Mike Russow
Former UFC Heavyweight Mike Russow shocked the MMA world at UFC 114 when he KO’d the promotion’s fastest rising young star, Todd Duffee, in the third round of their 2010 scrap. Russow was virtually unknown prior to the event and you got the impression that he was being set up as a sacrificial lamb for Duffee to make easy work of. Hell, the Vegas odds opened with the unimpressive looking and flab-gutted Russow written off as a 7 to 1 underdog against the hulking goliath that was Todd Duffee – but lightning struck.
Following the huge upset win, Russow went on to post a respectable and solid UFC career, retiring in 2013 with a 15-3 record. What’s even more impressive than the record is the fact that Russow had been serving the City of Chicago as a street cop in its notorious Third District for ten years prior to making himself famous as a fighter and he continues to work a beat to provide for his family to this day.
Russow’s portly figure gave him the look of a guy who just walked in off the street anytime he stepped into the cage. What sounds like a curse actually helped make the man a fan favorite when factored in with his sadistic ability to absorb punishment and the shear heart he possessed. I love Mike Russow the cop because he proves that not every police officer has to have the chiseled physique of a superhero to handle his business and handle it well.
Check out more on Mike Russow’s blue-collar story here.
