Sean McCorkle - Road to the UFC | MMA History Podcast

Wrestling

Year2026

Duration2h 9m

Watch Now

7.7

In this episode of the MMA History Podcast, MMA Detective Mike Davis and Joey Venti sit down with retired UFC heavyweight Sean “Big Sexy” McCorkle for one of the wildest, funniest, and most honest interviews in the show’s history. From selling appliances for crazy money to becoming a viral internet troll on The Underground Forum, Sean holds nothing back. He breaks down his infamous first-day submission of Marcelo Montero, his early barn-burner fights at the 8 Second Saloon, training with Tom Erickson and Dave Herman, and the legendary Matt Hughes book review that took over the internet. You’ll hear the full story behind his UFC debut armbar victory over Mark Hunt, the chaotic co-main event with 7-foot Stephan Struve, the insane puppy-breeding saga, the meth-head home invasion, and why he walked away from millions to chase fights. Plus, silver investments gone wrong, back surgery horror stories, and the real reason the UFC never knew what to do with him. This is classic MMA History Podcast gold: raw, hilarious, and packed with never-before-heard stories from one of the most entertaining big men to ever step in the Octagon. 0:00 MMA history podcast intro 0:32 Joey Venti’s guest introduction 0:53 interview start 0:58 plugs/ promotions 2:11 women breaking into puppy mill 5:12 losing money on buying silver 6:01 beginnings in MMA 6:52 scammed by Marcello Monteiro 14:05 choosing to train with James Clingerman 17:57 Chris Lytle’s unorthodox fight style 20:51 refusing to train in the Gi 22:20 Sean McCorkle vs Steve Paulson 24:11 picking the Nickname “The Hater” 25:09 training with Tom Erickson 30:42 training partner Dave Herman 34:16 Sean McCorkle vs Jason Johnson 34:35 Sean McCorkle vs Robert Hogan 37:27 Sean McCorkle vs Justin Wade 38:41 Sean McCorkle vs Jeremy Norton 41:48 joining the underground forums 46:29 Sean McCorkle vs James Ferguson 46:43 notorious Matt Hughes book review 52:45 taking 2 years off for back surgery 53:28 going through a major divorce 56:47 Jason Guida vs Alex Trujillo controversy 59:30 Primetime