Fighters with surprising backgrounds?

[Limeade]

Deiveson Figueiredo was a sushi chef.

And a hair stylist too if I recall.

 

[davidlemonparty]

Mighty Mouse drove a forklift around a warehouse. Not Unusual, you say. But MM was still working full time right up until his title fight with crux.

 

[FIghtxIQ]

Just found out Marvin Vettori started kickboxing at age 13. Then he started training Muay Thai with Rafael Cordero and then started MMA. In another thread they're talking about his trip to Muay Thailand like he's Ben Askren lol.

Yeah I guess most don't realize Kings MMA is muay thai based, it's original Chute Boxe. Vettori needs to visit boxing gyms though, and not so much muay thai gyms. Especially traditional muay thai, I don't think it'll favor his style much and his muay thai with Kings/ChuteBoxe is better tailored for mma. Traditional muay thai is too upright and they are used to taking turns attacking and defending with no much movement/footwork. It's kick and knee heavy and they tend to single shot everything. The punches are just to set up a kick or knee. They usually always end the combination with a kick or knee. Vettori needs to improve his boxing, he'll have more success if he improves his boxing.

 

[FIghtxIQ]

Rich Franklin was a math teacher, but before that, he was a pet detective

GSP was a garbage man before, and this is how he became so strong from tossing garbage bins into the garbage trucks

A lot of physical labor work definitely improves strength. A lot of times people think those people were born with that type of strength don't realize those people worked physical labor jobs or did a lot of physical labor work. Your job is pretty much a workout for long hours multiple days a week. Those type of people have a lot of functional strength and are usually stronger than they look because of it.

Even in fighting if you look at certain fighter's background, a lot of the heavy hitters or fighters that are just strong have some kind of physical labor work background. That type of work can't be replicated in the gym. Certain workouts can, like sledgehammers on tires, but for the most part many can't be replicated in the gym.

 

[textwarrior]

Just found out Marvin Vettori started kickboxing at age 13. Then he started training Muay Thai with Rafael Cordero and then started MMA. In another thread they're talking about his trip to Muay Thailand like he's Ben Askren lol.

Dana White ran a day care in Las Vegas, but they fired him once they found out the kids would be missing money, contracts, food for themselves, and charged high prices. However, if it was not for Dana, that Day Care company would not be where it is today!!!

 

[WaylonMercy5150]

Dana White had a 13-4 amateur boxing record.
Conor was an all Ireland Boxing Champ
Cheick Kongo was French HW Greco-Roman Wrestling Champion
Shalarus had olympic level wrestling while failing to qualify for the olympics

 

[HaulParris]

Not that being a police officer is surprising in and of itself, but the fact that the Canadian police had a problem with Sean Pierson being an MMA fighter is surprising:

https://www.thestar.com/amp/news/gt...erson_faces_ultimatum_cop_or_ufc_fighter.html

For those who are "who the fook is that guy", Sean Pierson was the brave soul who survived the onslaught of Matt Riddle's aerial punches and knees:

Never forget

 

[Big Tuppy Hole]

A lot of physical labor work definitely improves strength. A lot of times people think those people were born with that type of strength don't realize those people worked physical labor jobs or did a lot of physical labor work. Your job is pretty much a workout for long hours multiple days a week. Those type of people have a lot of functional strength and are usually stronger than they look because of it.

Even in fighting if you look at certain fighter's background, a lot of the heavy hitters or fighters that are just strong have some kind of physical labor work background. That type of work can't be replicated in the gym. Certain workouts can, like sledgehammers on tires, but for the most part many can't be replicated in the gym.

This is true, I've worked construction since I was 14 (26 years) and I can easily overpower people when hand fighting while grappling. I can wrist control most people with ease.

 

[Dijardo]

Alexander Volkov has a legit university degree in "dynamics and flight control of rockets and spacecraft"

 

[HaulParris]

Alexander Volkov has a legit university degree in "dynamics and flight control of rockets and spacecraft"

Awesome! He's literally a rocket scientist ?!

 

[WarriorPoet1]

Chuck Liddell was a certified public accountant.
Kenny Florian played soccer all through college

 

[Dijardo]

Awesome! He's literally a rocket scientist ?!

technically rocket engineer

 

[muhammadgoatli]

Dana White ran a day care in Las Vegas, but they fired him once they found out the kids would be missing money, contracts, food for themselves, and charged high prices. However, if it was not for Dana, that Day Care company would not be where it is today.

Liked it so much, hadda give it a modern twist...

 

[tomjones]

Machida was a national sumo champion.

 

[mahavishnunj]

This is true, I've worked construction since I was 14 (26 years) and I can easily overpower people when hand fighting while grappling. I can wrist control most people with ease.

Opposite here. I've played guitar for 30 years and a 12 year old, or 90 year old could wrist control me with ease.

 

[NicholasJBasile]

Yeah I guess most don't realize Kings MMA is muay thai based, it's original Chute Boxe. Vettori needs to visit boxing gyms though, and not so much muay thai gyms. Especially traditional muay thai, I don't think it'll favor his style much and his muay thai with Kings/ChuteBoxe is better tailored for mma. Traditional muay thai is too upright and they are used to taking turns attacking and defending with no much movement/footwork. It's kick and knee heavy and they tend to single shot everything. The punches are just to set up a kick or knee. They usually always end the combination with a kick or knee. Vettori needs to improve his boxing, he'll have more success if he improves his boxing.

I feel there is a lot of truth to this. I love traditional muay thai, and it is a phenomenal style, but they do tend to struggle against proper boxing fundamentals at times. I feel that the sport has somewhat shifted that way slightly; the days of leg kicking pure boxers are fewer occuring since leg kicks have become so commonplace among all MMA gyms over the past couple decades. Muay Thai with an emphasis on MMA-centric boxing seems to be a common approach these days.

 

[StocktonMuhfuh]

Conor McGregor was a plumber. But he preferred living on welfare instead.

Conor laid pipe?

 

[Bend NvR Break]

Conor McGregor was a plumber. But he preferred living on welfare instead.

While he was public assistance he was getting money that was supposed to go to him training to be a plumber.
He took that money for plumber trade school and used it to train in mma.

The rest is history.

It is fraud though.

 

[Bend NvR Break]

I feel there is a lot of truth to this. I love traditional muay thai, and it is a phenomenal style, but they do tend to struggle against proper boxing fundamentals at times. I feel that the sport has somewhat shifted that way slightly; the days of leg kicking pure boxers are fewer occuring since leg kicks have become so commonplace among all MMA gyms over the past couple decades. Muay Thai with an emphasis on MMA-centric boxing seems to be a common approach these days.

Stylistically

Traditional MT > karate/kickboxing > boxing > MT

 

[jooohnmatrix]

Mcgregor doesn’t come from Crumblin in Dublin 12 but actually from a leafy suburb in Lucan co Dublin bordering Kildare . His father ran a very successful plumbing contracting company where he gave Conor an apprenticeship but it was too much for him after living a pampered life.
Another funny one about him that’s never been covered as we have no journalists in mma, just YouTubers but mcgregor wanted to be a boxer and it was only when he failed to make the Irish Olympic team that he transitioned to mma.
Suppose it wouldn’t have been such an inspiring story if the truth was out there that he was a rich kid failed boxer, failed plumber lol. Fair play to him though, he’s made a fortune after hoodwinking everyone.