Vernon "The Tiger" White is one of the most unheralded, underrated fighters out there in the MMA world IMO. The man has over 50 fights in his career, fought numerous All time Great's, beat a few lost to more, but fought any man any time.
Vernon turned pro at
Pancrase 1, he did not have very much success when he first started MMA.
In his first 10 fights his record is 3-7, he has lost to Takaku Fuke (Pancrase 1), Minori Suzuki (Pancrase 2), Ryushi Yanagasiwa (4), Masakatsu Funaki (Pan-Pan 2), Bas Rutten (Pan-Pan 4), and Remco Pardol.
Not a good record but hey, he was fighting the best most of the time. Vernon closes out
1994 going 1-2 with another loss to Masakatsu Funaki. He is 4-9 know.
Vernon would fight
6 times in 1995, all in Pancrase. He goes 1-5, beating Larry Papodolous, losses to Manabu Yamamada and here is the most important moment in
Vernon's career, closing out 1995 in December he is faced against Frank Shamrock. Vernon is heel hooked in 5 minutes. He has been fighting for 2 years in MMA all in Pancrase, His record is 5-14.
However, Ken Shamrock and the other members of the Lions Den liked what they saw in Vernon, and offered him to come train with them, they would teach him submissions and he could add to their striking (that is how Lions Den would cross train, you scratch my back I will scratch yours).
Vernon agree'd and never left the Lions Den after this. Vernon would
fight 10 times in 1996. His first fight under the Lions Den was against
Kazou Takahashi a very tough fighter. Vernon wins the fight on points. At Pancrase Truth 3 they decide to rematch
Vernon with Ryushi Yanagasiwa yet he is submitted again. Vernons record is 6-15.
At
Pancrase 5 Vernon is rematched with Takaka Fuke and in a fight that I thought Vernon won, he recieves a draw. He is showing vast improvement and is know 6-15-1. They then decide to give Vernon his
3rd shot at Masakatsu Funaki and he is submitted early again. His record is 6-16-1.
Then at the Pancrase
Neo Blood 1996 show Vernon pulls off the greatest victory of his career to date. He fights Minori Suzuki for 15 minutes and clearly wins the fight and gets the unanimous decision he deserves. He has finally defeated a big time Pancrase fighter. Next up Vernon Kicks the shit out of Takahashi (literally) in a rematch with a KO head kick that still has my ears ringing. Vernon is 8-16-1.
However, just when it looks like Vernon will start rolling he loses
to Osami Shibuya on points in his next fight. Still in 1996 he leaves Pancrase for the first time and enters in the
2nd Vale Tudo Championship tournament. In the first round he
heel hooks Ceese Bezems. In the 2nd round he Knocks out a russion with a big head kick. Sending him to the finals where
he is facing Pedro Rizzo. The fight is a great ending to the tournament, and just an all around good fight with both scoring shots. Then suddenly around he 7 minute mark
Pedro gets a huge head kick and it is over. Vernons record is know 10-18-1.
It is the end of 1996 and Vernon who debuted September 1993 has had 29 fights in under 3 years verse Pancrase and MMA greats like, Fuke, Takahashi, Masakatsu Funaki, Minori Suzuki, Bas Rutten, Frank Shamrock and Pedro Rizzo.
1997 was a rough year for Vernon, he only fought 3 times ,
going 1-2 with the only notable opponent being "The Janitor" who he lost to by neck crank.
Vernon fought only 1 time in 1998, against Kazushi Sakuraba, in a great fight Vernon suffers an arm bar loss. His record is 11-21-1. Here is the weird thing. Vernon has been tough to this point in his career, he has put together some nice wins but never a big stretch.
He starts 1999 with a
Unanimous Decision over David Terrell in Terrell's debut. It was clear cut for Vernon. Happened at Cage Combat, Vernon is then rematched
with the "Janitor" and wins a 25 minute split decision. Vernon had the better strikes IMO but the fight was close. Vernon was noticably better than in the first fight. Vernon then
knocks out a Todd Medina in 9 seconds at King of the Cage.
Vernon fights at
Pride 9 against Allan Goes. It was only a 10 minute fight and Goes got the decision but if it went longer I would have taken Vernon to get him late. Vernon White is know 14-22-1.Vernon recovers and has the longest win streak of his career.
