1-on-1 with DP – 93.7 The Ticket KNTK - Forrest Griffin story: July 6th, 10:25am

Episode Date: July 6, 2022

Forrest is a UFC pioneer/Hall of Famer and he takes time for everyoneAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

You're listening to One-on-One with DP. Brought you by Mary Ellen's Food for the Soul. On 93-7 The Ticket and the Ticket FM.com. Welcome back to one-on-one. I wanted to share the story again. Pretty cool to watch Nebraska's ascension to its own place in mixed martial arts. And in, you know, fights in the fight game. And again, you get Bud Crawford and the best fight pound-per-pound fighter in the entire world.

And then in the UFC with Kamar Uzman, you get the best pound-per-pound fighter in the UFC. Both from Nebraska. And that's not even including the other. I got the text in there were 11 Nebraska fighters in the top 700 fighters in the entire world. 11 11 Nebraska what are y'all doing

that is fantastic for a state this size with another two that are coming because they were just on the ultimate fighter another three from the ultimate fighter

two heavy weights and a middle weight are coming through as well so through that in that space that here we are in Vegas at the biggest

UFC event a year and it's the very Nebraska And it was very cool to be in the space. And they said, well, nobody's covering us like you are. So you are welcome and invited to be a part of whatever we're doing. Just tell us you coming. And I said, well, I need to bring somebody to come, you know, set up and do that. And they said, fine.

Done deal. Done deal. So, you know, and then. Handshakes and backslaps. Right. Like, it was pretty amazing. It was pretty amazing. So there's two ways to this.

So I'm not. So if this is a fisher part of U. media but on the other side of it you have a hat oh you have a hat wait you probably have a wait until I'll walk in here you just need the

you just just that just says UFC you're just gonna you're just gonna you're gonna you're gonna you got all the gear you're gonna you're gonna you have out bruh I'm just letting you know in advance this guy I should have known you're always matchy matchy yeah this was yeah I did the matchy

matchy but going is media and there's certain things the access you get to go to UFC Apex. And the walk from the front door to where, one, the media pressors are. But that's also the same space where they have UFC Apex fights. So when they have like UFC Fight Night, it's from the same building. But they put up, they've got the full production story and things there's there. But to get through it, you've got to walk down the hall, this hall.

and on that wall are signed jerseys from every year of the Ultimate Fighter, from the first one to the last. Wow. And that you're talking about the likes of Connor McGregor, Brock Lesnar, Daniel Cormier, Ronda Rousey, all of them, right? Each year somebody, and then all the people who were in those, on those teams, signed the jerseys as well. So you talk about the likes, the very first winners, Forrest Griffin.

and without Forrest Griffin, none of this happens. The ascension of the UFC doesn't happen without Forrest Griffin because he shows that the every man who comes from nowhere wins the contract, then goes on to become UFC champion. Right? It's pretty impressive. Right? Like that tells you all the story,

but it's 18 years of all these jerseys. And I posted a video on my social media of that walk, right, that wall. but Forrest Griffin is kind of the ambassador for the UFC so he does a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to palm pressing and that sort of stuff. But I wanted to tell the story because so we sat in the VIP area and the fighters are coming through. Like all the fighters come through. But there's probably 200, 300 fans who are in the space. And of course they're taking pictures and signing autographs doing all that sort of stuff. and I kind of just said Becky and I just kind of settled

we settled it we picked the table like we've done it before we picked the table we were just kind of just we wanted a table for two for it's just us to just kind of hang out but next to us there's a long there's three long bar high tops and through this Michael Chiazza who was also a member of the Ultimate Fighter posted up next to get a record because we've taken pictures before

and he goes yeah i thought with all as much as i see you is that you work for the ufc i'm like no but he posted next to us and then what happened was because he was next to us all the fighters would come through and stop by this table that was the distance between you and me right now okay so every fighter is coming through so holly home comes through and yohanna jinjachic comes through and uh force gritter force griffin comes through and dusted poyer and like just it's everybody in the space. But I wanted to say this because you talk about being gracious and humble and Forrest Whitaker Griffin, who's, again, a Hall of Fame, sat on this bar stool

and took picture after picture after picture, had conversation after conversation after conversation with the lowest level fan, the highest level fan, the in-between fan, with the kid who knew who he was and the kid who didn't know who he was. The old man, the old woman who was dragged there because her husband was a fan, to say that he probably took over the course,

