You can follow your favorite fighter on twitter or watch a Primetime episode to usually get a glimpse of what mma athletes are personally like. But you will never really know unless their significant other gives you the inside scoop. Well, here is that scoop.
Lani Carwin (Shane Carwin’s wife)
@LaniCarwin @shanecarwin
What set Shane apart from his twin brother Shrek when you first met him?
Lol, we actually met at the gym, big surprise I know! His friend knew that I was a Realtor and Shane was looking to buy a home…and apparently his friend also knew he had his eye on me. And the latter is true for me too. I had seen him at the gym a few times and was happy to stay running an extra few minutes on the treadmill if he was lifting nearby. Sidetracked, sorry, just thinking about how good looking he is still makes me sidetracked! Anyway, his friend called me over while they were doing bicep curls and said, “Lani, Shane wants to buy a house. Can you help him?” I said certainly and talked to Shane a bit about what he was looking for and better time to visit. Shane wouldn’t even make eye contact with me, he just kept doing his bicep curls – he was soo shy!
What does your husband do that drives you nuts?
Honestly, not much. He is truly an incredible guy. I think the great thing about us getting married when we were older is that we both knew what we were looking for.
His best characteristic?
How dedicated he is to our family.
You ever look at his hands and think “That really looks like a stack of bananas”?
I like to think of them as large lunchboxes when he’s training and fighting. When we have downtime, they are my sweet cuddly bear hands
Best experience you saw with a fan?
I remember when the UFC was taking us back to the hotel after the Gonzaga fight. They were taking us to a back entrance to avoid the crazy crowd, but as we passed by the front of the hotel there were kids outside just waiting for him. He asked that they stop the van, he wanted to get out and make sure they all got their autographs. Between that, and him being so generous to a wonderful fan who was disabled, those are probably my two favorite moments.
What’s it like during fight training time?
So crazy at our house. Shane is still an engineer by day, so between that and training (and being and husband and father) it’s really stressful. Time is sacred and we don’t have much to spare. I miss him like crazy, and the kids do too, but he’s working for our family and we know it’s a sacrifice we are going to make. I do my best to support him and help him get ready for the fight.
Kannika Pulver (Jens Pulver’s wife)
@nikka_wtf @jens_pulver
You’re almost 4’8”. Is that why Jens was interesting to you? Because of how tall 5’7” seemed?
Now that you bring up my height…isn’t 4’8” considered legally handicapped? If not it should be…I’m tired of having to park all the way in the back just to go people watching at Wally World on food stamp day!
When you look into his eyes which do you look at, the brown or the green? (Jens has 1 brown and 1 green eye.)
It depends on who’s driving!
What does your husband do that drives you nuts?
Eat punches! Apparently ducking isn’t on the menu though! Thankfully Jeff Curran’s team is fixing that.
His best characteristic?
His big brown eyes! HA!
Best experience you saw with a fan?
When he signed a 400 lb man’s HAIRY ass!
Does Jens EVER stop talking?
Not even in his sleep….
What’s it like during fight training time?
Peacefully quiet… duh!
Elizabeth Holloway (Dan Hardy’s girlfriend)
@danhardymma
After he fought GSP did you start calling him Dan R D like I did?
Haha, no. However, there was a lot of watching Kermit the frog on youtube.com and trying to mimic his voice. Don’t get me wrong, Dan’s got an accent as well, but I’m not sure it’s as easy to mock. Most women just think a British accent is hot. However, when we order take out, it’s usually for “Don” instead of “Dan”.
What does Dan do that drives you nuts?
He hangs his jock strap outside on the fence, in plain site, where all the neighbors can see. When I asked him if he could not do that, he said “Well, I don’t see what the big deal is, it’s clean!” Oh, and when we do laundry, I mean when I do laundry, I spend a good amount of that time trying to untangle my bras and underwear that have been snared in his hand wraps. I mean, you don’t see me hanging up my sports bras on the neighborhood fences!
