Tedd Williams MMA & Gladiator Challenge
Tedd Williams is a UFC veteran, grappling pioneer a national AAU Sambo champion, Gene LeBell black belt, and 7-1 pro fighter and one of the longest tenured promoters in the country.
Tedd Williams shares stories from the sport's raw early days: training with Bas Rutten, his UFC 24 main-event elbow KO over Steve Judson, co-founding King of the Cage, launching Gladiator Challenge, and building the regional scene that helped launch fighters like Urijah Faber and Charles Bennett.
A deep dive into MMA's Wild West era straight from one of its true architects.
0:00 MMA history podcast intro
0:32 Joey Venti’s guest introduction
0:50 interview start
1:40 learning Sambo early on
3:36 training with Gene LeBell
5:15 training with John Perretti
6:37 interactions with John Lewis
7:28 starting friendship with Oleg Taktarov
8:29 using sambo to become a better wrestler
9:26 starting Victorville Jets program
11:33 Universal above ground fighting
14:10 Antonio McKee vs John Smith
15:27 Antonio McKee gun story
17:15 owning half of KOTC at the beginning
21:09 meeting Terry Trebilcock
22:39 using same venue for KOTC and Gladiator Challenge
25:24 hosting Gladiator Challenge in Colorado
26:41 Tedd Williams vs Robert Burnell
28:06 Empire fighting
29:10 Bas Rutten invitational
30:14 training Bas Rutten
33:00 Tedd Williams vs Joseph Marquez
34:46 Tedd Williams vs Travis Fulton
37:30 experience with Jamie Levine
38:29 Tedd Williams vs Joe Campanella
40:25 Holiday Fight Party
47:20 Phillip Miller split from the UFC
50:45 Phillip Miller vs James Zikic
52:07 Lee Murray and Tito Ortiz street fight
54:26 letter to get into ADCC 2000
56:46 training with Rowdy Roddy Piper
57:44 Tedd Williams vs Steve Judson
1:02:08 false UFC fighter resumes
1:03:13 Tedd Williams fight camp exposed
1:05:17 cancelled bout with Andre Roberts
1:06:27 friendship with Cal Worsham
1:09:37 dealing with Dan Severn
1:10:30 cross training bjj and wrestling
1:11:02 KOTC purchased by EliteXC
1:19:43 Tedd Williams vs Bill Parker
1:21:39 dealings with Bob Shamrock
1:23:01 Tony Galindo
1:23:41 Ken Shamrock backstage fight with Mark Hall
1:24:15 attending regional shows
1:25:25 pushing Tito Ortiz out of cage
1:30:05 KOTC Wet ‘N’ Wild
1:34:43 selling Gladiator challenge video library
1:37:16 KOTC losing money
1:38:07 experience with Charles Bennett
1:41:58 Charles Bennett changing name to Felony
1:43:03 sued by Terry Trebilcock
1:46:43 Gladiator Challenge, KOTC buyouts
1:50:27 relationship with Chris Cordero
1:52:36 Experience with Rafiel Torre
1:55:49 Gerald Strebendt
1:56:34 interview wrap up
1:59:55 outro/ closing thoughts
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