As you know, in any business there are so-called "pioneers", that is, individuals who are the discoverers of something. Therefore, relying on this term, we can confidently say that Tank Abbot is the one who discovered the world’s most popular sport today, such as mixed martial arts, which at the end of the twentieth century were natural fights without rules and were distinguished by their cruelty but at the same time, entertainment.
Beginning of life
Tank Abbott was born in California, Huntington Beach, on April 26, 1965. It is worth noting that the real name of the American is David.
It is noteworthy that this guy has never been a supporter of a healthy lifestyle and did not go through full-fledged sports camps, like many of his opponents. However, this did not stop him from writing his name in the history of MMA.
Training
Tank Abbott has always been distinguished by remarkable physical strength. In his youth, his chest press was about six hundred pounds. In addition, he was considered a good freestyle wrestler and even won some tournaments in his youth while studying at college. But there is another factor that distinguishes him from many other athletes - he fought on the street more than two hundred times and this experience played a significant role during performances in the octagon.
Performances
Tank Abbott held his debut cell fight in 1995 at the UFC 6 tournament, which was held in Wyoming. His first rival was John Matua. David knocked him out in eighteen seconds. And this despite the fact that Matua weighed about 400 pounds! On the same evening, Abbot met in a battle with the famous Russian sambist Oleg Taktarov. The fight turned out to be extremely intense and lasted seventeen minutes. Taktarov won by strangulation from behind. But after the battle, both fighters literally collapsed on the canvas with fatigue. The audience was delighted.
A year later, David “Tank” Abbott was able to reach the final of the tournament called Ultimate Ultimate, where he eventually lost to Don Fry.
At the sunset of the 90s, the career of a charismatic fighter began to decline. Warriors such as Morris Smith, Victor Belfort, Pedro Rizzo, who were distinguished by their technicality and versatility, appeared in the octagon. Unfortunately, Abbott could not compete with them and lost to them all in the first round. Having suffered three defeats in a row, David left mixed fights.
Return
In 2003, Tank Abbott, whose photo had long disappeared from glossy publications, decided to return to the cage. His first rival was the young at that time titan MMA Frank Mir. Despite his rich combat experience, Abbott could not resist the battle against the growing avenue and lost a painful trick.
At the moment, David spent his last fight in April 2013 and lost ahead of schedule in the second round. According to Abbott, he was more than ever diligently preparing for the fight and feeling great, and after the defeat he left the cage with a smile on his lips. But at the same time, “Tank” said that it was already starting to feel old.
Interesting Facts
Tank Abbott, whose biography is full of many episodes of hooligan behavior, has always behaved extraordinary. In particular, everyone knows that quite often he celebrated his victories vigorously in bars. And the defeat did not cause him much grief. So, for example, after losing to Taktarov, David went to a drinking establishment, and at the same time Oleg was hospitalized with injuries.
In general, it should be noted that often Abbott won against not very skilled craftsmen, and as soon as a real professional became his opponent, David often lost, and this was significant and devastating. Although, despite the fiasco, the tournament organizers liked to invite an outrageous American to tournaments, if only because his tricks and aggressive manner of fighting were very popular with the audience, who was ready to literally carry this big guy in their arms.
By the way, it was Abbott who first thought of using finger pads during fights. Such a decision on his part was due to the fact that, relying on his heavy baggage of street fights, he often injured his joints on his fingers.
In conclusion, I would like to note that David always claims that he never regrets how his life has developed, and is not ready to change anything in his lifestyle. As for his personal life, Abbott has neither a wife nor children.