Ex-Vol Footballer

[WoodsmanVol]

Stumbled on this while randomly web roaming: Ovince Saint Preux

 

[cbatey1]

Watched him fight several bouts but never knew he played for us. Cool piece of info!

 

[Enki_Amenra]

Stumbled on this while randomly web roaming: Ovince Saint Preux

Trains in Knoxville, or did at one point. He's had a bit of success with it. Hope he gets some big-time matches with big-time 💸 💰 💵

 

[greenbacknative]

Watched him fight on TV one nite in MMA. He kicked a guy in the shin with a front leg kick and totally mangled 4 toes on his foot and he still finished the fight!

 

[CAVPUT]

He's been somewhat pedestrian in his MMA career. Not sure he'll go much further. Doubt he'll make many main cards going forward. Still, just competing at that level for any length of time is a heck of an accomplishment.

 

[wmcovol]

Was on the team but never really played. But he was a star if I’m ever face to face with him. MMA is a lot tougher than football

 

[BigOrangePaddy]

He's been somewhat pedestrian in his MMA career. Not sure he'll go much further. Doubt he'll make many main cards going forward. Still, just competing at that level for any length of time is a heck of an accomplishment.

He beat Shogun Rua in 2014. The UFC is the pinnacle level of mma. To say he has been pedestrian is crazy.

A lot of these guys are olympic level athletes. I used to wrestle in high school and all of our best guys played football as well.

We all agreed that wrestling was wayyyy more harder and a more intense sport. Our practices felt like hell on earth. A lot of us were always having to weight cut as well. MMA and combat sports in general are no joke.

 

[MSME Vol]

Title is misleading. No such thing as an ex Vol. Only VFL's exist

 

[g2vols]

He’s always repped the Vols by wearing a orange TN hat to the octagon until UFC didn’t allow it anymore. They now wear UFC branded apparel. He’s definitely a proud VFL

 

[molsen81]

When he wins, his victory pose is the same one that UF's Errict Rhett used to do when he scored TDs. I think it's a fraternity.

 

[CAVPUT]

If anyone is interested, UFC 274 is in progress and Rua vs OSP is next.

 

[CAVPUT]

OSP takes a split decision over 40 year old Rua. Snoozefest and the crowd was booing the lack of action throughout.

 

[Vol_sanity]

When he fought in Nashville he walked out to Rocky Top!! Was awesome to see. He fought Jon Jones for 5 rounds in a championship bout, had a few moments in that fight. He has had a great MMA career!!

 

[hjeagle1vol]

When he fought in Nashville he walked out to Rocky Top!! Was awesome to see. He fought Jon Jones for 5 rounds in a championship bout, had a few moments in that fight. He has had a great MMA career!!

Been following OSP his whole career and he's an all-time favorite as a Vol and MMA fighter. He's had a good career (injuries) and I don't have any problem with him collecting a few paydays on his way to retirement without getting kicked in the face like Tony Ferguson in the very next fight...

 

[praxite33]

So cool personal story - I did commentary for a fight he had almost a decade ago. He knocked out a friend of mine from another camp named Brett. Same card one of his training partners knocked my brother out as well. Lol. I was hurt so couldn't compete. Got to do a post fight interview in the ring with him though! Cool dude.

 

[GoalDancer]

He beat Shogun Rua in 2014. The UFC is the pinnacle level of mma. To say he has been pedestrian is crazy.

A lot of these guys are olympic level athletes. I used to wrestle in high school and all of our best guys played football as well.

We all agreed that wrestling was wayyyy more harder and a more intense sport. Our practices felt like hell on earth. A lot of us were always having to weight cut as well. MMA and combat sports in general are no joke.

Agreed, OSP has had a helluva MMA career, he has stuck around in the UFC for 8+ years, hardly pedestrian. When he couldn't get on the field at UT, he finished at UTC, but always reps Knoxville in all his fights and is a true VFL.
Wrestling and fight sports in general are way harder than FB. My son's HS wrestling team has been nationally ranked the last couple of years and their practices are 10x harder than any football practice I've ever seen including college. And wrestling in college, forget about it, it's another level, hardest sport ever and it's not even close, to compare it is laughable.