because once the fights started, fighters would come in and leave, coming in and leave, but so with some of the fans. And this was like the Jack Daniels, club whatever yeah so there are people who bought tickets to specifically watch the fight in the jack danious club so then those folks

or another 300 people came in and to tell you that I can say this without any reservation whatsoever that Forrest Griffin welcomed smiled at had authentic conversation with took pictures with signed whatever you put in front of them t-shirt hat

toaster beer mug like whatever you put in front of him that Hall of Famer was gracious and kind and considerate and I just, I'm looking at this dude, and this is five hours into this thing. And he kept it going. That's impressive. He kept it going.

And the coolest part about being there was to watch the engagement. So guys who talked about each other's families and then went in and tried to punch the nose off of each other. I always find that weird. Like there's people that are like, oh, they're training partners, they're best friends. And like you see them and like somebody's nose is like sideways. The other person's eye is swollen shut. And they're just laughing and high-fiving and hugging each other.

And I'm like, how do you, that switch in your brain? Like, I don't understand. They're different. They are different. Like I talk about that Husker athletes, Husker football players are different dude. Like they're just like, I just like, we had a barbecue last week and I was there with your family. and I was giving piggyback rides to your daughter, and now I have to explain that, you know,

I was trying to take your dad's face off, but, you know, we still love each other. Yeah, why is your dad kicking my dad? But to watch them engage. And then there's a pecking order. Like, there's a pecking order amongst fighters. Like, they know who the dude is. Oh, yeah.

Right? And they're all dudes. Like, the women know who the alphas are. And it's a level of respect. So, Forrest Griffin, everybody comes in, and of course, they bow to Forrest Griffin. Like, everybody does, like you're going to do. The same thing happened as a guy, I don't know, are you familiar with the Nogara family? Big Nog and Little Nog.

I feel like I've heard that. They're twin brothers, they're heavyweight fighters. Let me just tell you. Big Nog walks in to the, to the, now, I'm not afraid of any man. I respect all men all women I respect all fighters but Big Gnog walked in

and there was a part of my manhood that was like okay well you need to just chill out for a minute this is where you take a step back this is where you like I mean you're like the same of Forrest Griffin and I go like sir

Sir sir yes sir sir yes sir yes sir no sir But Big Knot came in and it was like meeting if we, they talk about this in WWE that if aliens attacked and we had to send one man, we had to pick one man to represent all men. They always say Brock Lesnar would be the guy that they would send out to meet the aliens and go, oh, huh, okay, humans. Is this what humans look like? Hey, we will not invade. But if it was a fight, like they were actually going to fight, I would probably send out big nod.

Because I want to look, look, Rico. This is a grown man. I got to look it up. Antonio Negara. Antonio Negara. And I mean, and the messed up part is that there's two of them. There's twins. He has a twin brother, a little knob.

From Brazil. Oh, that's a big dude. Brough. Let me just, let me just say it to you. And he's 50 years, oh, I would imagine. 45. He is 46. And walking around at 260, 265.

This says he's 239. I don't believe that. That's his fighting weight. Yeah. That's after he started himself for, for six weeks. Antonio is, is Lil'nog. Who's Bignog? Big.

Here we go. Nagarra brothers. Yeah, Antonio. They are both. Right? Wait a minute. Right. Sirs.

Right. You imagine the backyard brawls in that family? There is no backyard. The fences were all down. They're both Antonio. Uh-huh. Their middle names are different. Rodrigo.

Rodrigo. Minotaro. Rogario. Uh-huh. Lil Nog is Rogario. Uh-huh. Bignog is Rodriguez. Rodriguez.

This is Rodriguez. This is Rodriguez. Okay. And that is why I was, I was missing this. Hey. You imagine that? Right? That is a family that did not get picked on.

No, no, no, no. Or maybe they did, and then they grew up. And nobody's left. They were like, ooh, we didn't mean. They owned the neighborhood now. Can I apologize for what I did? But to watch all the fighters give respect to Big Nod. Like, it was like, sir, amen.

