TOM ERIKSON Career Deep Dive

Send a textThe "Big Cat" Tom Erikson made his fighting debut in 1996 at the tail end of a decorated wrestling career. Erikson was a wrestling coach at Purdue while he fought in "No Holds Barred" and the school in Northern Indiana became a hotbed for fighters. Erikson fought in Brazil, Japan and the United States in events that didn't require gloves and had virtually no rules or weight classes. Erikson excelled and there was a time where he was considered one of the toughest men on the planet.Erikson now coaches at Duke University and he still trains and watches the modern sport of MMA. One of the most insightful interviews ever with one of the wrestlers who made early transition to the fight game. 0:00 MMA history podcast intro0:19 Guest intro and plugs4:17 Interview start 4:48 Tom wrestled MannyYarbrough6:20 Origin of "The Big Cat"7:58 Intro to MARS • RealitySuperfighting 8-man tournament8:22 Oleg Taktarov's controversial perspective9:22 Quarterfinal: Tom Eriksonvs Aleksander Khramstovskly14:52 Semifinal: Tom Eriksonvs Willie Peeters19:19 Final: Tom Erikson vsMurilo Bustamante29:46 Fallout: RicoChiapparelli, Renzo and Carlson Gracie31:56 Experience with Rico Chiapperelli 35:53 Tom's MMA origin: DanSevern & Mark Coleman37:30 Wrapping up MARStournament38:35 Tom Erikson vs DavinWright at WFF41:34 Experiences with WFF and Gene LeBell46:06 Tom Erikson vs KevinRandleman in Brazil51:54 Tom Erikson vs Ed De Kruijf at Vale Tudo Japan '9754:09 Initial experience fighting in Japan56:10 Tom Erikson vs GaryGoodridge at Pride 858:20 Tom Erikson vs HeathHerring at Pride 111:06:38 Difficulty getting fights1:08:36 Tom Erikson vs MattSkelton at Pride 171:17:47 Quick win over TimCatalfo at Pride 191:18:02 Peculiar fight: TomErikson vs Mike Bernardo in K-1 1:20:54 Pride GP 2000 rumors:Erikson, Coleman, and Kerr 1:23:40 Tom Erikson never utilized headbutts1:24:24 Unified Rules HW limit and potential UFC offers1:27:06 Pride's shady side:Yakuza and Coleman vs Takada1:29:49 Experience with DonFrye1:32:59 Experience with MarkKerr1:34:11 Coaching with Mark Coleman at Purdue University 1:37:22 Mark Coleman street fighting lore1:39:43 Experience with JonFitch1:41:55 Tom as coach: cross training wrestling and MMA1:45:00 Discussion on first wave of elite wrestlers in MMA1:49:08 Screwjob: MarkSchultz vs Leo Montenegro inBrazil1:53:42 Thoughts on JoeWarren1:55:01 Mark Coleman and theRAW team1:55:24 Aleksandr Karelin andRulon Gardner1:56:55 Interview wrap upSubscribe to the Lytes Out Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnyrswDJ9PkNHqFLOMfIdZw Socials: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lytesoutpodcast/ iTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lytes-out-podcast/id1568575809 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3q8KsfqrSQSjkdPLkdtNWb Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/LytesOutPodcast/ Cash App - $mikedavis1231Venmo - Mike-Davis-63ZEILE: [email protected] / ph#: 773-491-5052 Patreon - [email protected] the #LOP team on Instagram: Chris - @chrislightsoutlytle Mike - @mikedavis632 Miguel - @iturratemSupport the show