A Night of the beast in MMA - Dan Severn vs Tank Abbott

And so, the UFC 4 tournament became a turning point in the history of sports and it was not a night of triumph, but it was the night of The Beast Dan Severn...
#mma #sport
🔥 Edit by Pasha

[@kdub560]

As a kid I remember watching all these fights for free because my parents had a “hot box”. It also got the spice channel, all the memories.

[@Deetroiter]

Spice channel LOLOLOLOL havnt heard that one in yeaarrrssss

[@charleslavoie5402]

Spice channel…. I remember that. 😂

[@stevewallis661]

Your family probably wondered why the kleenex ran out so much! Lmao

[@madwestboy]

@@charleslavoie5402 we all remember the spice channel lol

[@rickelia5047]

Wow, absolutely the ultimate way of fighting! This is survival of the fittest!

[@ubiased23]

Back in the day when mustaches were mandatory to be the ultimate man.

[@vgee3926]

U mean they're not anymore?

[@maxpainmedia]

😂😂😂

[@punkwarlord]

Mustaches are are still mandatory.. Everyone just opts out to into being a pussy now a days..

[@aikidoka00]

Were bringing um back

[@maxpainmedia]

They were juiced to the Gills back then too.. shamrock was on 1000mg tren a week i bet

[@BRad-qy6xi]

Dan couldn’t throw a punch to save his life, but his wrestling and brute strength carried him to legend status.

[@jaimealvarezmd7245]

And his size. He could take a punch. Dude . He beat tank Abbott mercilessly

[@myburner8241]

Man , I ll never forget the first VHS of Ufc . My older brother and I watched it picking fighters . Abbott was our favorite. Being 7 years old my brother 17 we d set up the cushions in the living room like the octagon and he would proceed to kicking my ass . lol Fuck I miss those days and my older brother who was like my dad passed from brain cancer at age 38 . I d give anything to laugh with him and reminisce about the good old days..Sorry for the story seeing this just brings back great memorys..

[@jaydee0187]

I was really young the first time I seen UFC on a VCR.It was one of the first VHS tapes that I rented.I miss those days

[@setnomA]

May he forever RIP

[@pacificblue3955]

sorry for your loss, friend.

[@luceatlux7087]

sry for your loss... just as a very loosely-connected, off-color curiosity to share, one of my closest childhood friends passed from something along those lines (i didn't know him real well by that time). but he did tell me that this cancer might have had some kind of mild connection with the marijuana he smoked (based on what he told me, he was an extreme smoker when he got to college... one of those guys who smokes literally 5 times a day; goes to school high, writes term papers high, and gets straight As). he said studies found that incidents of neck and brain cancer were dramatically increased with heavy mary jane-partakers. i always wondered whether this was true or just bunk... briefly looked it up with differing results. some supporting info... idk

[@zartic4life]

Thank you for sharing many of us here can relate to your pain. Keep those memories safe and keep living the best life you can thats what would have made him happy.

[@raphaelaugusto7663]

27 consecutive minutes first round holy shit. I literally gassed out just by watching.

[@CUNDUNDO]

I am not surprised even when you fart you gass out!

[@megahoodfigga]

@@CUNDUNDO lol bruh

[@TRUMP20Z4]

The early days were the BEST days.

[@Frip36]

i really disagree.

[@sirbrad4]

The old UFC was way better than today's trash, no rules no weight classes style VS style just like it should be. Today it is all cookie-cutter fighters who all weight the same, look the same, and fight the same mostly. MMA became its own style and the one who does it best wins but it is boring af.

[@Frip36]

@@sirbrad4 Do you not care about brain injuries? Also, the old fights could be pretty boring. You only see the highlights. Remember the ground locks that would last 10 effing minutes?

[@Jay.Artista]

@@sirbrad4 cookie cutter? You’re obviously not in mma.you just sound unintelligent

[@sirbrad4]

@@Jay.Artista Actually I have been doing MMA since 1995 and the martial arts for 41 years now, full contact karate and kickboxing since the 80's. I rolled with Rorion and Rickson Gracie in the 90's. It takes intelligence to recognize intelligence and judging by your less than pre-school grammar I would say you are the unintelligent one.

[@soyburglar1878]

Both Dan and Tank were equally impressive to us early UFC fans. But as I watch this now at the age of 45, I am blown away at just how much was required of these guys in the cardio department that I couldn’t appreciate at the time. The idea of continuous fighting and wrestling for 27 minutes just sounds laughably impossible, considering today’s fights. You have to give it up for the sheer grit these guys had, literally willing to leave it all on the octagon.

