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Interview w/ UFC Legend Tank Abbott (Part 1)
Reported By: Boxing Insider - 11.11.2003 02:53 AM
Tank Abbott Interview: Interview w/ UFC Legend Part 1 |Part 2 | Part 3
He’s controversial, he’s “old-school” and depending on your view he is the best thing, or the worst thing, that has ever happened to the UFC. In Tank Abbott’s return to MMA he has lasted less than four minutes total, succumbing to a toe-hold and a cross-face choke at the hands of Frank Mir and Kimo, respectively. Tank knows many fans and fighters don’t like him, but he doesn’t care.
In the final fight of his three fight contract with the UFC, he faces Wesley “Cabbage” Correira on September 21 at the Mohegan Sun Casino. If he has any chance of remaining with the UFC or gaining some modicum of respect from his return he will have to win this fight.
In this exclusive interview with BoxingInsider.com, Tank talks about his detractors and enemies, gives his thoughts on Tito Ortiz, Ken Shamrock, Royce Gracie, and Randy Couture, and presents his views on the UFC on the eve of the tenth anniversary show.
Photo: UFC.tv
Boxinginsider.com: Starting with current events, what is your opinion on Tim Sylvia giving up the heavyweight title? Do you think the situation was handled fairly? What is your opinion on that?
Tank Abbott: Man, I don't have much of an opinion on it…He got caught using steroids. I think it's no secret -- a lot of these guys take steroids and all. I guess they're all starting to get caught now. I'm not too sure what they did to him. I think they stripped him of his belt or whatever, and fined him. But…what are you going to do?
Boxinginsider.com: Actually, he gave up the belt, was fined $7,500 and suspended for four months.
Tank Abbott: Whatever. I don't want to make a judgment on what you're supposed to give people fines for . . . If you think about it -- if you take steroids -- it's just like cheating to me.
Boxinginsider.com: What are your thoughts on Randy Couture dominating Tito Ortiz?
Tank Abbott: I thought it was Tito's first real fight. I thought Ken Shamrock was going to be his first real fight but Ken, for some reason, didn't show up for that fight. Everybody's got emergencies -- you never know what's going on. But Randy showed up. You know, I actually predicted that fight ... I would predict it again. I figured that would be the problem and that's what happened. [Randy] just manhandled him. Tito's a 205-pounder, but he's not a strong man. I knew that Randy would be right in there with him ... I actually thought it was a pretty easy fight for Randy.
Boxinginsider.com: How do you feel about Randy Couture representing the UFC as champion?
Tank Abbott: I like it. I think he's skilled at talking to people. He's coming out of his shell a little bit and I think he's doing a good job, actually.
Boxinginsider.com: All right. Let's look at the old UFC. Originally, how did you first find out about the UFC?
Tank Abbott: The very first time I saw it, I was working at a liquor store. I was going to college and I was reading through a Playboy magazine. I read [about] it and I went, "Huh. I wonder if this is for real?"
And just on a whim -- I don't know how the hell I got it -- I ended up buying it. I watched it by myself, drinking a twelve-pack, and some guy's tooth flew out . . . I said, "Holy shit. This is real."
I called up my Dad. He came over and we watched a bit together, drinking some beers, and laughing our asses off.
Boxinginsider.com: What was it like at its peak -- like when you were the man? How was it then compared to how it is now?
Tank Abbott: Well, now they need to tweak it a little bit and they need to get John Q. Public back interested in it . . . There are some things they could do, but what do I know? I don't know anything, those guys are the experts. One of these days I think they'll figure out what they need to do and when they do, it will be back to its regular “everybody-wants-to-watch-it kind of thing.”
As far as what are the differences? I don't know -- I never really noticed. I never really got into the attractions of the show. I just got into it to fight. That's what I did and that's what I'm doing now.
Boxinginsider.com: In your own words, can you tell about the rise and eventual fall of the old UFC?
Tank Abbott: In the UFC, as you know, everybody wanted to see who was the toughest guy in the world . . . bring the boxers, bring the karate guys, bring the wrestlers, bring the jiu-jitsu guys -- and the bottom line was everybody was interested to see who was [the best] … After that, everybody's watching, everybody's fighting, and everybody's going the whole nine yards. Then, there was a lot of backlash, politically, about it. That kind of soured it to the public out there -- human cock-fighting and that kind of thing? When that went by the wayside ... then the money went away. The [Fertitta Brothers] brought it back, legitimized it, and turned it into a sport. It's recognized as a sport now and that's where it is.
Boxinginsider.com: How would you compare the old management to the new management?
