#55 The Black Cobra's Origin Story: From LA Gangs to World Champion (Part 1)

He was forging his mom's signature to sneak into Muay Thai class at 9 years old, knocking out grown men for his brother's gang by 8th grade — and 30 years later he's coached a UFC heavyweight champion. This week on Coffee with Doc, Dr. Pierce sits down with a longtime friend and combat sports legend, Dewey "Black Cobra" Cooper, for Part 1 of a conversation nearly three decades in the making. Dewey is a two-time world kickboxing champion, a professional boxer, and one of the most respected striking coaches in the sport — best known as the longtime striking coach and cornerman for former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. But before any of that, he was a kid in 1980s Los Angeles trying to survive a childhood shaped by gang violence, and the fighter he became almost didn't happen the way you'd expect. In this episode, Dewey and Dr. Pierce go all the way back — to Muay Thai as a survival skill, the real story behind the "Black Cobra" name, the ultimatum that got his family out of LA, the mentors who built him into a champion, and the 2:30 a.m. conversation at the Vegas club where they both used to work that changed both of their lives.   ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Welcome to Coffee with Doc: introducing Dewey "Black Cobra" Cooper 04:00 – Reconnecting after nearly 30 years 05:00 – Growing up the youngest of eight in Los Angeles 06:30 – The crack epidemic, gang life, and his brother Paul 08:00 – Forging his mom's signature to train Muay Thai at 9 10:00 – Why he really started fighting (it wasn't Bruce Lee) 11:00 – The real story behind the "Black Cobra" nickname 12:00 – His first fight at age 10 in Upland, California 14:00 – Arrested and taken to juvie after a fight in Oceanside 15:00 – His father's ultimatum and the move to Las Vegas 17:00 – The turnaround: straight A's and a new life 18:30 – Reframing his parents' sacrifice 21:00 – Training under Grandmaster Eddie "Flash" Newman 23:30 – The first time he saw Master Nick "One Kick" Blomgren 26:00 – Reconnecting with Nick after a disqualification 28:30 – Nick's mentorship and helping troubled youth 30:00 – "Win or learn," not "win or lose" 31:30 – The other mentors: Tony Valente, TJ Blackburn, David Hayes, and Jeff Mayweather 33:30 – The FEAR acronym: Fake Emotions Appearing Real 35:00 – Struggling to make ends meet as a pro kickboxer 36:00 – Meeting "JJ" — working the graveyard shift with a young Dr. Pierce 38:00 – The 2:30 a.m. conversation: "I'm gonna become a doctor" 40:30 – Dr. Pierce's own motivation: watching Diana become a judge 43:00 – Why motivation from someone you know "hits different"   Part 2 of this conversation is coming soon — covering the K-1 circuit, coaching Francis Ngannou, Team Combat League, and Dewey's daughter Shaolin's music career.   🔗 CONNECT WITH AGELESS FOREVER Website: https://agelessforever.net/ [Add: Instagram / Facebook / TikTok / booking link] #CoffeeWithDoc #AgelessForever #BlackCobra #DeweyCooper #Kickboxing #CombatSports #K1 #FrancisNgannou #TeamCombatLeague #Muaythai #Boxing #LasVegas #Mentorship #Motivation