Kimo Leopoldo: I Nearly Beat Royce Gracie & Joe Son stories

Kimo Leopoldo joins the MMA History Podcast to recount the raw early days of the sport, from his Huntington Beach roots and Christian transformation to the unforgettable moment he carried a full-sized cross into the Octagon and pushed Royce Gracie harder than almost anyone at UFC 3. The legendary fighter breaks down the chaotic tournament draw, the street-fight intensity of that classic bout, his contentious partnership with Joe Son, the fallout that followed, and the cascade of high-stakes battles that followed across K-1, Pride, and the UFC.Kimo opens up about training with Matt Hume and Joe Moreira, the Sakuraba and Takayama wars in Japan, the brutal nine-minute war with Paul Varelans, the Huntington Beach showdown with Tank Abbott, and the controversial Bob Sapp kickboxing match in Las Vegas.0:00 start0:28 MMA History Podcast intro 1:01 Joey Venti’s guest introductions1:12 interview start 1:45 attending elementary with John Lewis 3:12 introduction to combat sports 3:42 getting introduced to Christ by Joe Son 5:10 High School wrestling career 5:51 moving to California 6:12 bouncing at Club Rubber 7:54 watching UFC 19:10 Joe Son pushing UFC debut for Kimo Leopoldo 9:47 Joe Son challenging Royce Gracie 10:15 Paul Herrera street fight with Joe Son10:49 learning Jiu Jitsu from Randy Ziegler12:24 fight with Gracie’s in Hotel lobby (rumor) 13:09 UFC 3 name drawing for tournament15:43 UFC 3 promo “fighting for Christ”16:48 carrying cross on back during walkout 18:17 unaware of Joe Sons street activities19:45 Joe Sons acting career 20:12 training prior to UFC debut 21:25 dealings with Bob Meyrowitz and Art Davie 21:49 feelings before fighting Royce Gracie23:49 Kimo Leopoldo vs Royce Gracie 27:06 Royce Gracie towel throw 29:00 interactions with the Gracie’s after fight 29:45 reason for alternates to have fights30:47 apology letter to the Gracie’s (rumor) 32:20 wore out from walking out with heavy cross 34:00 negotiations to fight in Japan34:32 Kimo Leopoldo vs Pat Smith 36:36 making $500 to fight Royce Gracie 38:54 training at J Sect 39:32 Joe Son vs Keith Hackney 41:55 Kimo Leopoldo vs Masaaki Satake43:34 connecting with Matt Hume 43:53 incorrectly listed rematch with Pat Smith44:44 training with Carl Franks 45:12 training partners at AMC46:39 issues with Allan Goes47:58 Royce Gracie blue belt narrative51:29 parting ways with Joe Son 52:28 managed by father Dennis Leopoldo 53:36 negotiations for UFC 854:40 conflict backstage at UFC 856:11 Tank Abbotts reputation on the streets56:47 bouncer Richard Alvarez 58:27 John Lober 59:54 Eddie Ruiz 1:00:37 Tiki Ghosn1:01:03 early involvement training Tito Ortiz (rumor)1:01:45 crew members 1:02:26 fallout with Matt Hume after Ken shamrock fight 1:05:18 training with Joe Moreira1:07:34 releasing instructional with Joe Moreira 1:09:09 Kimo Leopoldo vs Kazushi Sakuraba1:13:59 Kimo Leopoldo vs Yoshihiro Takayama1:16:44 Kimo Leopoldo vs Bam Bam Bigelow1:20:01 dealings with the Yakuza 1:22:10 interactions with Gerard Gordeau1:23:29 Kimo Leopoldo vs Paul Varelans1:29:18 NHB era not getting the respect 1:29:53 Kimo Leopoldo vs Brian Johnston 1:31:30 negotiations with Pride FC1:32:16 Kimo Leopoldo vs Dan Severn1:34:41 Rickson Gracie vs Nobuhiko Takada1:35:29 falling out with the UFC after Pride Debut 1:36:44 Kimo Leopoldo vs Tsuyoshi Kosaka1:37:59 cancelled bout with Gary Goodridge 1:38:57 no showing event 1:40:05 Joe Son vs Yusuke Imamura 1:41:37 current feelings about Joe Son 1:45:08 Kimo Leopoldo trading cards 1:46:45 Raul Ries1:47:02 Joe Son vs Joe Moreira 1:48:34 Kimo Leopoldo vs Tim Lajcik1:49:32 cancelled bout with Bas Rutten1:51:47 running into Tank Abbott at a bar 1:54:08 Kimo Leopoldo vs Tank Abbott1:57:20 Kimo Leopoldo vs Bob Sapp2:05:54 conversations after Bob Sapp fight2:07:30 interview wrap up 2:09:20 outro/ closing thoughts