MMA Pioneer Gary Goodridge opens up about being the main character of an anti-bullying comic-book (Exclusive)

Gary Goodridge recently opened up about being the main character of an anti-bullying comic book and being involved with anti-bullying initiatives.

During an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Goodridge shared his thoughts on being the main character in a comic book titled Gary's Global Heroes Battle Bullying! The MMA pioneer mentioned that anti-bullying is something he feels strongly about and hopes to continue making a difference.

He said:

"There was a lot of bullying when I was a kid and I just didn't like it. I tried to be a bully's bully but it never worked out. It was rough, it was just hard and yes, anti-bullying is a big thing... It's a hard time and a hard thing for kids to go through and it's unfair, it makes it so demeaning... And yes, I stand up for it because I was bullied." [17:58 - 18:30]

'Big Daddy' also shared his thoughts on being viewed as a superhero for kids and the importance of educating them about anti-bullying. He mentioned that it's a great feeling to be the main character of the comic and is thankful to his friend, Aaron Weiss for the way he is presented in the anti-bullying comic, saying:

"Yeah, that was cool [being the main character]. I like being a super hero to them [kids]. It's great, Aaron Weiss hooked me up and he's got me beating up everybody, so that's good." [18:47 - 18:57]

Goodridge noted that everybody is bullied at some point, which is why he feels strongly about educating kids on why it is wrong.

Check out the full interview below:

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Gary Goodridge reflects on fighting Fedor Emelianenko in Pride

Gary Goodridge has fought a number of former UFC champions and MMA legends throughout his career and Fedor Emelianenko is one of them.

In 2003, 'Big Daddy' and 'The Last Emperor' met inside the ring at Pride Total Elimination. Emelianenko was the reigning Pride heavyweight champion and was regarded as the best heavyweight in the world.

During the aforementioned interview, the MMA pioneer mentioned that the Russian's approach to the fight was much different than he anticipated, saying:

"He's laid back and stayed calm... really calm and then he rushed you at a hundred percent... All of a sudden a hundred percent and he was all over you, so I wasn't ready for that from him at all. I got clipped right away, so went down right away. It was an awful fight for me." [15:07 - 15:43]

Emelianenko defeated Goodridge via first-round TKO following a flurry of ground strikes.