Don “The Dragon” Wilson on Headbutts, Hughes, and Hitting 54
Posted by Tommy Hackett on October 23rd, 2008
A week ago I was reminded that I’m not the only MMA fan out there with a place in my heart for Don “The Dragon” Wilson, as Hawaii’s Fighter’s Club Radio ran an interview with the ex-UFC and KOTC commentator. For those unfamiliar with the show, it runs 9 am Mondays on Honolulu’s AM 1500, and is hosted by Elite XC veteran Mark Kurano and the former matchmaker for Icon MMA, Patrick Freitas. Their interview with Wilson begins at about the 12:00 mark.
This was the most fun I’ve had listening to an interview in a long time. Think about it. From kung-fu and kickboxing in the 1970’s and 1980’s, to MMA and B-Movies in the 1990’s and 2000’s, Don “The Dragon” Wilson has basically been party to every martial arts trend. Now, at age 54, he’s preparing for a 10 round kickboxing bout in Cyprus, his first since 2002. It will be Wilson’s 75th bout in the sport where he has notched 48 knockouts.
But best of all, if you believe his side of the story, his KO total should have included everyone from Matt Hughes to Royce Gracie. And that is what makes this guy awesome.
“The sport I was born to do is wrestling,” Wilson recalls early on. What? With no background in grappling, the high school football and basketball player Wilson describes trying out at a Junior College and becoming a strong competitor in the sport. But when American kickboxing began in 1974, everything changed and Wilson embarked on a career that would earn him several world titles.
But what was he excited about introducing to the UFC?
“One of the reasons I wanted to do the UFC is I felt I’d be unstoppable with the headbutts,” Wilson says. “Because I’d knock guys out — remember now, (I was) a middle linebacker. I’d drop my weight down, come right under the chin, and I knock guys out with helmets. For me, that was gong to be a technique. Anybody who’d try and shoot for a takedown, or even punch, I’d rather tuck my chin and try and headbutt the guy… in the standup game I would have dominated.”
The handshake agreement according to Wilson was that he’d get a percentage of UFC PPV in a bout against Gracie after doing commentary on a show. But the deal never happened.
Later, Wilson says he was offered $75,000 to fight Matt Hughes. “This is before the Spike TV (deal). They were losing money. I immediately said yes. I shook on it with a guy from Hughes’ camp who was “representing” the UFC…”
“I’m in the bar,” he recalls. “I’ve had a couple glasses of wine, and the matchmaker says I can’t believe you’re fighting Matt Hughes for that money. I said, I’d probably have fought him for half that. When the offer comes in, it’s half.”
So negotiations broke down and Wilson says Dana White hasn’t called him since they met a few years ago.
“Guys, it may happen, it may not, but if it doesn’t, it isn’t because the Dragon doesn’t want it!”
I want a drink from whatever well this man drinks from. And so should you.
December 22nd, 2008 at 5:31 am
I m one of the avid fan of don the dragon wilson may we know where and what is he doing now?