If you passed by Tank Abbott on the street, there’s a pretty good chance you wouldn’t recognize him.
Today, Abbott lives a mostly quiet life, hosting his own podcast called The Proving Ground. But in 1995, he quickly became one of the UFC’s biggest stars courtesy of his balls-to-the-wall style of fighting that provided a plethora of highlight-reel knockouts.
Recently, Abbott made an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience to talk about all things UFC, going back to a time when even Rogan himself wasn’t part of the promotion. During their conversation, Abbott spoke about what it was like competing in a time when the sport had no rules and no time limits, how he ended up getting himself kicked out of the UFC, and his issue with iconic MMA referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy.
Tank Abbott went from UFC to WCW
After his fighting career began to fizzle out, Abbott found a new gig by signing a deal with World Championship Wrestling. Initially brought in to capitalize on his status as a legitimate fighter, Abbott’s character was quickly dwindled down to a crazed fan following around 3 Count, a mock boy band stable made up of wrestlers Evan Karagias, Shannon Moore, and Shane Helms—better known by WWE fans as The Hurricane.
Abbott continued to fight off and on under a handful of brands, including Strikeforce, PRIDE, EliteXC, and King of the Cage before ultimately retiring in 2013. He never found the same success as he did in the early days of the Octagon, but his merciless approach to the fight game will always be remembered by the fans who have been down since day one.