[@donavonhoward114]

Not only that, but to become a UFC champion, you had to beat 3 opponents in one night

[@FAWKES8037]

​@@donavonhoward114Melhor q os Gracies

[@omegaweapon116]

These guys fought more in one night than guys fight in one year nowadays

[@JaceyMitchell]

I got to meet Dan back when I was trying to break into wrestling. The man is a true gentleman. One of the nicest, kindest individuals you'll ever meet. Quite the contrast compared to how ferocious he could be in the octagon.

[@mullm5375]

Dan used to come to my Highschool all the time and inspired me to complete in MMA …… he’s a really cool guy.

[@chrisa.d.7460]

Multiple fights on one night. No holds barred ruleset... beyond tough. And all through it Big John prevented anyone from being killed. Dan had the original blueprint for what is most effective now....a strong wrestling base..Truly a beast! Thanks for uploading this.

[@Frip36]

Not killed. Just brain damaged. Good times...

[@nicholasokeefe3632]

@Enzo Morf 1995 and 2021 are wildly different in literally every aspect of the world. We've advanced so much that we now know how bad strikes like that are for people. If they knew then they probably wouldn't have let it happen.

[@tanpoponomonogatari]

I remember how John would signal the start of a fight by dropping his hand and shouting _Let's Get It On_ !... Damn, that was 25 years ago...

[@whiskeykilmer1866]

@@Frip36 Hahahahahaha

[@jayanthony5075]

An Olympic wrestler at 17 years old. That's called a prodigy. Prodigies rarely fail at whatever they put their mind to.

[@MyMy-zi7yv]

I'm so happy you're showcasing this guy, I've always believed he was the real forerunner of wrestlers who made MMA what it is today. But way more impressive is you've also got to remember, Dan was 36 when he started his MMA career, and that alone by itself is amazing! People at 36 start to think retirement or do retire at around that age! Would've been great seeing Dan in 2021 at 23 years of age, he'd have been someone to reckon with.

[@kingbugs3558]

36 is a baby age.

[@MyMy-zi7yv]

@@kingbugs3558 Maybe in Dan's case yes, but not most people.

[@mrk7201]

He's an amazing man

[@EnduringArts]

@@kingbugs3558 It's not the age it's the mileage.

[@kingbugs3558]

@@EnduringArts Tell the original commenter, not me.

[@lucarain2936]

That Severn vs Gracie match was one to remember for every wrestler and every jiu jitsu grappler.

[@Bozar069]

Dan Severn's early UFC fights were the reason I wrestled in highschool. I ended up with a serious injury and had to give it up but those were the best 2 years of my life.

[@italianmiltyfriedman6264]

that was a great story Matt, enriching. Thanks for sharing. My life is forever changed.

[@G1stGBless]

Its cool when someone can have an impact on your life from a distance. Dan seemed like a classy dude.

[@tonytony3828]

He still does seem so!

[@idizzle498]

@@italianmiltyfriedman6264 your life was changed for the worst the moment you spawned

[@matawie]

What injury did you got?

[@razorcain74]

This guy is literally Mike Haggar ! ... Legend!

[@bigmuffshoegazernon6740]

Lol I just got done playing Slammasters lol Mayor Mike Haggar is a legend!!Zangief got nothing on these mustachioed warriors!!

[@emansfvera]

They based mike haggar after Jesse Ventura

[@rugbyguitargod]

I was fortunate enough to attend one of Dan's clinics back in 2010. As someone who had ZERO experience in proper wrestling, I learned so much that day!!! He is such a class act and very kind & humble guy as well!! Extremely patient and knew how to teach.

[@damienf6369]

Dan was the absolute real deal. The Beast was and is a perfect callsign for him. Loved watching him fight.

[@jasondelvaux3036]

Dan never got nearly enough credit for his cardio. He had such long, brutal matches, and fought multiple times in a single night. He always had plenty of gas in the tank to overwhelm his opponents even late into an event. It's sad that he never got another shot at Royce. But then, the Gracie's have a lot of pull in the UFC, and they wanted no part of a more experienced Severn.

[@Centermass762]

Severn would've slaughtered Gracie in 5. He was a very different fighter than what he was in 4.

[@FrankBishop]

Dan faked TONS of fights. kzbin.info/www/bejne/maPGmGqugLWml9E

[@wileybrown3629]

@@FrankBishop yeah… in pro wrestling. where that’s the entire point. the win is pre determined/scripted. the UFC is real

[@FrankBishop]

@@wileybrown3629 hahaha...if you don't know that Dan had TONS of suspect fights, you are clueless. Oh, and I managed Forrest Griffin...I was with Forrest when he had a real fight with Dan. Dan's UFC fights were real.

