Pete Rodley: Building UCC, Booking GSP & The Wild Birth of Canadian MMA

<p>Pete Rodley was co-owner and vice president of Universal Combat Challenge, the Montreal promotion that helped launch sanctioned Canadian MMA and gave early platforms to Georges St-Pierre, David Loiseau, Ivan Menjivar, Mark Hominick and Patrick Côté.</p><p><br></p><p>In this MMA History Podcast interview he traces his path from a traditional karate family and godson of UFC 3’s Harold Howard through IFC work on the reserves, the Combat List era, and the first UCC cards with Stéphane Patry.</p><p><br></p><p>Rodley covers the last-minute UCC 1 main-event scramble after Kimo Leopoldo pulled out, Elvis Sinosic versus Dave Beneteau, Wagnney Fabiano, Sean Sherk against Claudionor Fontinelle, the rain-out show, GSP’s debut against Menjivar, Full Contact Fighter ranking UCC among the world’s biggest promotions, and why he walked away before later returning with Freedom Fight.</p><p><br></p><p>A detailed look at the names and chaos that built MMA north of the border.</p><p><br></p><p>Subscribe to the MMA History Podcast for interviews and stories from the people who lived the early days of mixed martial arts.</p><p><br></p><p>0:00 start</p><p>0:29 MMA History Podcast intro</p><p>1:01 Joey Venti’s guest introduction</p><p>1:20 interview start </p><p>1:31 beginnings in MMA</p><p>4:24 meeting Harold Howard </p><p>8:00 attending IFC events</p><p>9:10 Battlecade Extreme Fighting 2 </p><p>9:47 introduction to promoting </p><p>10:43 legalities for Battlecade Extreme Fighting 2 </p><p>12:54 the Bikers in Canada </p><p>15:45 partnership with IVC and Sergio Batarelli</p><p>17:03 meeting Stephane Patry</p><p>21:00 issues with Stephane Patry </p><p>22:25 dealings during UCC</p><p>25:22 UCC 1 original main event </p><p>28:50 Kimo Leopoldo vs Elvis Sinosic cancelled bout </p><p>32:00 negotiations with Tom Erickson </p><p>34:28 Dave Beneteau</p><p>35:33 giving Elvis Sinosic options </p><p>42:48 UCC 1 fight card </p><p>43:53 experience with Shawn Tompkins </p><p>46:16 losing money due to rain</p><p>48:49 fighter pay at UCC events </p><p>50:03 Claudionor Fontenelle crimes </p><p>52:47 title bouts on UCC 2</p><p>53:11 UCC 3 fight card</p><p>54:00 Jay Winger vs Richard Nancoo </p><p>55:56 working with other Canadian Promoters </p><p>59:14 experience with Angelo Exarhakos</p><p>1:02:12 Renzo Gracie’s influence on Ottawa</p><p>1:04:09 Claudionor Fontenelle vs Donald Ouimet </p><p>1:06:52 Claudionor Fontenelle vs Sean Sherk</p><p>1:07:11 UCC 4 highlights </p><p>1:08:16 fallout with Ste