Tag: Book Interviews

  • Art Davie, Legends of MMA Hall of Fame 2015, Legends of MMA, Legends of MMA Ceremony 2014, Legends of MMA Ceremony, UFC Creator, UFC Visionary, Art Davie UFC, Art Davie 2014

    UFC Co-Founder Art Davie Talks: Documentary, 12 November; Progress on His Feature Film, UFC Heading to New York, More

    Earlier this month, the author of Is This Legal? The Inside Story of the First UFC From The Man Who Created It, Art Davie, went back to Torrance, California with a documentary film crew. Torrance could well be considered the birthplace of the UFC. The documentary being filmed, 12 November, is slated to air in Brazil first, with future distribution in America. It will focus on the UFC’s first promotion, which took place on November 12, 1993. Understandably, returning to his old stomping grounds brought back memories for Art. We welcome back Art Davie for a chat about the 12 November documentary.

  • Documentary Filmmaker/Author Angelo Guglielmo Offers Perspective and Insight on the 15th Anniversary of September 11

    Sunday was the 15th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001. What has come to be known as 9/11 is a day Americans remember and pay their respects to those most directly impacted by one of the darkest days in the nation’s history. Native New Yorker Angelo Guglielmo is a documentary filmmaker and author. His Emmy nominated documentary The Woman Who Wasn’t There, featured some of the survivors who were in the Twin Towers that day. In 2013, we had the pleasure of speaking with him, at his New York apartment, about that project and more [see here].

  • UFC Co-Founder Art Davie Reacts to Dan Severn’s Comments in Recent CYInterview Conversation; Updates Us on His Book Being Made into a Movie

    In our recent CYInterview with amateur wrestling, MMA and professional wrestling great Dan Severn [see here], he talked about his first meeting with UFC Co-Founder Art Davie. Mr. Davie brought Mr. Severn into the UFC, where he became a well-known name in the fighting community. Dan also shared with us his desire to fight both Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock one more time. Both Shamrock and Gracie were on the first UFC event back in 1993, which came together, in large measure, because of the vision and efforts of Art Davie. The story is laid out in the UFC Co-Founder’s book Is This Legal? The Inside Story of the First UFC From the Man Who Created It.

  • Dan Severn 2016, Dan Severn Book

    MMA Legend Dan “The Beast” Severn Talks His New Book and Career: Amateur Wrestling, Pro Wrestling and MMA; Is Open to Rematches with Royce Grace and Ken Shamrock, With a Twist; More

    Few people have reached the top tier in a variety of sports and entertainment organizations. Dan Severn’s dominance in amateur wrestling, mixed martial arts and professional wrestling makes him one of a select few who has succeeded at that feat. An accomplished amateur wrestler, Severn narrowly missed out on a chance to compete in the Olympics. That represents one of his few defeats in sports competition. “The Beast,” as he’s widely known, has accomplished amazing things in a variety of mixed martial arts organizations. However, it was the UFC that brought him to the top of the mountain. With 101 wins and 26 losses in 127 bouts in mixed martial arts, he is one of the most accomplished men to ever walk into the cage. Aside from MMA, he also achieved greatness in the world of professional wrestling. He had one of the longest reigns as the NWA World Heavyweight Champion and had a memorable run with the WWE.

  • Art Davie, Legends of MMA Hall of Fame 2015, Legends of MMA, Legends of MMA Ceremony 2014, Legends of MMA Ceremony, UFC Creator, UFC Visionary, Art Davie UFC, Art Davie 2014

    UFC Co-Founder Art Davie Weighs in on Reported Sale of UFC; Updates Us on His Book, Is This Legal, Being Made into a Movie, More

    Today, Dana White, the president of the UFC, announced that the mixed martial sports organization he heads would be sold for $4 Billion, to WME-IMG. This is reportedly the largest sale of a sports organization in history. None of this would have been possible without UFC co-founder Art Davie’s vision to bring the best fighters in the world together, back at the first UFC in 1993. Art’s book, Is This Legal?, goes into great detail about how the UFC came to be. We recently spoke with Art in May at Wynn Las Vegas, about a variety of topics [see here]. Now, Mr. Davie is back to tell us what he thinks the sale of the UFC means for the future of mixed martial arts. Additionally, he provides an update regarding his life story being made into a feature film.

  • Wynn Las Vegas Sportsbook, John Avello, Chris Yandek John Avello, Wynn Las Vegas 2016. Wynn Las Vegas Sportsbook 2016, Art Davie, UFC Legend Art Davie, Art Davie Chris Yandek John Avello, Las Vegas, Art Davie 2016, UFC Founder

    UFC Co-Founder Art Davie Talks with CYInterview at the Wynn Las Vegas Sportsbook: Discusses His Book, Is This Legal? Being Made Into a Movie, the Possibility of Connor McGregor Fighting Floyd Mayweather, Jr., More

    Las Vegas is fight central for the United States. Both boxing and mixed martial arts hold gigantic events there, throughout the calendar year. Art Davie, one of the men responsible for starting the UFC and bringing mixed martial arts to a wide audience, lives not far from Las Vegas in the city of Pahrump, Nevada. Mr. Davie, the author of Is This Legal? The Inside Story of the First UFC from the Man Who Created It is now working on the next part of his saga. After being inducted into the Legends of MMA Hall of Fame in 2014, Mr. Davie has been working hard on getting Is This Legal? turned into a movie. Last year, the UFC founder touched on the subject with us. [See our past CYInterviews with Art Davie here and here]. Aside from that, there is no denying that his work on behalf of mixed martial arts should earn him an induction into the Contributor’s Section of the UFC Hall of Fame. It is something he thinks will happen in the coming years.