[@Twinkyboy]

@@TURKISH-1453 There was no fluked win. That was most definitely a fair win on Gracie’s part. He would rather be on the ground for the entire fight and did an excellent job. Don’t be salty that Royce is a more technical fighter.

[@jockejocke1]

17:08 It's so sweet how they've been friends for so long and now run a podcast together too. That's rare to have such a long friendship into old age. And both of them are living sports legends.

[@NinjaSushi2]

The stache bros

[@drewnashty]

It's also funny how Dan is the bigger older one, yet Don looks older and sounds older. Two genuine straight shooters that make grown bearded hipsters look like bearded ladies.

[@vaylox09]

Aren't they married ?

[@fekalistagrzybowory7619]

The toughest mustaches in world of fights

[@elmoblatch9787]

@@vaylox09 To women or to each other?

[@datruthhurts3984]

Crazy these guys fought three times in one night.super unsafe times but still incredible feats by these men

[@Gordypow]

Dan and his son came to my family cabin for a weekend trip once when I was young. He was so chill and kind. We went tubing, fishing, etc. Now all these years later I'm learning about how much of a fucking monster this guy was in the ring lol

[@karelhoogendoorn]

To me, the most impressive fighters are killers in the ring and gentlemen in the world.

[@hindenberg507]

its alarming how two men can slug each other in a fight and waste so much energy yet if someone can grapple and get you in a choke or an arm bar its fight over within a minute or so, i tell you something wrestling and similar techniques where you can disable an opponent are so under rated yet so efficient, such an under looked part of fighting.. everyone wants to be the karate man or the boxer but grappler not so much.

[@marcinluberadzki6422]

In his prime was beast!!

[@michaelfrazia4569]

he is the true definition of the gentleman warrior. such a class act..intelligent, well read, kind , and a straight beast...such a cool guy.

[@tonyfuri9693]

@@marcinluberadzki6422 who wins Dan or Don?

[@nategaris3457]

Thanks for bringing back this epic footage. The BEAST has always been one of my favorites.

[@patricknilsson4360]

Ah my favorite UFC days. In the red corner Aversge Joe weighing in at 120 pounds, and in the blue corner King Kong weighing in at scale breaking pounds.

[@naturalman1972]

Reminds me of Hackney vs Yarborough.

[@calebcompton9120]

@@naturalman1972 Hackney obliterated him. I always thought Keith Hackney could've won UFC 3 if hadn't destroyed his hand on Yarborough's melon head. Had he finished the big boy with some soccer kicks or some knees inn the ground, nobody would've ever known who Steve Jennum was.

[@naturalman1972]

@@calebcompton9120 yes indeed. I thought too. Keith is a beast

[@Sicxej88]

HAHAHAHAHAHA!! XD and totally right!

[@mk1r449]

That's why he is the beast!!! Dan was and always was an elite athlete. Truly... a special talent and stronger than most people gave him credit for. 👊🏆

[@blueboat9581]

I personally know Dan Severn... super nice guy. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him.

[@waltermcmillan3654]

UFC was great back in the day!

[@jasonstevens3084]

Old head

[@Doctor-Stoppage]

Look up Dan Severn's records and stats. I have never seen a more decorated human athlete. The guy has competed in and been champion of more categories than most people know exist.

[@diggadirt393]

Steve Blackman would whoop him, kill him, get rid of his body, and get away with it.

[@Bucephalus84]

@@diggadirt393 sheeeeeeeeiiiit. Nah.

[@soulsurfer639]

His record doesn't even include his wrestling record

[@diggadirt393]

@@Bucephalus84 Did you know Steve Blackman held the Hardcore Title on six occasions?

[@jorgem.hernadez9358]

9uhh¢

[@gammasmash1924]

I learned all about respecting wrestling back in '88. I was in basic training with a kid who'd won the Pennsylvania state wrestling title in HS. He was a good bit smaller than me too, but the kid handled me easily. I was confident too. I'd always been able to take good care of myself in a scrap, but that little wrestling match was a real eye opener.

[@davidmeloche3563]

Still teaching as of 2022. Luckily, due to his supreme wrestling skill, he didn't take too many rough shots, and is still going strong.

[@JaceyMitchell]

Yeah Dan is in great shape still today. A huge difference with Don Frye, who is unfortunately not doing so great at all.

[@Hayyden]

When his moustache started covering his lip there was no turning back.

[@johnnaile9644]

It'd be great if he pulled out one of those old time bench press barbells that are just two black balls on the end of a black rod. 😂

[@dustinsanders2379]

Don't forget the man who came after him "THE PREDATOR" Don Frye

[@filthykumdumstr7190]

Lmao 🤣

[@poopypantsbiden5688]

This is one of the funniest comments I’ve read on any YT video!!! 😂😂😂 I have a beard and hate when my mustache creeps over my lip..

