I'll tell you what. Gary Goodridge is one of those athletes that leaves a an impression with me unlike any other. On one hand he is intimidating, fearless and relentless and on the other, he is a guy with a huge heart and a smile.
I was working for a magazine many years ago in the early 2000's called Ultimate Athlete. It was the first mainstream top end MMA publication to go into retail. I was in Las Vegas at the K-1 North American Tournament covering it for the publication as photographer....they were still shooting film back then. Maurice Smith was a huge phenom back then along with Bob Sapp. Gary Goodridge was a crowd pleaser. That guy put asses in the seats and you could bet that anytime he stepped in the cage or a ring that there was going to be some devastation taking place in the manner of physical domination. I was assigned to interview him....off to his hotel room I went. I walked in and sat down. Maurice Smith, Tom Erickson and Gary were all there. At that time those were some of the best in the game. I asked Gary a few questions and he stopped and looked at me a little puzzled. "Are you scared of me?" to which I replied and lied, "No, I'm very respectful and grateful for the company I'm in." Gary, told me there was no reason for any nervousness. That he was a nice guy with a family he loved. When you see him and he smiles at you, there is no mistaking that fact.
Today Gary is still extremely active and deals very well with some of the long term effects of his athletic career. Like I said, He is a true icon, gladiator and amazing human being. I am honored to be associated with he and Mark Dorsey.
Random thoughts about fighting and life from MMA's legendary Gatekeeper, Gary "Big Daddy" Goodridge.
Welcome to my blog friends :)
I'll be posting a few times a week starting...now :) Please "follow" this blog and use the comment section to stay in touch with myself and everybody else.
Big Daddy Fight Team (BDFT) is currently signing fighters to its management team. Management service includes negotiation of fight contracts, sponsorship, and social media push. We currently have a roster of over 30 professional fighters from around the world that is steadily growing. Our roster includes males and females from every weight class. The fighters we represent are veterans of the top MMA promotions including UFC, WEC, Pride, Strikeforce, IFL, Cage Rage, Shooto, K-1 and KOTC.
If you are interested in joining BDFT, sponsoring a fighter or considering our roster for your promotion, please email: brett@bigdaddyfightteam.com
Gary “Big Daddy” Goodridge also offers the following services:
Personal MMA Training
Autograph Signing and Motivational Speaking
Big Daddy Fight Team (BDFT) is currently signing fighters to its management team. Management service includes negotiation of fight contracts, sponsorship, and social media push. We currently have a roster of over 30 professional fighters from around the world that is steadily growing. Our roster includes males and females from every weight class. The fighters we represent are veterans of the top MMA promotions including UFC, WEC, Pride, Strikeforce, IFL, Cage Rage, Shooto, K-1 and KOTC.
If you are interested in joining BDFT, sponsoring a fighter or considering our roster for your promotion, please email: brett@bigdaddyfightteam.com
Gary “Big Daddy” Goodridge also offers the following services:
Personal MMA Training
Autograph Signing and Motivational Speaking
The safety of MMA is forefront in the collective conscious of athletes and fans. Legendary fighter Gary “Big Daddy” Goodridge spent over a decade exchanging strikes with the hardest hitting martial arts competitors in the world. As a retired fighter and entrepreneur, Goodridge has a wealth of motivational stories to share with fighters and fans of all ages. Please inquire about booking Big Daddy for a speaking engagement about a variety of topics including: How to Build An MMA Career, Proper Attitude and Discipline during Training and Fights, Fight Strategies, UFC/Pride and K-1 Stories, Injury/Concussion Prevention and Safety for Fighters, Managing Family Life and Career.
Autograph Signing at Events (UFC PPVs, etc) - $100 - $150
Full MMA Seminars
Manager, Personal and Group Trainer, Motivational Speaker
cell: (705) 896-1144 work: (705) 999-1544
gary@bigdaddyfightteam.com
www.bigdaddyfightteam.com
Twitter: BigDaddyFight
http://ca.linkedin.com/in/garygoodridge
Brief Bio: “Early in his career, Goodridge used his incredible strength to become the National Amateur Super Heavyweight Boxing Champ of Canada after only ten months of training. He then entered the Ultimate Fighting Championship; after knocking out his opponent in under a minute with crushing elbows, he became an immediate mixed martial arts star all over the world.
Known as a hard-working warrior who always fought the toughest competition, no matter what the circumstances, Goodridge took on the best heavyweights in the world for over a decade, including U.S. Olympic wrestlers Mark Coleman and Mark Schultz, and combat sports legends such as Fedor Emelianenko and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Today, Goodridge lives with the physical consequences of a life spent literally battling to pay the bills.” - Press Release
Coming Soon...
Gatekeeper: The Fighting Life of Gary “Big Daddy” Goodridge Written by: Gary Goodridge with Mark Dorsey
Paperback: 300 pages Publisher: ECW Press (February 2012)
Quick facts:
9-time World Heavyweight Arm Wrestling Champion
1993 Canadian Amateur Heavyweight Boxing Champion
UFC 8 Tournament Runner-Up
UFC 10 Tournament Semi-Finalist
1st I.V.C. Tournament Champion
2005 K-1 World Grand Prix in Hawaii Champion
*I have spoken!*
No comments:
Post a Comment