Joe Rogan has heard more than his fair share of incredible tales in the 15 years he’s hosted his podcast, but even he was rendered speechless by everything Tank Abbott has been through.
On a recent episode of ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’, the popular commentator sat and listened as the heavyweight sensation, who competed on the first-ever UFC card, discussed his journey through prison and the medical scare that nearly cost him his life.
Tank Abbott captivated Joe Rogan with a remarkable prison story
In a sport as brutal as mixed martial arts, to make it to the top level, it helps to have conquered a degree of personal struggle so severe it leaves a bulletproof mindset in its wake. But even by UFC standards, the journey from rags to riches of Tank Abbott is nothing short of amazing.
While many set their sights on global superstardom in the gym, the American did so while still on probation.
During the JRE MMA Show’ episode #158, the ex-sportsman, explained: “I was in jail for beating up this cop’s son. And I got work released from that probation. I did like three weeks in jail in a farm, and then I went to like a probation apartment thing, went to work, and came back.”
After being informed his colleague had signed a deal with the world’s premier MMA organization, a friend suggested that he do the same.
The fighter continued: “He said, ‘If that guy’s in it, why can’t you be in it’? And that’s when I was saying ‘make it happen’.”
Determined to give his buddy the chance to turn his life around, he contacted the founder of the UFC, Art Davie, and put the wheels in motion. Abbott revealed: “He started calling Art Davie on the phone, and Art’s like, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah’. Then he goes, ‘No, you don’t understand. This guy is the real deal from the streets, man. Everybody knows who he is’. And Art’s like, ‘Yeah, yeah, we hear this story all the time’. And he’s like, ‘Not from this guy’.
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Despite Abbott’s pal’s best efforts, Davie wasn’t convinced he was the man for the job, and thus challenged him to take on his 6’8ft, 300 lbs fighter. Of course, ‘Tank’ accepted. A week later, he headed to the UFC boss’ office for the clash. After a lengthy conversation, the businessman still wasn’t convinced by what the power puncher could bring to the table. But after the chat, Davie noticed that the martial artist had something with him.
Abbott said: “He goes, ‘Oh, by the way, what’s in that bag? I said, ‘Well, you said you had somebody 6’8, 300 lbs that we wanted to fight’.
“He goes, ‘What’? I go, ‘Yeah, on the phone you said that’. And he goes, ‘You’d fight somebody’? And I go, ‘Yeah, I didn’t go to jail’. And he goes, ‘You’re crazy, you are. You’re just crazy, man’. I’m like, ‘No, I’m down for fighting any time you want to do it’. And he’s like, ‘Oh,” and just shook his head’.”
The bizarre turn of events convinced Davie to give Abbott a chance. And the rest, as they say, is history.
After hearing the story, Joe Rogan, who’s usually full of things to say, could only muster, ‘Wow’.
And that’s not the only piece of adversity he’s been through.
Tank Abbott has survived horrifying health scares
Abbott epitomizes the definition of what it means to be a fighter, both in and indeed out of the cage. Since his days of competing in the octagon, the California native has enjoyed the fruits of his labor. However, his level of alcohol consumption landed him in hospital, with the spartan nearly losing his life.
He candidly told Rogan: “I got a liver transplant and a kidney transplant; I died five times on the table… They did the kidney, not the liver, first and wanted to make sure that it would take hold.
“[My body] finally caught up with all of my wildlife. I blew a gasket on my liver, but I got a nice transplant, and everything is moving right along. It was not without complications, though. I died five times on the operating table and had over six strokes, but I’m still here.”
Ultimately, the story of Abbott is nothing short of inspirational, with the podcast host listening intently as the athlete opened up.
Having compiled such a fantastic array of guests, Rogan always gets behind sportsmen who’ve battled back from the brink, recently encouraging Tyson Fury to jump back on the horse ahead of his eagerly-anticipated rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
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