[@greysonG10]

@@poopypantsbiden5688 especially when u start getting stache hair in your mouth or when it gets caught while eating. Smh

[@sbragan5lg76i]

Fun fact: Dan has a total of 127 MMA fights. 101 wins, only 19 losses and 7 draws. Another fun fact is Dan had a hard time making weight. It's almost impossible to shrink your balls in a sauna and his weighed close to 30 lbs.

[@kamalahmed5057]

All this talk about balls over the last few years makes me think how bent ppl are

[@philb3654]

LOL

[@SlayerofFiction]

Hilarious, well played. It's interesting how the UFC black listed him later on.

[@dadeee7776]

@@SlayerofFiction black listed? When

[@trump-totalwar6509]

another fun fact is that he lost to every good fighter but scored a lot of wins versus mediocre competition.

[@barrymccockner6450]

I was a huge Tank Abbott fan back when this fight happened , my friend and I watched this thinking , there's no way this porn stache old guy can beat the Tank and boy was I wrong! This was my introduction to collegiate wrestling and the dominance it can have if used correctly in MMA. Dan Severn is a real beast , to this day!

[@adriandeere847]

I believe he was a freestyle and Greco guy.

[@notta3d]

Geezus! This is insane. Fighting multiple, not fights, but wars in the same night. No wonder a lot of these moves are against the rules now. These guys were beasts.

[@alexsaucedo8032]

OLEG. the BEAR . one tough bad ass dude. . Love these old classics

[@sillykicker0877]

I watched UFC in Atlantic City in the early days. More fights in the audience than in the octagon. BEST damn time ever

[@bignickdigger7105]

Amazing how soft the country is now. All the testosterone and mustaches have faded away

[@sillykicker0877]

@@bignickdigger7105 Sad but true

[@johnnysumomovo2663]

I love this video giving the history of the beast. I never knew Dan brought the NWA heavyweight title to the cage with him. Kinda cool to see Harley Race’s world title in the UFC

[@dresheraton9276]

That's "Handsome" Harley Race

[@Pughausen]

There's video of Dan Severn performing at WWF events with the UFC titles. It's so bizarre.

[@riskybitness]

I once had the good fortune of attending a seminar with Dan Severn and when asked about this fight, he said he didn't want to hurt Royce. He was expecting Royce's corner to throw in the towel, but it didn't happen. He thought Helio was willing to watch his son die in that ring for Gracie Jiu Jitsu. So he stopped throwing strikes. Severn was smart. Unlike a lot of the other fighters back then, he know how to avoid injuries. There were so many alternates brought into the tournament in those early days. You had these guys who weren't used to punching and kicking without protection, they would injure their hands, wrists, legs and feet. Other times they went through such a war that they simply couldn't continue. Severn knew how to win fights without taking himself out of the tournament. I love the story of Severn being this big powerful good guy who beats up the bully Tank Abbott. A little bit of pro wrestling storytelling in there. I guess he just couldn't help himself!

[@toddgould5968]

Oleg Taktarov was one of the toughest humans on earth.

[@moefinesse9878]

I wished Oleg fought Gracie instead of Shamrock. Oleg would of beaten Shamrock also

[@arthurfonzarelli9331]

@@moefinesse9878 I think Tank would have beaten Gracie. Just too aggressive and strong for Royce. It would have been like the Duarte fight.

[@luciusandrellius9817]

@@arthurfonzarelli9331 no he wouldn’t. Tank would gas out after a minute the Royce would submit him. Tank can’t beat any elite fighter that can last his initial onslaught.

[@moefinesse9878]

@@arthurfonzarelli9331 Gracie beat Dam Severn. How was Tank Abbot gonna beat Gracie? Come on

[@arthurfonzarelli9331]

@@moefinesse9878 Shamrock easily beat Kimo who dominated Royce. What's your point?

[@drivesideways6550]

This is when I started watching UFC, I love that Dan Spanked the Tank, he was such an arrogant SOB. Why unload on a already knocked out fighter, no class, no sportsmanship.

[@danabney4433]

Uh, that happens all the time. The ref has to call the knock out to stop it. Severn didn’t like Tank making fun of the knocked out fighter after he won.

[@perfectsplit5515]

It was really satisfying and fulfilling to see Severn put Tank in his place.

[@lycanthrogenic979]

@@danabney4433 It happens all the time NOW and has for several years since MMA has developed these standards. Back then it was way different man. All this was new. Watching Tank Abbott fight back then was something novel and amazing. It was fucking awesome.

