In this episode of the MMA History Podcast, Cage Rage co-founder Andy Geer returns to cover the promotion’s final chapter. Elite XC and parent company ProElite arrived with cash and television promises, American names poured in, and a run of Wembley Arena cards mixed British regulars with imported stars before the brand collapsed after ProElite failed in 2008.

Geer talks through Kimo Leopoldo’s British debut at Cage Rage 18, where the Pride and UFC veteran lost by guillotine to Dave Legeno, and addresses the talk that followed that fight. He also tells the Cage Rage 21 story in full: Bob Sapp was booked, recorded promos and did the usual cage walk, then pulled out midweek after claiming threats tied to his earlier walkout in Holland; Tank Abbott took the main event on a few days’ notice, flew in, drank the night before, promised a short burst of chaos, and was stopped by Gary Turner.

Also discussed are the UFC dispute over the eight-sided cage and the phrase “ultimate fighting,” the deal Geer says was worth ten million dollars with four million paid in cash, Sky Sports live television, last-minute replacements, and the budget cuts and culture clash that followed the sale.

Cage Rage shut its doors but left a lasting mark on European MMA.

Subscribe for more first-hand interviews with the people who built the sport.

0:00 start

0:37 MMA History Podcast Intro

1:10 Joey Venti’s guest introductions

1:21 interview start

1:34 brawl at the mall 2

3:12 Dan Hardy trained by the Shaolin monks

4:00 Robbie Olivier vs Brad Pickett

5:34 Alexandru Lungu vs Mark Buchanan

6:23 experience with Kimo Leopoldo

9:17 Kimo Leopoldo vs Dave Legeno

10:18 Cabbage Corrreira mugged on the street

15:21 Butterbean in MMA

17:23 Jason Barrett

19:27 cage rage 20 fight card

19:53 Mark Kerr hotel story

22:20 Anderson Silva detained at customs

23:13 Bob Sapp at Cage Rage

27:27 Dan Severn vs Dave Legeno

28:25 copyright issues with the UFC

34:50 broadcasted live on Sky Sports

36:08 Cage Rage 21 highlights

36:53 Tom Watson vs Xavier Pokam

38:21 Murilo Rua vs Alex Reid

38:38 Cyborg Santos vs James Zikic

40:07 Vitor Belfort mental issues

41:29 choosing Wembley stadium as a home

44:06 Mario Sperry vs Lee Hasdell

46:00 Butterbean helping market Cage Rage

48:03 agreement with EliteXC

54:28 $10 million offer to sell Cage Rage

59:47 legal proceedings with the UFC

1:03:34 Jeremy Lappin

1:04:18 Chris Brennen affiliation program

1:05:09 Gary Turner vs Julius Francis

1:06:57 Paul Daley F word controversy

1:08:04 Sky TV dropping Cage Rage

1:12:27 OJ Borg

1:14:16 communications with Jared Shaw

1:15:09 dealing with Phil Baroni

1:17:00 Mark Epstein vs Tom Watson

1:18:01 Drew Fickett vs Mark Weir

1:18:24 Robert Berry vs Ken Shamrock

1:23:46 Andy Geer leaving Cage Rage

1:30:42 false rumors about Andy Geer

1:32:54 EliteXC planning events outside of London

1:34:02 Manchester Combat sports market

1:34:52 how swing bouts worked in Cage Rage

1:37:21 finding out Cage Rage was finished

1:42:48 silent partner in Cage Rage

1:43:55 Terry Trebilcock after Cage Rage

1:47:22 having to a judge at a Cage Rage event

1:50:08 interview wrap up

1:52:06 outro/ closing thoughts

#MMAHistory #CageRage #EliteXC

This week on the MMA History Podcast we close the book on Friend of the Show Mac Danzig’s UFC career. Title challenger Gray Maynard also joins Mike Davis and Joey Venti to walk through Danzig’s final run against Takanori Gomi, Melvin Guillard and Joe Lauzon, the camps at AKA and Extreme Couture, the grind of training while raising a young daughter, the Joe Silva relationship, the sponsorship machine, and the decision to walk out one last time with “Not For Sale” on his shorts.

Gray also talks Primed Combat in Michigan and life after the octagon. Mac looks back on the knockouts in camp, the Rico Chiapparelli chapter, and the six-hour nasal surgery that followed his final fight.

Support the Rafiel Torre documentary: a $10 donation gets you the window sticker and yellow card. Link in the description.