He’s also a really passionate collector of things. Recently, it’s been Hot Wheels cars and vinyl. He’s lined them up on the crown-molding ledge around the circumference of our apartment. I usually give up trying to decorate our apartment to look like a real living space, knowing that it’s just going to look like a toy store eventually. He probably has about 200 Hot Wheels cars and maybe about 1500 records. It’s out of control.
His best characteristic?
His brain. We’re both nerds when it comes to things like video games, art, and music. I couldn’t date someone that has crap taste in music and wanted to listen to remixed radio drabble all the time. Thank God, he’s British, so he naturally comes from a good solid music background. He’s really well read on art as well, so we also have great conversations.
Best experience you saw with a fan?
We went to a fight night in Charlotte after Dan’s fight against GSP. After the show was over, people in the stands were screaming for Dan. There were a bunch of people with toddlers with Mohawks. Parents were trying to lower their kids over the stands to Dan, Michael Jackson style, so they could get pictures. Dan stayed and signed every single autograph and held all the babies. By the time we left, the octagon had already been taken down and the area was vacant!
What’s it like during fight training time?
Like Natalie Portman in Black Swan. He’s gets insane and very focused on training camp routine. I think it’s because he has to diet. He hates dieting. I’ve seen him sit down and eat an entire meatloaf.
Does his Mohawk take longer to style than your hair does?
The Mohawk isn’t the problem, after years of putting crap into his hair, it naturally styles itself, but he does take longer to get ready than I do. He’s very particular about his converse shoes matching his t-shirt, and if the styles of jeans he has on is appropriate for where we are going. He usually changes outfits about 5 times before we go anywhere, even to the store for groceries.
Melissa Pellegrino (Kurt Pellegrino’s wife)
@M_Pellegrino06 @kurtpellegrino
How in the hell did Kurt ever land you?
With a very sharp hook! We’ve been together since high school. I wasn’t always this fabulous, he just lucked out! Honestly I’m pretty lucky myself.
What does your husband do that drives you nuts?
Hmm, how long do we have? I’d have to say empty water gallons left all around the house drives me pretty nuts.
His best characteristic?
His dedication to me, our kids, and his career. He is always there and very dependable. Also he still makes me laugh at least twice a day.
Kurt seems like a fart under the covers kind of guy. Does he put you through that?
Ahh yes, and far worse!
Best experience you saw with a fan?
The best experiences are always with the kids. They are always so excited and Kurt fits right in with them. But the best was when some girl asked him to sign her boobs with me next to him 8 months pregnant! I took the picture of him signing her boobs. Ha!
What’s it like during fight training time?
It’s pretty challenging. I make sure Kurt doesn’t have to worry about anything but training, eating, and sleeping. So with a 3 year old, a baby on the way, running 2 businesses and taking care of Kurt it gets pretty insane. I always just remind myself that it’s only 8-10 weeks until his camp is over and after his fight we really enjoy our time together.
Daisy Bader (Ryan Bader’s wife)
@daisybader @ryanbader
Did you start dating Ryan because he looked cute in a singlet?
Duh! He looks cute in anything!
What does your husband do that drives you nuts?
He likes to open things and leave the boxes or wrappers everywhere. He also likes to shave in my sink, especially after I just cleaned it. I think he likes it because I can’t get mad. I just cuss at him and laugh.
How many times a day does he mention CB Dollaway?
Only when we are making sweet sweet love. Just kiddin’! They are best buds.
His best characteristic?
He is honestly the most genuine and all around nice guy. He has wonderful character and loves his family and friends beyond words. Anyone who has ever met him would say the same thing.
Best experience you saw with a fan?
We walked past a group of people on the streets in a hurry and a handicap guy tried calling to Ryan but we didn’t hear him. Someone in our group told us a block later that the guy yelled for Ryan so he ran back to the group and took pictures with everyone. I have never seen him turn down a picture or autograph… EVER!
What’s it like during fight training time?