Like all the little dudes. Like there was a phase when all the little dudes were like Jesse Benavides and those guys, they were all there. Jose although you just go, okay which also dudes I would not mess with. Dude. Like even walking around

at 140 pounds, I'm still like, no, whatever you needs or I got you. But then the other thing happened is that like Holly Home comes in, right? And all the women fighters,

like Holly's majestic. Like that's a six foot tall woman who, who, you know, 1% body fat who could kick your chin through the top of your head. And to watch the other women respond to her.

Like, Holly was gracious and took pictures. Matter of fact, Holly was so cool that anybody that came up to ask her to take the picture, Holly took the picture. She's like, I got this. Yeah, she's longer. Like, no, no, but she's also like, I know what makes a good picture. Like, I take enough of these.

I take more of these than you do. So I know how this is supposed to work. Got this. So I'm sitting down when she walks up and she's standing next to me. She's putting her drinks on the table. And I'm like, well, that's going to cost you. Like, and she goes, we take pictures all the time.

Let's go. Like she grabs the camera and she takes this. So she takes this. So she's like, okay, cool. But watching the other fighters. And then there's a young lady named Roxanne Modafari. Okay. Roxanne Montefari.

Now, Roxanne, if there was a least likely, like a person of you walk down the street, if there were 20 women, Roxanne would be the woman that you say is least likely to be a UFC fight. Really? She looks like there's a, there's, you know, the cartoon with a girl, the animated cartoon, We grow with glasses, short black hair. She kind of dances a little bit.

Where's like knee high white socks. I feel like I do, but I can't place it. Well, that would be Roxanne Montefarri. Glasses, pig tails, right? Kind of a geek, right? She would be the person that's online doing, you know, she's doing cosplay. Like, that's her thing. Oh.

Except for she's. She looks. Right. Like, right is this not a U.S. FAC fighter, you crazy. So she just retired. Like literally she had her last fight and she put she left her. Yeah, she is, she, look.

Right. Did I describe her right? She's a nerd, but it's like a cool, like there's a picture of her during her way in. She's got the, uh, she's got the super sane blue hair on. Yes. There's another one where she's doing the salute from attack on Titan. Yeah. Like she is a, like she's an anime nerd.

She's got the glasses. The, the, oh yeah, she is no, no, not a UFC fighter. Right. right except for she is and she's she's she's she's she's a total badass but she just retired and she came in and everybody it's so funny that again with all these champions roxan comes in and she's got on the socks with the superman cape on the back of them that checks out and i just thought you are the inspiration to the unspoken like for the unseen the unheard here's a girl that should by Every other metric should not be a UFC fighter.

But skilled badass. Israel Adisanya at 271, they asked them about because she was retiring. And they asked him about her. And he called her, quote, the embodiment of a martial artist. Yep. Right? So, yeah, there you go. Because she shouldn't have one.

The happy warrior. The happy warrior. She should not have been in the UFC, but she should have been. She absolutely should have been. but she didn't look apart. She outlasted folks, stayed in. She just retired after, you know, years of the game, but she was there. Like I said, it was just full to be around them.

Johanna Jinjatek, who also just went through two back-to-back wars. Cowboy Sorone, who put his gloves down Saturday night. Like, he's like, I'm done. Jessica Evil Eye, who put her gloves down. She had a fight with the young girl, Macy Barber, and she was like, the game has passed me. Like, mixed martial arts evolves, and these young girls are coming. Like, they're coming. Like, these young dudes, these young girls are coming.

And it was just exceptional, but I repeat this. Amongst all of that, it's Nebraska that's pushing the wave and changing the way this thing is going to be done and who's doing it. So if you were into supporting Nebraska athletes, check them out. UFC. They're all in a place. We will, you know, we will keep track of this sort of thing. But, and the funny thing in 2A1, 2A1, I spent more time talking Nebraska football with Drew Dover than we did talk in Mixed Martial Arts. Like Anthony Smith, like we see him twice at Nebraska basketball games. And he's a season ticket holder for the Huskers. Dover's a season ticket holder. Miner loves the Husker. It's across the board. It's weird how it all comes back.

And they're all good folks. They're all good folks. Be proud of Nebraska. You've got some great representation, some great ambassadors. We'll close out one-on-one. We'll get the captain's show set up there at Wingstop today. We'll figure out what's going on there. Give you a little heads up for what's going on for the rest of the week.

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