0:00 start

0:34 MMA History Podcast intro

1:07 Joey Venti’s guest introduction

1:24 interview start

1:26 Gray Maynard current life/ plugs

3:06 Mac Danzig plugs/ promotions

5:46 Mac Danzig meeting Gray Maynard

7:16 relationship with Shawn Tompkins

9:40 leaving Vegas for California

12:00 reaction to Jim Miller UFC longevity

13:29 Mac Danzig’s relationship with Joe Silva

15:30 Gray Maynard’s relationship with Joe Silva

18:09 Mac Danzig vs Takanori Gomi

24:16 Gray Maynard training at AKA

32:21 issues with Bob Cook as a coach

34:07 Mac Danzig vs Takanori Gomi (continued)

36:50 wanting to advance training at AKA

40:35 destroying nose during fight career

43:08 ADHD and sleep apnea

46:42 Mac Danzig vs Melvin Guillard

55:04 training with Rico Chiapparelli

56:52 struggles going into Melvin Guillard fight

1:02:21 issues with finding a coach

1:05:34 going back to Rico Chiapparelli

1:08:00 hesitation during Melvin Guillard fight

1:11:42 Mevin Guillards conditioning for fight

1:16:26 Hand Speed and placement

1:17:51 Mac Danzig vs Joe Lauzon

1:23:16 Joe Lauzon requesting Gray Maynard

1:25:09 choosing not to have sponsors for fight

1:33:38 Cody McKenzie basketball shorts controversy

1:36:24 issues with Training mask

1:38:28 dealing with injury during Joe Lauzon fight

1:42:29 coaches giving fighter speeches

1:46:34 Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard 2

1:49:30 receiving nose surgery

1:54:25 interview wrap up

1:54:46 outro/ closing thoughts

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#MMAHistory #MacDanzig #GrayMaynard #UFC

Matt “The Real One” Grice was supposed to be unbreakable. A four-time Oklahoma state wrestling champion at Harrah High School, three-time Outstanding Wrestler, and the most recruited wrestler in his weight class, a car wreck threw him through a windshield and stole the college career everyone saw coming. He clawed his way back, made it to the UFC, earned Fight of the Night honors against Jason Black and Dennis Bermudez, then a second crash in Shawnee shattered his skull and ended his fighting career.

Most men would have stayed down. Grice didn’t. He rebuilt his life as an Oklahoma City police officer, coach, and gym owner.

On episode 347 of the MMA History Podcast, Matt Grice sits down with Mike Davis and Joey Venti to recount his legendary high school career, the wreck that cost him his years at Oklahoma, the promise he kept to his parents before his first fight, his UFC run, the 2013 accident that put him in a coma, and how he came back to coach the next generation at American Elite MMA.

0:00 start

0:44 MMA History Podcast intro

1:16 Joey Venti’s guest introductions

1:31 interview start

1:47 current life/ career

2:23 4 time state champ in Oklahoma

4:12 recruiting process for wrestling

7:30 getting hurt in a car crash

8:54 wrestling while injured

11:47 taking a season off wrestling

13:05 meeting MMA coach Jason Merrill

14:46 competing in BJJ after 1 day or practice

17:57 taking first amateur fight

19:32 relationship with Ron Tripp

20:16 Mikey Burnett

20:51 training with Anthony Macias

21:45 Matt Grice vs Matt Grey

23:17 choosing to do MMA over wrestling

24:10 being a ticket seller

24:41 Matt Grice vs Marco Adamballi

24:58 Matt Grice vs Rocky Long

26:35 taking 3 fights in 2 months

27:17 Matt Grice vs Shervin Alavi

28:31 Matt Grice vs Joe Davis

29:22 Matt Grice vs Lee King

29:43 manager Greg Stewart

30:55 Matt Grice vs Dan Marks

33:46 offered to be on TUF

35:40 Matt Grice vs Clint Kerley

36:52 flying out to Manchester for UFC debut

37:54 UFC 70 card

38:34 Matt Grice vs Terry Etim

39:20 taking training seriously

41:00 how traveling affects a fighters lungs

42:13 Matt Grice vs Jason Black

45:00 accepted into the police academy

50:22 work day as a police officer

53:51 Matt Grice vs Matt Veach

57:00 Matt Grice vs Shannon Gugerty

58:42 training at shape fitness

1:00:47 getting cut from the UFC

1:02:20 having a supportive wife

1:04:08 current coaches at gym

1:06:03 Matt Grice vs Dave Gardner

1:07:57 earning 3 straight finishes

1:09:09 Matt Grice vs Ricardo Lamas

1:09:51 experience training at Top Notch

1:12:05 connecting with Tom Vanghn

1:12:55 2 cancelled bouts in the UFC

1:13:26 Matt Grice vs Leonard Garcia

1:15:19 Matt Grice vs Dennis Bermudez

1:17:06 crashed into at a red light

1:20:59 ending up in a coma after accident

1:28:40 choosing not to take medications

1:30:06 Matt Grice day April 4th

1:33:32 life after accident

1:35:25 outro/ closing thoughts

Instagram

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MMA History Podcast

YouTube

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

Mike - The MMA Detective - @mikedavis632

Cash App - $mikedavis1231

Venmo - Mike-Davis-63

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

Thank You for your support

#MMAHistory #UFC #Wrestling #Oklahoma