[@sector783]

Ehhh did you see the fight between Jorge Masvidal and Kamura?? Masvidal vs adkren? Or just about any other modern MMA fight? Fighters are trained to keep going until the ref pulls them off and stops the fight.

[@newwavepop]

@@sector783 i have also seen a lot of good fighters clearly knock somone out cold on their feet and instantly back off knowing its over.

[@davidca96]

Dan Severn will always be my favorite, he was terrifying at his peak how powerful he was and how much punishment he could take and keep going. He is also a fantastic guy when not fighting. He is a fellow Michigander which also makes me proud.

[@murphyjammusashi]

And always a gentleman.

[@FrankBishop]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/maPGmGqugLWml9E

[@select20]

I remember those two fights. I ended up being the Taktarov fan after that because the guy wouldn't quit. To this day I remember how much I admired the heart.

[@daisymontague9515]

9:02 “Blow after blow Tank blinked at the camera in morse code to call for reinforcements with a helicopter, but no one responded.”

[@Frip36]

That was awesome. It slowly occurred to me that the narrator had good sense of humor.

[@MrPERPS]

You picked that up too lol ,,,,commentary gold

[@vanessawagner6209]

If only grub hub had been invented back then 😆

[@Skorzeny00]

Is that a reference to the American POW who blinked in morse code when put on TV by his captors back in the day ??

[@dottorb7054]

Truth. Few men could withstand that abuse.

[@blessedwithchallenges9917]

Oleg fighting Dan is like St. Pierre fighting Rampage.

[@gambo302]

Dan was like a gladiator from Ancient Rome

[@theofficialpeterkim]

Absolute legend. I don’t think current fighters can fight like they did in these long tournaments.

[@keithcalvosa5894]

That's the dumbest shit I'm pretty sure they would rape these unathletic old guys they just don't do it no more because it's not safe and it's not a good product watching a guy fight multiple times in one night Don Frye can't even walk and hell will tell you he was retarded for doing it

[@DerWutendeMetzger]

These current pussy fighters want over a year to prepare for an opponent and over $10 million per fight.

[@Lambdamale.]

It would be interesting to see how things would change, who would rise, and who would fall, in today's modern UFC if they changed the rules back to the way they were.

[@FAWKES8037]

Lenda

[@FAWKES8037]

​@@Lambdamale.Caçador dos Gracies.

[@calebcompton9120]

Taktarov was so tough. He had already had a really rough fight with Marco Ruas before his fight with Severn

[@NinjaSushi2]

Dang

[@unactive2]

Agree. Marco Ruas was the best Brazilian at the time. Nicknamed the king of the streets.....

[@EvMc305]

Already stated in the video

[@dezmarcel9098]

Got to be at a fight with the beast watched his came confidence and hung out at the afterparty listened to him impart wisdom about fighting still my favorite fighter

[@joshuaduenas5957]

I think Dan Severn would be a problem in today's UFC. His cardio, toughness and tenacity were unbelievable. He was ahead of the game with crazy wrestling/grappling, striking and submission techniques.

[@mf_dom08]

true..him and hammer..bjj now is like skinny jeans..it was a fad until the purest form of grappling reached its pinnacle

[@IamDude2]

@@mf_dom08 wtf are you on about, it’s well known that BJJ is required for any ground game, judo or wrestling for takedowns and some form of striking for standup, the best UFC fighters are MMA specialists, what do you think that stands for?Idiot fanboy

[@IamDude2]

Agreed Joshua Duenas, he was one of the first to incorporate multiple disciplines, along with his size and strength he was way ahead of his time. I don’t think he’d live the likes of DC etc though nowadays

[@CaptSaiyaman1941]

I wish we could still have tournaments like this these days. Fighters these days have it so easy.

[@Melcavic42]

Wah wah wah I'm only making 400k a fight wah wah, these dudes only win money if they win. Cry me a fkn river. Modern PRO sports are so weak now and the negative effect on youth sports is showing with taunting, no sportsmanship, bad techniques etc

[@NL-fg6it]

@@Melcavic42bet you’ve never trained a day in your life. If you did, you’d have respect for them.

[@canuckfan1745]

Dan "the beast" Severn is a straight up Greco-Roman wrestling ĺegend!

[@jerrywoods4066]

He also cross trained.

[@tonymontana3949]

Wrestlers specificaly greco roman wrestlers is most compleat athletes

[@jerrywoods4066]

@@tonymontana3949 yeah that's why he had to cross train to be complete

[@canuckfan1745]

@@jerrywoods4066 what fighting styles did he cross train? since he seldom ever kicked or used knee strikes, I noticed he used alot of that Bas Rutten style of palm striking, which still could put someone on their ass if hit on the right spot lol, his ground impound was pretty damn savage also.