The mood definitely shifts during training camp. I know it’s no longer play time and I have to somewhat take the backseat to his upcoming fight during this time. It’s hard during camp, but so rewarding seeing all the hard work put in and another W on his record.
Beth Franklin (Rich Franklin’s wife)
@franklin_beth @richfranklin
Did Rich break his hand when he shook your hand the 1st time since he’s made of LEGO’s?
When Rich and I started dating he was a tough guy. I think I’ve probably turned him into a softy somehow in the last 11 years and maybe that’s why he’s more breakable these days.
What does your husband do that drives you nuts?
He has analogies for everything. I don’t need the analogy- I get the point!!
His best characteristic?
He’s super smart. He has endless knowledge about nutrition and working out but also about things that aren’t so expected like the Bible. I admire that in him.
What’s it like during fight training time?
I pretty much leave him alone for the most part when he is training for a fight. I found out a long time ago that that works better than interfering in the stress. He can be pretty “intense” (which is a nicer way to say “moody”). We don’t get a ton of time together during those 8 weeks so I treasure every second I get.
Best experience you saw with a fan?
The Miracle Kids Network contacted us a few years ago about a little boy named Mikey that wanted to meet Rich. Mikey and his family came to the gym and spent the day with us. Mikey called Rich “Rich Franklin” the entire day which was really cute. There was a constant “What’s Rich Franklin doing now?” sequence of questions. We took pictures of him in boxing gloves and head gear wearing his American Fighter shirt. We have the pictures on richfranklin.com.
Are there times that Rich looks terrifyingly similar to Jim Carrey that it freaks you out?
I don’t really agree with the whole Jim Carrey thing. They are similar in their personalities being they are both goofballs. I think Rich is way better looking than Jim Carrey with a much better body too!
Marie-Eve J. (Pat Cote’s girlfriend)
@talamarie @patrick_cote
Is it hard being shared with Brett Favre?
It was very hard to share, especially dealing with Favre posters and the Green Bay stuff all over the house. But hopefully Pat and Brett “broke up” a few months ago now that Brett retired. He’s all mine now!
What does your husband do that drives you nuts?
I HATE talking on the phone and he calls me every 2 minutes just to say hi. It makes me insane!!
His best characteristic?
Pat is so dedicated to the people he loves. He’s always there for us and we can always count on him no matter what. Pat’s friends are the luckiest people ever and i hope they realize that.
Best experience you saw with a fan?
All.
What’s it like during fight training time?
The minute we know who his next opponent is, I’m the one who can’t sleep at night! He always seem to be calm and in control. I cook him his boring meals (white chicken or salmon with broccoli), spend a lot of time washing his stinky training clothes, and doing everything i can to make his life easier so he can concentrate on his fight. How sweet is that?
If Pat could only save you or Brett Favre, who would he save?
Hahaha me for sure! Brett is the past now. But 5 years ago…
Kim Goldberg (Mike Goldberg’s wife)
@kimgoldberg16 @mfg16
After passionate love making has Mike ever yelled “It is allll over!”
Ok seriously, I think he knows better then to ever yell that.
What does your husband do that drives you nuts?
He does play by play when we are at ANY sporting events. It drives me nuts and I am sure the people around us.
His best characteristic?
One of Mike’s best characteristics is that he is so caring and genuine with everyone. Whether you are his boss or a fan trying to get an autograph he will always make time and always try and fill any request he gets.
Best experience you saw with a fan?
I think one of the best fan experiences I witnessed was in London. Mike was surrounded by a bunch of people taking pictures and autographs and my son was getting really bored trying to walk but having to stop every few steps. After about 10 minutes he yelled out “Why couldn’t you have been an NHL player?” Honestly, all fan experiences are pretty amazing. We have received many letters and emails from fans who say that Mike has touched their lives by just taking the time to talk to them, take a picture, or sign something. It truly is surreal to Mike.
Have you ever worn a skin tight black shirt, jeans, and a wallet chain to make Mike feel closer to Joe when they aren’t together?
Only a couple of times. PLEASE don’t tell anybody!!
