Within the early days of the Final Preventing Championship, when the game was in its infancy, one of many first fan favorites to emerge was heavyweight brawler David “Tank” Abbott.
Abbott made his promotional debut at UFC 6 in July 1995, in a featured open weight, eight-man event. The event had no weight lessons, or weight limits. The matches had no rounds. No judges have been used. There was a 30-minute time restrict within the finals and, if needed, a five-minute additional time.
Abbott annihilated John Matua in simply 20 seconds to advance to the semifinals. He completed “The Polar Bear” Paul Varelans in beneath two minutes and punched his technique to the finals. Advancing on the opposite facet of the basket and dealing with Abbott within the finals was “The Russian Bear” Oleg Taktarov. The combat lasted practically 18 minutes with Taktarov submitting Abbott for the event title. Abbott blames the loss on referee John McCarthy.
“I might have received that combat if ‘Massive’ John McCarthy would not have caught his melon in-between us and break us up,” Abbott stated on the Joe Rogan Podcast. “He broke this combat up. There have been no guidelines. Why did he do this?”
Abbott had prime place after heading off a guillotine choke try early within the combat. “Why did he break us up,” Abbott continued. “He is corrupt and he is a criminal.” Abbott went on to accuse McCarthy of disliking him and attempting to get him kicked out of the combat promotion. McCarthy responded to Abbott’s feedback on the Weighing In podcast.
“In the case of Tank, alcohol had lots to do with swaying what he even remembers,” stated McCarthy. “He all the time believed that I hated him. I’ve by no means hated Tank. That was not the case. There have been instances have been I received pissed off at Tank.”
“He was drunk on a regular basis,” McCarthy continued. “He informed Joe that I stood him up and I am the explanation he misplaced combat combat (in opposition to Taktarov). That is the entire thing, the principles. Tank is liable for sure guidelines. UFC 6, he is the explanation I stated you’ll be able to’t fishhook as a result of he is sticking his fingers in Oleg Takarov’s mouth attempting to tug his lips aside. So I used to be like, you’ll be able to’t do this. The one factor you are able to do to defend it’s chew. You possibly can’t chew. You possibly can’t do the fishhook. So he was liable for that. That was his first present. I needed to give you the principles. You possibly can’t do this. It would not look good.
“The present earlier than, that [Royce] Gracie versus [Ken] Shamrock, for those who return and watch it, it was 36 minutes whole. 31 minutes earlier than we stopped it the primary time and gave them a minute relaxation and a five-minute additional time. The primary 31 minutes was on the bottom. On the time, I used to be not allowed to face folks up, and I preferred it that means. I did not should make any choices. It was actual easy. However due to that combat at UFC 6 they wished me to face folks up. And I used to be attempting to not stand folks up. They have been like, ‘No. No. You have to stand folks up. In the event that they’re simply laying there, they’e received to get into motion.'”
“I stood them up one time in an 18-minute combat… as a result of he was blowing snot bubbles on the chest of Oleg Takarov,” McCarthy defined.