[@jerrywoods4066]

@@canuckfan1745 he was in judo even before he started fighting he also took a little Sambo and jujitsu.

[@jimpeart5685]

hahaha "tank blinked at the camera in morse code for reinforcements" hahaha

[@leonss102]

“But the tired swashbuckler was barely on his feet” next level shit talking lol 😂

[@kennethalbert4653]

"Landed enough blows to take down an entire football team" Brilliant !!

[@jeremiahhadley9739]

Wrestled with Dan's nephew back in MI. in 94 free style and Dan was in the open class, got to see him first hand and got to that insane suflay. Love this video!

[@modolief]

Wow !!!!!!!

[@theresatravis8599]

@@modolief 11¹1111111111111

[@theresatravis8599]

Lp

[@KickingAssDaily]

Is Suflay another word for Mustache?

[@jeremiahhadley9739]

@@KickingAssDaily way Back when it was called a sufley witch was actually a suplex but I love it as a definition of the mustache reference .Nice😂

[@carter3369]

Dan Severn’s WWF entrance music was badass

[@rockerboyrage1609]

We need more old school wrestlers like Dan Severn in prowrestling. I might actually watch again.

[@ChaosDave2]

Totally agreed. But most young wrestlers want to flip. Fortunately we still have the old stuff.

[@wolfsfire68]

I remember watching The Beast jack up Tank Abbott long ago and I was absolutely amazed over the beating that guy took and was still able to get up. I think if it was anybody but Tank, they would have left the ring on a stretcher. The Beast had no mercy in that match, he made his point.

[@piguelmonce9937]

Dan Severn the realest guy in the room

[@JPerry-jw9ik]

Dan graduated from my high school. He was never mentioned when I grew up wrestling. Not sure why... He is The Beast though for sure!

[@NinjaSushi2]

What school?

[@JPerry-jw9ik]

@@NinjaSushi2 Hill McCloy high school in Montrose Michigan.

[@Nick-cp8wf]

Likely because him graduating in 1976 would require the teachers and coaches to be 50 year veterans. Usually the schools staff passes on the word of a great student athlete. When I graduated in 2007 there was a lot of talk about athletes in the 80s because the teachers there that were teaching for 30+ years already passed the word down about them. Him being a 70s student makes it unlikely there are any teaching or coaching staff from that ers still present. Cool topic though.

[@PROFESSOR-I.C.]

I remember this was the most brutal professional fighting in the world during this era. There were only 3 rules, no gouging eyes, no biting, and no striking your opponent's package. These men would fight 2 or 3 times in 1 night. Often, they would fight with injuries and stitches in their face/head bandaged. There were matches when these men's faces were covered with blood. Many times by the end of the night the octagon was covered with blood. Sometimes, pure savagery. These were the true warriors of fighting. Excuse me, I'm thirsty for some tomato juice.

[@frankamaya5796]

No fishhooking

[@jasse85]

@@frankamaya5796 Just bite the fingers off.

[@omegaweapon116]

Was it the earlier UFC's where you could hit in the groin?

[@kimboslicefan78]

stamina back then was unreal lmao.. the headbutts + elbows + punches on the back of the head = savage.

[@johngreen7726]

Olek is remembered but seriously I've never forgotten Dan, who could if they watched the beginning you definitely didn't. Kids these days don't know either of them.

[@Frip36]

He said Olek is the most remembered of Dan's opponents.

[@joeperry2065]

Severn is maybe the most well conditioned heavyweight in UFC history. I think his cardio was even better than a prime Cain.

[@muhyee294]

Severn just had zero striking skills

[@muhyee294]

@Monk Paw if u are talking to me then why? He had no strikes at all. Great wrestler and very strong but could not stand up against any great striker tapped out to a leg kick by Pedro rizzo.

[@muhyee294]

@Monk Paw ok cool bro take care. Lol

[@Lucille69caddy]

@Monk Paw That’s “Joe”, not “Josh”, intelligent one.

[@joelpocalips]

"Thanks to his experience in pro wrestling, he knew how to work the public" ...i don't think he ever worked the crowd in the ufc. He walked to the octagon, did the job, had his hand raised, and went to the back to wait for his next victim.

[@f.mazz.459]

I remember renting these early UFC videos at the video store and having a cow, yelling at the TV by myself lol. Knowing DULL WELL what was to come in the back of mind---the world of MMA. Great video and narration! Ty 👍

[@balbin0329]

This was great. I appreciate this kinda content. MMA fans dont really know anything about the history of MMA and how it evolved, they only focus on who is current and who is popular unfortunately.

