John Alessio - Fighting in the 90s | MMA History Podcast

Wrestling

Year2026

Duration2h 11m

Watch Now

7.8

Join hosts Mike Davis and Joey Venti on the MMA History Podcast for Episode #323 with John "The Natural" Alessio. The former UFC Welterweight title challenger, 50-fight veteran, and Canadian MMA pioneer discusses his remarkable career from outlaw shows in British Columbia to the bright lights of the UFC, PRIDE, King of the Cage, Pancrase, and Super Brawl. Alessio turned pro as a teenager after spotting a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu bumper sticker at a gas station. He shares wild early stories, including no-rules biker-backed events in a Sikh temple (with mid-fight police interventions and headbutts allowed), mismatched weight bouts in Japan, altitude struggles in tournaments, training at the Shark Tank with Ken Shamrock and legends like Pete Williams, and his UFC title shot against Pat Miletich at UFC 26 at age 20, making him the youngest fighter ever to compete for a UFC championship. Now a veteran with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department on the FBI fugitive apprehension task force, Alessio also talks police jiu-jitsu training, life after fighting, and the raw, unregulated era of the sport he helped build. Packed with OG tales of Jason Height, Eddie Millis, John Peretti, Stefan Patry, Shawn Tompkins, and more. If you love early MMA history, Canadian pioneers, and unfiltered fighter stories, this is essential listening. Subscribe for more interviews and deep dives preserving mixed martial arts history. 0:00 MMA history podcast intro 0:32 Joey Venti’s guest introduction 0:54 interview start 0:57 current life/ career 3:49 50 fight club members from Canada 4:33 training accident with Javier Vasquez 6:45 Jason Heit 9:11 beginnings in MMA 10:34 Bikers supporting early MMA in Canada 15:06 Ultimate Battle 4 man tournament 16:38 Adam Ryan 17:29 John Alessio vs David Harris 19:33 Extreme Challenge 4 man tournament 23:39 dealings with Bill Mahood 24:21 Kalib Starnes vs Nate Quarry 26:29 connection to Pancrase 27:06 meeting Phyllis Lee 27:27 meeting Eddy Millis in Japan 28:04 John Alessio vs Kosei Kubota 30:51 quitting Job to