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MMA SUBMISSION: FRANK TRIGG

by Ryan Hockensmith

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"Frankie Bleecker? Didn't think he had it in him!"

You're a 17-year-old boy, meet a great girl at school and want to take her to a movie. She says yes. You go to her house, knock and a chiseled 5'9", 185-pound guy answers the door. It's her dad.

He's nice. But when he shakes your hand, it feels like the grip of a guy who could rip somebody's hand off.

Actually, he could. Meet Frank Trigg.

Trigg (oddly, his nickname is Twinkle Toes) is one of the legends of mixed-martial arts. And he's the kind of dad who'd make you promptly decide to test your 1986 Chrysler Le Baron's 0-60 time. .

While the above scenario hasn't occurred yet, it could. Trigg has a teenage daughter, and the date possibilities are approaching fast. He understands this: "I was a teenage boy not all that long ago," he says. "So I know the game."

On Oct. 3, Trigg (17-6 career) faces Falaniko Vitale in the first of a three-fight deal with Strikeforce. "As always, I can't wait to get in there and win," Trigg says. "That's what I do."

That's not all he does. In addition to his MMA career, Trigg has his own clothing line called Triggonomics, he still works as an MMA color commentator for Fox Sports and he's the host of a weekly Vegas MMA radio show. He's also headlining TNA pro wrestling shows (he's feuding with former WWE star Kurt Angle). A few months ago, in a skit where he hit on Angle's wife, Trigg hauled off and decked a producer. Future boyfriends beware: Trigg accidentally broke the producer's nose.

"That wasn't exactly supposed to be the outcome," Trigg says.

DIAZ WINS
Nice victory last night for "Ultimate Fighter" winner Nate Diaz. He hasn't shot to the top like Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans—yet. Diaz is legit, though; if he keeps this up, he'll be in the mix for a UFC title shot in the next year or so.

GRACIE BOWS OUT
Tough break for Travis Wiuff (the name is pronounced "View", for the record), who's a good fighter and better guy. He's perhaps my favorite interview in MMA. A classic Wiuff story: At a small show outside of Minneapolis, he beat up a guy in the first round of his first ever fight and earned "about $50, I don't really remember." When the promoter got on the mic to announce the win, he stunned Wiuff and the crowd by saying, "Is there anybody in the crowd who thinks he can knock out Travis? I'll give you $100 if you can!" Two guys volunteered. Wiuff KO'd the first dude (his second win in just a few minutes of time). Then the second guy wobbled into the ring, clearly a few drinks into his evening, and asked if he could keep his cowboy boots on for the fight. He eventually took them off, then promptly slipped and fell at the start of the fight. Wiuff dropped on top of him and rained a few punches down on him before the ref made a mercy stop. Ah, the good old days of mixed-martial arts.


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