[@beetlejuice4357]

Yeah we used to have to rent a m video tape 📼 from Blockbuster and it was pretty much like a real life street fighter video game. A sumo wrestler vs a kick boxer. It could be anyone any weight fighting anyone.

[@willandrews9741]

Lol at Forrest griffin calling him a fat Freddy Mercury while absorbing some of this massive punishment. Severn was/is an absolute specimen man.

[@jmacc9876]

It's a pretty great insult though

[@willandrews9741]

@@jmacc9876 oh of course it’s epic

[@ftlgo7815]

At least Severn never ran out of the cage crying. TWICE

[@willandrews9741]

@FTL GO did he twice? I know he did once against hardline And then randomly after a fight with Tito I think but not n tears Hey I love em both

[@wheelmanstan]

he looked like a 19th century circus performer haha, nailed it

[@tanpoponomonogatari]

I used to watch Dan in UFC back in the day. He was awesome. Even into his 40s, he was hungrier and fought harder than guys half his age. He would just go in there and destroy guys, literally a one-man wrecking crew.

[@tonpalacios2964]

Dan Severn and Don Fryes mustaches are tied for the manliest things on this earth.

[@ThalassicMeasure]

Holy shit! I forgot how brutal Severn became after losing to Gracie. Gracie would have been annihilated in that fight had Severn been willing to inflict those headbutts, elbows, and hammer fists.

[@shafo4384]

Or just have submitted him more easily as Severn offered up his limbs or head.

[@bouncingsoul777]

@@shafo4384 Nah, not likely with that size difference....I mean, it wouldn't have been impossible for Gracie to still have won, just not likely. If Severn were more aggressive, he could've picked Gracie up and dropped him on his head...armbar and all

[@CHMPro]

True. After Gracie loss Dan unleashed a new style called beat the shit outta them. He's so aggressive I think Gracie would have been spanked on this version of Dan.

[@ThalassicMeasure]

@@shafo4384 Perhaps. Gracie could submit anyone during those early days of MMA. But I think all Severn had to do was to unleash those headbuts when he had Gracie's head pinned. I honestly think it would have shattered Gracie's skull and ended his career or life right there. No need to offer up any limbs to do it either.

[@austinsavage]

@@ThalassicMeasure could hv, would hv, should hv. Dan was in a long drawn out fight with Royce. At that point anyone would do anything to win. It was a FIGHT with minimal rules. Dan was already an experienced MMA fighter then, dont u think he could hv done that if he could (headbutt/beat up Royce)? U guys are theorising too much here. And im not a Gracie fanboy

[@mwbright]

Dan Severn may not have been the greatest MMA fighter in history, but he was damn good and nobody came out of that corner who was scarier. Nobody.

[@jewbego5323]

Back when UFC was real and exciting.

[@geekspeakmadechic4003]

One of the 2 most dominant mustache’s in sports history. Never mess with a man with a stache like that. He means business

[@artfuldodger4557]

Who has the other stache?

[@artfuldodger4557]

Never mind. Gotta be Don Frye.

[@nickeverything4433]

Watching Dan wrestle is a treat.

[@lathumpipe]

Don Frye and Dan Severn….best friends….and 2 men I wouldn’t want to meet (on the wrong side of a fight) in a billion years. I would, however, drink a beer with these gods.

[@liamwalters5029]

I would second this

[@thehammer3340]

UFC on VHS, those were the good ole days.

[@joefishstone8132]

I Fr can’t believe they just fought multiple fights in a night

[@Cutlass_Rudd]

They need to do a retro tournament with the modern crew

[@kusukacolaylowlee1611]

Only for 50grand

[@fritzthecat9451]

@@kusukacolaylowlee1611 adjust that for inflation! In 96 that would have been close to 100k today.

[@mroy471]

Bare handed too 😵

[@maxpainmedia]

Back then they were mens men

[@turdferguson2839]

Severn would've easily beaten Gracie if he was willing to hit Gracie in the face, after that loss Severn realized he couldn't play nice and that's why he started beating guys on the ground. Gracie knew he couldn't compete with Severn, Frye, Abbott and Shamrock and that's why he quit.

[@davefoster6767]

Gracie cheated

[@kayapolori8779]

All are heavyweight whereas royce is a middleweight. If they were all same weight, royce would probably beat them, but at that time gracies decided to make an openweight tournament, so they cant say they were disadvantaged by the weight difference

[@johndehaan2764]

Royce Gracie was 80 freaking kilos bro. That's why MMA has weight divisions now. Pound for pound Gracie was an awesome fighter who applied his disciplines so well that it forced the entire sport to raise the bar.