Beating Marcos de Silva by submission, David Dodd with a sick flying knee setting up a fight with Marvin Eastman at KOTC 8 I have it on DVD its a great fight, really close but Vernon gets the decision he deserves.
Vernon than
knocks out Joe Priole, submits James Lee, and wins a decision over Mike Rogers. He has just won 6 fights in a row from 2000 to 2002 and his record is know 20-22-1. After his first 10 fights and he is 17-12-1. 15-9-1 since joining Lions Den.
He faces
Jeremy Horn at King of the Cage 23. Title Fight, and goes the distance,
Horn got the Unanimous decision but the fight was good and Vernon had his moments. He fought May 2003 hadnt fought since August 2002, the lay off hurt him, wouldve won a stay busy fight and the fight IMO if he had. Never the less, Jeremy Horn hands Vernon White his first loss in 3 years.
Vernon is then signed by the UFC and faces
Ian Freeman at UFC 43 : Meltdown. One of the rare draws, and Im not gonna lie I think Vernon won the fight. But he drew with Ian,
first UFC fight is a draw. Vernon is know 20-23-2Vernon then fights at a company called FE ????? he
loses to August Wallen, havent seen fight but people say he just had an off night,
he then rematches Marvin Eastman at KOTC. THe fight is close like the first one and Eastman walks away the winner this time. Vernon is 20-25-2.
He then goes back to UFC and fights in the fight most of you all have seen him from.
He faces Chuck Liddell it is the Main Event. Sadly it is the fight of Vernons life 2 or 3 years to late. I wish this fight happened in 2002. It was still a great fight.
Vernons record is 20-25-2 going into the fight, UFC announces him as being 11-8-1????? The fight starts from the jump Chuck lands a right, Vernon lands a right, kick, and they trade, Chuck slips and gets a takedown. Vernon tied the arms up instantly (by this time he is a really good submission fighter) and gets butterfly guard, Chuck stands up soon as he can.
They trade hooks, Vernon gets nice leg kick and lands big left, Rogan is stil talking about Chuck, Vernon is looking good in exchanges and right when I am getting confident in Vernon,
Boom, big right hand from Liddell. Just to remind you who he was. Chuck pounces and unloads shots on the ground,
Vernon some how survives gets up avoids some and takes some. He then lands a big left and right on Chuck and I am like oh ya
Boom, hey Im Chuck Liddell, remember you dont trade wtih me. Vernons on the ground getting mauled again. Vernon lands an elbow from behind and Chuck stands and
Vernon gets up!!! Chuck is a little gassed and a little surprised Vernon starts stalking him and lands a big body kick. Gets a nice leg kick, tries a 1-2 and slips, gets up and Chucks all over him.
Vernon goes down and Chuck is mauling him on the cage Im talking 15 consecutve lefts. Im thinking shit maybe they should stop it Vernons gonna get hurt bad,
Vernon stands up and fires a 1-2 right on que. The crowd that boo'd him loudly cheered. He then lands a spinning back kick and starts stalking Chuck again. 1 Minute left in round 1 and Vernon leaps across the cage and lands 2 big right hands that drop Liddell momentarily.
Vernon is feeling pretty good he stalks and throws a right hook and
BOOM Liddell ends the fight. Vernons eye is messesd up bad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0v7pkxwJYo&feature=relatedVernon is 20-26-2, Vernon then go's 3-1 in 2005 vs nobody notable. A win vs
Alex Stiebling in WEC was his biggest. In 2006 he beats
Jason Guida and then faces Lyoto Machida. In a good fight Vernon go's the distance with Machida and gives Machida some tough moments. Unanimous Decision Machida. Vernon is 24-27-2.
This is the end for Vernon White as far as being a top fighter if he was still top 15 at this point. From 2006 to 2009 after Machida,
Vernon has gone 2-5 Mike Whitehead is biggest name on that resume during that time and Vernon lost by Knockout. Vernon currently has a 26-33-2.
Vernon was a fighter who never really got his shot. He was fed to the top fighters in the world (Funaki, Suzuki, Fuke, Rutten, Shamrock, Pardol) fought and lost to a great fighters in Sakuraba and Rizzo, peaked and beat good competition in the Janitor and Eastman had a close decisine to Jeremy Horn, and lost in a great fight to Chuck Liddell past his prime.
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