Evan Tanner at USWF 4 tournament 1997 (debut)

 In April 1997 Evan Tanner made his mma debut at the Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 4, eight man tournament in Amirillo, Texas 

Other tournament participant; Mike Kennedy, Gary Nabors, Ben Flores, David Davis, Philip Preece, Derek McGill, Paul Buentello

Evan Tanner at USWF 4 tournament (04/12/97) *mma debut

iPhone:

From a interview conducted March 20, 2001

Interviewer:  I heard that when you first came out yu were pretty much self taught. Is that right?

Evan Tanner:  Yeah, absolutely. I started out at a grass roots show in Texas. I really had no intention of fighting and when I did decide to fight in one of those shows I started studying the Royce and Rorion jiu jitsu videos. I had a high school wrestling background, I added some submission holds into the wrestling and was successful with it to a point. I even made it into the UFC being pretty much self taught. But the sport has evolved so quickly I realised that I was getting left behind and that to compete at this level you're going to have to have a high level team.

Interviewer:  What got you motivated into doing this in the first place? I know sometimes after I finish training I do think 'why the hell am I doing this'. What got you into this?

Evan Tanner:  (laughing) I think the same thing sometimes after practice 'why am I doing this, god this hurts'. I started back in Amarillo Texas. I had no intentions of fighting ever. Some friends of mine were in one of the local shows in Amarillo, I thought I'd check out the show, watch them and check it out. I guess a lot of people knew me from high school wrestling and were saying 'Evan you should do this' and I'm like 'no,no I'm way beyond that, I don't have anything to prove'. I watched the show and it really appealled to me. Later that week it was eating away at me and I was kind of arguing with myself 'no, I'm not going to do it'. Finally I decided I was going to go for it once.

Interviewer:  Next thing you know you're fighting in the UFC.

Evan Tanner:  Yeah. I was going to go for it once and check it out, thought maybe it would be a neat story to tell my grandkids, get some neat pictures or something. Hopefully I'll have grandkids some day. I ended up winning the heavyweight tournament in the USWF and I've been doing it ever since. Like you say, next thing I know I'm in the UFC. Never expected it, never planned it, it just took on a life of it's own.

Interviewer:  It's funny how these things just happen, isn't it. Evan thanks a lot.

Evan Tanner:  Thanks.

 

Rest of article here: 

http://sfuk.tripod.com/interviews_02/ufc36_tanner.html

Just made you a LEAP YEAR ;)

Sub Phone Post

That line about wanting grandkids gave me a sad. Phone Post

In. Phone Post

I don`t think that you could use a closed fist fighting in Texas until after 2005.

Subd. Thanks Ice. Phone Post

Thanks ! Phone Post

I've always wanted to see this.

Thanks Pro Ice and +369.

There were guys back them before he had his first match that would say he could be the UFC champion. I remember laughing at them.

looks like he fought Buentello in the final? Phone Post

damn i miss that guy!! RIP evan.. thanks for the memories and playing blackjack with me in vegas 3 hours before your fight.. class act man

ttt

TTT

In Phone Post

Tanner is a legend.

Love the guy, God bless him.

"I was going to go for it once and check it out, thought maybe it would be a neat story to tell my grandkids, get some neat pictures or something. Hopefully I'll have grandkids some day. I ended up winning the heavyweight tournament in the USWF and I've been doing it ever since."

 

damn, that's kinda sad.

 

TTT for Tanner!