[@yoyo762]

@@johndehaan2764 No he didn't raise any bars. He had a double leg takedown and then fight from the laying down guard. And wait out a chance to choke. Once other fighters stopped letting him do things his way, he was ineffective

[@jerrywoods4066]

They stopped those knee strikes to the head as well I believe a couple other things because of injuries, also gave grappling an advantage later on. That helped some of them gracies

[@leandrobego154]

Dan Severn and Don Frye , the 2 most badass mustaches ever !!

[@thecasual4880]

These guys might fight 3 times a year now, these were the real tough guys. Unreal.

[@robertlange5875]

Best fighting channel on the platform

[@pnice494]

Ufc history is the best! I remember watching these as a kid but didn't know much of anything.

[@____-.]

I loved tank Abbott until I saw his unsportsmanlike behavior. Many years later I saw his interview that he is a different guy but hey man people don't change they become cautious.

[@EURIPODES]

Years ago Dan visited the dojo I trained at. Total gentleman. It was then that I decided that when I grew up, I wanted an epic mustache.

[@evanabbott2737]

2:02: a young Al Snow in Severn’s corner.👍

[@Disconnect350]

Damn! that's actually amazing.

[@anonymousanonymous5327]

Severn a he'll of a fighter in ufc and such a great singer in queen

[@yoyo762]

Lame.

[@SadDad01]

😂

[@squadgeman3247]

Those were the days! I owned all of those UFC's on VHS and would watch them over and over again and again. This was when the UFC was the real deal! Don't get me wrong, I love the UFC now, but these guys were a different breed!

[@andyb9994]

Severn is a true tough guy, I don't think I have seen Tank take a beating like that, I've seen him lose but never got pounded like that...👍

[@robbieweirddick9158]

Just found out about this channel yesterday and I love it please do Tank Abbott next I would love to hear about all his crazy fights

[@aikidoka00]

Was it just me or did Dan Severns look like a god when he came in the ring?

[@RonBaker456]

"flew off" was the funniest thing ever.

[@MoeSlislack]

these early days changed everything. you could bring whatever fighting skill you thought you had and try it out to see how effective it was. it destroyed this mythical belief we all had in kung fu, ninjutsu and karate.

[@kusukacolaylowlee1611]

Ninjutsu is art of killing no way they use real technique

[@JefferyT1991]

No holds barred! Amazing courage and strength from these warriors

[@tonypaella]

Wasn't completely no holds barred, was it? No biting, going for the eyes, which would make grappling a more difficult task.

[@BigBass-xf5yi]

Great Vid. Dan was definitely a Beast. As much as I love modern mma, these early cards hood such a special place in my heart. We couldn’t wait for these /events/ppvs….some of these guys performing in 3 fights in a night, no rounds and fight till the finish. Simply crazy. I miss it so. Another thing, I absolutely love Dan and Dons “Toxic Masculinity” podcast. I feel like I’m hanging out with a couple of my fishin buddies when listening. Lol.

[@hughgevainey3181]

Dan's physique is that of a old-school wrestler like Killer Kolwaski or Bruno Sanmartino. He couldn't punch to save his life but he got it done. My Jeet Kune Do school traveled to Tulsa to watch UFC. I was hooked.

[@adrianrichardson1097]

Thank you so much for that awesomeness 😎🍻🤙🤕🥊 Old Man Dan is the very reason I signed up for high school wrestling. I was a Thai fighter at the time seeing his debut live thinking my guy MAD DOG (yup I know his name) was gonna wipe the floor with this bum 😂😂😂

[@perfectsplit5515]

Those 2 suplexes stood out in everyone's mind.

[@TheZemun]

This was very , very good commentary . Thanks bro .

[@billyflores3360]

Yeah, Dan Severn is unforgettable. He proves being a big guy=dominant fighter if the skill is there

[@niall5797]

DAN AND DON ...ABSOLUTE MONSTERS ....

[@entreri76x]

Would have absolutely loved to see an Oleg and Gracie matchup up in the early/mid 90s! That would have been freaking awesome ! Remember , Oleg would not have tapped out . There were almost one of a kind with the same mental Mentality and style. I got into UFC when I saw UFC 3, as a senior in high school in 1995.

[@chrisortiz8072]

That Oleg was a lot tougher honestly. I see what you mean though because of similar styles.

[@entreri76x]

@@chrisortiz8072 and I can honestly say, I don’t know who would have won that fight (in the mid 90s era)

[@greecoboost]

Ayyyy Class of 95 gang!

[@dresheraton9276]

When Sakuraba beat the hell out of Royce, to his credit he didn't tap. Mind you another 15 seconds in the first round and Gracie would have had a broken are. That dude would never tap either.

[@Jamie-zs8ok]

Oleg will win I think he has better striking and standup grapling and he is bigger and has enough submission no how to avoid being strangled