Tank Abbott

David Abbot was born on April the 26th in 1965 in California, USA. Often referred to as “Tank”, Abbott burst on to the mixed martial arts scene in 1995.  His history in the martial arts stems from the fact that he was a former college wrestler as well as an avid practioner of western boxing.

Tank Abbot shocked the martial arts world in 1995 in UFC 6 with his powerful punching and his aggressive style. His knockout of John Matua, who was a 300 pound and six feet 8 inches tall, was amongst the most brutal knockouts in the UFC history. Even though he lost the final of UFC 6 against Oleg Taktarov in the final bout through a rear naked choke, he had left a lasting impression on the mixed martial arts world.

Tank Abbots career stems over a 10 year period. In this time he has beat two martial arts world champions. He beat UFC champion Steve Jennum by TKO in 1995 and GC Champion Cal Worsham in 1996. However, he failed in his bid to capture the UFC title on three occasions by being defeated by Oleg Taktarov, Don Frye and the world kickboxing champion Maurice Smith.

Despite leaving the MMA scene for about four years to go to the WCW, he made a highly anticipated return to the UFC in 2003 against Frank Mir. Tank Abbot lost that fight through an ankle lock. He would also go on to lose to Kimo Leopoldo and Wesley Correira.

In summation it could be said that David “Tank” Abbot has had varied success in the mixed martial arts world. Most of the Abbott’s reputation was based on his wins over lesser opponents and his behaviour outside the octagon. However despite his losses, he is probably was one of the most financially successful MMA fighters of all time.