  • UFC Cofounder, the always insightful Art Davie, talks Shamrock vs. Gracie III, Ronda Rousey’s Loss, More

    It was 22 years ago this month that the world of mixed martial arts was changed forever. It was then that first the UFC took place in Denver, Colorado. One of the key people responsible for it all coming together was Art Davie. Last year we spoke with Art about that very topic, as well as many others, here on CYInterview [see here]. It was Art’s vision, passion and desire, along with that of a few other individuals, to bring the best fighters in the world together for one special night. Over two decades later, the UFC is a worldwide business and MMA is a sport that is popular globally. At the first UFC, Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie fought. The two fighters are planning to face off again in February of 2016. It is a testament to famous brand names in the sport and Mr. Davie’s original belief that the best should square off against each other. Today, Ronda Rousey is arguably UFC’s best known fighter, the biggest brand name in the world of mixed martial arts. Her recent loss to Holly Holm made worldwide news and shocked many. However, when it comes to mixed martial arts, it is extremely rare to stay in the game any length of time without tasting defeat.

  • John Sununu, Governor John Sununu, New Hampshire Governor John Sununu, White House Chief of Staff John Sununu, John Sununu 2015, New Hampshire Governor John Sununu

    Smart Man Talks Quiet Man: Former New Hampshire Governor/White House Chief of Staff John Sununu Discusses His Book The Quiet Man: The Indispensable Presidency of George H. W. Bush; Comments on Republican Presidential Field, Donald Trump, More

    On January 20th, 1989, George Herbert Walker Bush became the 41st President of the United States. His one term in office, perhaps best remembered for his skilled leadership during Operation Desert Storm in Iraq also saw him accomplish significant achievements on the domestic front, as well as elsewhere in foreign policy. This is one of the principal points made by his White House Chief of Staff John Sununu, who served from 1989 to 1991, in his excellent book, The Quiet Man: The Indispensable Presidency of George H. W. Bush. Prior to that post, he was a three term Republican New Hampshire Governor, among other impressive accomplishments. The former executive of the Granite State felt there was a need to highlight President Bush’s domestic accomplishments during the 41st President’s White House years. With the permission of the former President and his wife Barbara, Governor Sununu penned The Quiet Man. In his book, Mr. Sununu reflects back on a variety of key moments during the administration when he was in the room with the President, and other key figures from the administration, while major policy decisions were hashed out.

  • Jerry Tarkanian

    RIP Coach Jerry Tarkanian: CYInterview Pulls a Conversation with the Coach from Our Archives

    CYInterview would like to extend its condolences to the family and friends of late college basketball coach Jimmy Tarkanian. The coaching legend, best known as the head coach of the UNLV Rebels from 1973-1992, passed away earlier this week. He was 84 years old. Coach Tarkanian’s 1990 UNLV team won the NCAA tournament and college basketball’s national championship. Jimmy Tarkanian also spent time coaching at Long Beach State and Fresno State, where he led both schools to the NCAA Tournament. Arguably, Coach Tarkanian was the most accomplished sports figure in Las Vegas history. After retiring, he made his home in Las Vegas where he was the head coach at UNLV for 20 seasons. In 2006, I was honored to speak with the Jerry Tarkanian about his coaching career, while he was promoting his book Runnin’ Rebel: Shark Tales of “Extra Benefits,” Frank Sinatra, and Winning It All.

  • Entrepreneur Art Davie, Author of Is This Legal? The Inside Story of The First UFC From The Man Who Created It, Talks About His Book, More

    It is possible you would never have heard the names Randy Couture, Chuck Lidell, Ken Shamrock, Tito Ortiz, Dan Severn or Royce Gracie, along with so many others, if it were not for Art Davie. It can also be said that Mixed Martial Arts might not have reached the mainstream in America without him. For years, the entrepreneur imagined putting on a tournament of the best fighters in the world, bringing together men of all backgrounds from a variety of martial arts traditions including boxing and even sumo wrestling. By becoming a student at the school of the legendary Brazilian jiu-jitsu family, the Gracies, and befriending them, Art was able to convince them that his notion of a best of the best fighters tournament would put their fighting style on the map. Everything came together on November 12th, 1993, in Denver, Colorado, when the first UFC was held. This coming weekend, 21 years after it all began, Mr. Davie will be inducted into the Legends of MMA Hall of Fame in Reno, Nevada.