Former UFC heavyweight David “Tank” Abbott, who underwent a liver transplant back in 2018, is so old and feeble that he can’t even clear an arena railing.
He’d still probably rank in the Top 15 in today’s heavyweight division.
That should give you an idea of how “shallow” it’s become in the 265-pound weight class, evidenced by the embarrassing gas-fest between Tai Tuivasa and Tallison Teixeira at UFC 325 in Australia.
“I think Tank Abbott would do really well,” UFC color commentator, Joe Rogan, said on his “Experience” podcast. “Because the heavyweight division is the most shallow division. Like would he do really well against the guys like Ciryl Gane or Tom Aspinall? Probably not, but he didn’t do really well against guys like Maurice Smith. The real elite strikers of the day. But Tank Abbott was a f*cking huge man. He was an enormous, powerful guy who had ridiculous knockout power and he would brawl.”
No question Abbott was strong but probably didn’t qualify as “enormous.” The former pro wrestler stood just 6’0” and finished with a record of 10-15 with seven knockouts.
“I mean look at Derrick Lewis,” Rogan explained. “Derrick Lewis has the most knockouts in the history of the UFC. He’s not the most highly skilled guy in the sport. He’s just a really, big powerful guy who has unbelievable knockout power. He’s still relatively successful even today. He has the most knockouts in the history of the heavyweight division.”
Abbott, now 60, has not competed since his technical knockout loss to Ruben Villareal in April 2013, his only fight since calling it quits back in early 2009.
“Tank Abbott would still f*ck a lot of people up in the lower ranks of the heavyweight division,” Rogan said. “Dan Severn would still take a lot of people down and beat their asses because he was an elite wrestler. Those kinds of skills. Mark Coleman would take a lot of people down and beat their asses. Those skills that they have like the elite wrestlers and the really powerful punchers, they would always do well.”
All respect to the 61 year-old “Hammer,” but he’s not taking anyone down after this.
