MMA History Podcast

At a glance

• Bills itself as the largest MMA archive in the world
• One guest per episode, every week
• Channel created in January 2021, about 10,500 subscribers as of September 2026

Overview

MMA History Podcast launched in January 2021 and bills itself as the largest MMA archive in the world. It is hosted by Mike Davis, with Joey Venti as co-host, Tyson Green producing and former UFC matchmaker John Perretti as a historical contributor.

The podcast is independent, has passed 340 episodes, and its YouTube channel had about 10,500 subscribers as of September 2026.

What you'll find

Each weekly episode is a long interview with a single guest who lived through a period of MMA history: pioneers, promoters and fighters from the no holds barred era. In September 2026, Pete Rodley told the story of building UCC in Canada and booking Georges St-Pierre, and Andy Geer explained how EliteXC bought Cage Rage and then shut it down, with stories about Tank Abbott, Bob Sapp and Kimo Leopoldo.

Other recent episodes feature Kimo Leopoldo on his fight with Royce Gracie, Anthony "Mad Dog" Macias on UFC 4 and facing Dan Severn, John Perretti on his UFC years, matchmaking and rule changes, plus Frank Trigg, Mac Danzig, Charlie Brenneman, Drew McFedries and wrestler Mark Schultz. Ron Tripp's episode tells how he beat Rickson Gracie without knowing who he was.

Why follow

The podcast collects first-hand accounts of periods that are poorly documented: the early UFC, regional promotions and the years before the sport was regulated. Many of these guests are rarely interviewed anywhere else. Tyrone Roberts, for example, talks about Extreme Challenge and his early days at the Miletich gym.

Each episode focuses on one person, which leaves time to get into the details: contracts, rules and what went on behind the scenes at the first events. Taken together, the episodes build an oral history of the sport that you can browse by name or by era.

MMA Official's take

MMA History Podcast is for fans who want to know where MMA came from before the modern UFC era, and for anyone who enjoys long conversations. Episodes run long and work well as audio.

Start with the John Perretti episode on his UFC years, which sets the scene for the era, then listen to Kimo Leopoldo for a first-hand account of the early UFC events. The Andy Geer episode on Cage Rage is a good pick if you're interested in the British scene.