their mothers at may of their events and they are both awesome :)

DreamerMMA - 

Since people are talking about how cool BJ Penns mom is I'll chime in with one more.

 

Another TUFF-N-UFF show, I was working a UGGP card attached to it and had some shirts coming in from Tapout for the fighters, I came to find out they shipped the shirts to arrive saturday but didn't set them for Saturday delivery so they were sitting uselessly at a UPS warehouse in Vegas and my fighters were looking to be shirtless.

 

I met BJ Penns mom, Lorraine, at one of the booths where she was selling gear.  We got to talking and I mentioned my dilemna so she offered to let the guys have some of her gear if they'd wear them to the ring.  The guys were more than happy to do so.  She also gave me a couple of shirts and a hat that I still have.  She gave me contact info if I needed anything but I never did get a hold of her after the event.

 

Seriously one of the sweetest ladies ever, constantly smiling, warm personality, just a great lady.

 

 

Hel ya! Sounds like she is the same with people across the board which is great to hear. It may sound corny but I genuinely enjoy meeting the family of a guy as much as I enjoy meeting them. Its cool to see where they come from or who raised them. I remember meeting Pat Barry's mom once at the UFC Expo in Houston. He's like "YO! EVERYBODY SAY WHATS UP TO MY MAMA!!!" And people looked at him like it was a joke..WHen I turned around and saw her I was like yaa, theres no WAY that lady is not his mama. Dead Ringer.

ShanTheMan - I met Tank at a UPW show, I was a nervous 16 yr old skinny kid taking a picture with a fairly drunk Tank. I tried to not do the fist pose, but he turns to me and says "put your fuckin fist up man" in a very nice voice actually. I started laughing so if I can locate the old ass picture I will post it here. It is probably in a shoe box somewhere.

Later that night, Tank and that bald bodyguard dude had to leave for starting shit with Ken Shammy during his dog collar match that my uncle was reffing. I asked if it was a work afterward and apparently it wasn't. This was after Tank got up on his chair chanting "TITO TITO" and sorry to say, I joined in. I felt we were buddies at that point.

haha! Cant wait to see that pic dude. Tank is somebody I think people would all like to see at a UFC Fan Expo. I made another thread regarding a possible "UFC Legends booth" at next years Expo...I hope it gets enough buzz to get someones attention. I wana meet Keith HACKNEY!

http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/mma.cfm?go=forum.posts&thread=2102676&page=1

HandsomeTopTeam - I saw Scott Morris eating at Pancho's Mexican Buffet. Awkward to talk to him about his fight with Pat Smith.

Funny you should mention Pat Smith. He is one of the guys I would most like to meet. Im very interested in meeting a lot of the fighters from the early era of the. Pat, Maurice, Marco Ruas, Severn etc. Guys who were there when nobody cared and now live in obscurity. Call me selfish, but Id like to see the UFC do some kind of even for them at the next UFC Fan Expo. IM nearly positive that many of the old schoolers and die hard fans of MMA would enjoy meeting them very much.