Tank Abbott: It's “apples and oranges.” I mean, there's good and there's bad anyway you want to slice it. I don't know how to explain it. They're both fine people. Neither of them ever crossed me or made me mad.
Boxinginsider.com: How is the pay scale different today from what it was back in the early days?
Tank Abbott: I don't know. I don't think it's terribly different. If you think about it, it just depends on who you are. If you've got a big name -- and you've got to put asses in the seats -- then you should be compensated. It's always been that way.
Boxinginsider.com: How do you compare the caliber of the fighters today to the caliber of fighters in the early UFCs?
Tank Abbott: I don't think there's too much difference. They brought in some guys back in the early days that were more show than go. But . . . the cream rises to the top -- you had Mark Coleman, you had Don Frye, and you had [Mark] Kerr -- you had really good athletes. [The sport] eventually evolved into what it is today, but I'm not necessarily thinking they're any better than any of the top guys that fought back then.
Boxinginsider.com: How have the new rule changes affected the sport?
Tank Abbott: When I fight, I haven't noticed that much at all -- too long a fight in my last two experiences (laughs). But it's not terribly that big of a deal. It was more fun when there were no rules, but it still is a close thing. You [still] get the real fighting, so you can't go wrong.
Photo: UFC.tv
Boxinginsider.com: OK. Can I ask you about WCW now? My first WCW question is: how would you compare Eric Bischoff to Dana White?
Tank Abbott: I don't even know if that's a comparable thing. Once again, it's apples and oranges. That's like saying... basketball and football. You know, they’re two completely different animals. They're both cool guys. I've got nothing wrong to say about either one of them.
Boxinginsider.com: Can you share with us your favorite WCW story?
Tank Abbott: (Laughing) I don't know too much. My whole experience at WCW was a great time. I can't really tell you one thing that stands out more than another, but I'll tell you what -- if you were out [partying] with me, you would definitely think every night was an adventure.
Boxinginsider.com: Did you ever have to “rough-it-up” with any of the WCW wrestlers in the ring?
Tank Abbott: No, I never got out of line. It never ever got that far. Everybody was really professional. It wasn't all about who was a tough guy or anything like that. They were just real cool - - doing their business.
Boxinginsider.com: Did you have a problem when you were asked to lose to Goldberg?
Tank Abbott: My outlook on the whole thing was: it was just professional wrestling. It was just a job and I didn't care about losing to Goldberg. It was no big deal to me. I think that anybody that knows anything about fighting knows that I would hurt him rather quickly, if he wanted to get into a real fight with me. So, it was like, whatever you guys want me to do -- I don't care.
Boxinginsider.com: And the one question that all the fans wanted me to ask you: can you please tell us about your experience singing with 3 Count?
Tank Abbott: Yeah. I'm still pissed off -- they ripped me off out of a record contract. Actually, that was a great time -- you know, it was all fun.
Boxinginsider.com: The next couple of questions are about Tito Ortiz. Where exactly does the beef between Tito Ortiz and Tank Abbott come from?
Tank Abbott: Oh, brother! Where does it come from? I don't know if there's a "beef" between the two of us . . . I'm a real straight-up guy and Tito is not (laughs) . . . I guess that sums it up in a nutshell. It's really futile to get into specifics, but I'm a straight-up, tell-it-the-way-it-is honest guy -- and that goes through my character, the thread of my life -- and Tito is not.
Boxinginsider.com: Can you tell us about, as he put it, your "drunken phone messages" to him?
Tank Abbott: I don't even know Tito's phone number, so that will tell you right [there] about [how much I know] I'm a truthful guy and he is not. But if I did know his phone number, he wouldn't have to worry about drunken or non-drunken phone messages I'd leave him.
Boxinginsider.com: But, my question was: he said that you were making fun of him. Or, there was a beef because you were being paid more than he was -- by the UFC? He said that the message you left on his machine had to do with you making fun of him because you made more money than he did in the UFC.
Tank Abbott: He needs to go back to the imaginary phone messages and think up some other lies. I really don't have time to bother with Tito . . . if he wants to flatter himself and tell more lies about whatever, he can, but I've never called him. You should tell him that if I'm calling him and leaving these drunken messages to keep them -- and play them back so I can hear them. But I don't think so.
Boxinginsider.com: What would happen if Tito were to move up into heavyweight and fight you?
Tank Abbott: Well, first of all, he would get beat up like I used to beat him up when he was my training partner.
Stay tuned with boxinginsider.com for part 2 of our chat with UFC Legend Tank Abbott.
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