 

[m1al]

Been following OSP his whole career and he's an all-time favorite as a Vol and MMA fighter. He's had a good career (injuries) and I don't have any problem with him collecting a few paydays on his way to retirement without getting kicked in the face like Tony Ferguson in the very next fight...

 

[Vol_sanity]

So cool personal story - I did commentary for a fight he had almost a decade ago. He knocked out a friend of mine from another camp named Brett. Same card one of his training partners knocked my brother out as well. Lol. I was hurt so couldn't compete. Got to do a post fight interview in the ring with him though! Cool dude.

That is a cool story!! The last UFC card in Nashville, I got to hang out with several fighters(I know Bryan Barberena) and they are friends with OSP. I could not go to the after party(Nephews girlfriend was not 21) so I didnt get to hang with OSP...sigh. That's my almost cool story

 

[davethevol]

I’ve never met the guy, but several people I know have and say he’s a really good guy and incredibly respectful to others.

 

[Franklin_Vol09]

He's been somewhat pedestrian in his MMA career. Not sure he'll go much further. Doubt he'll make many main cards going forward. Still, just competing at that level for any length of time is a heck of an accomplishment.

I don’t think you know what pedestrian is in the MMA world. If you are in the UFC or have made it to the UFC at some point, you are considered the best of the best. There are dozens of smaller promotion organizations out there. Most are never are good enough to even sniff the UFC.
OSP has been ranked in the top part of his weight class several times. At one point he had the record for most fights at light heavyweight in UFC history.
He beat Shogun Rua 2 times and lost to Jon Jones by decision.

 

[Bigorangefaninga]

OSP has had a good career but sadly is like a gatekeeper. If he wasnt so tied to Knoxville he would have been much better, I just wished he would have went to a better gym to train at, the one in Knoxville just doesnt have any other top level guys in it and that's really what has kept him from becoming elite(since the athleticism is there). A better gym with better fighters that could challenge him would have done his career much better, but he has been so tied to the Knox gym he started at that he hasnt reached the heights he prob should have. Great career though and he reps UT like almost no other athlete out there does!

 

[Vol_sanity]

OSP has had a good career but sadly is like a gatekeeper. If he wasnt so tied to Knoxville he would have been much better, I just wished he would have went to a better gym to train at, the one in Knoxville just doesnt have any other top level guys in it and that's really what has kept him from becoming elite(since the athleticism is there). A better gym with better fighters that could challenge him would have done his career much better, but he has been so tied to the Knox gym he started at that he hasnt reached the heights he prob should have. Great career though and he reps UT like almost no other athlete out there does!

This is spot on...its a tough one when fighters are loyal to a fault to a gym or coach.

 

[Franklin_Vol09]

OSP has had a good career but sadly is like a gatekeeper. If he wasnt so tied to Knoxville he would have been much better, I just wished he would have went to a better gym to train at, the one in Knoxville just doesnt have any other top level guys in it and that's really what has kept him from becoming elite(since the athleticism is there). A better gym with better fighters that could challenge him would have done his career much better, but he has been so tied to the Knox gym he started at that he hasnt reached the heights he prob should have. Great career though and he reps UT like almost no other athlete out there does!

He goes and trains all over. He’s trained with the best heavyweights in the world and also trained with some of the best striking coaches. His Knoxville gym is just his home gym.
Not every gym operates like Team Alpha Male.

 

[Bigorangefaninga]

He goes and trains all over. He’s trained with the best heavyweights in the world and also trained with some of the best striking coaches. His Knoxville gym is just his home gym.
Not every gym operates like Team Alpha Male.

Not sure I have ever seen him with the blackzillians, Jacksons, Team Quest, AKA or American Top Team. Plus going to visit to train isnt anything like spending your time training somewhere. I mean I got a lot out of going to camps for wrestling with the likes of Sanderson and Gable, however spending short periods of time with them isnt anywhere close to actually spending years training under them. His wrestling is terrible and its not because he isnt athletically gifted(who usually pick up wrestling much quicker than those like me that arent but have to train all the time). He has ok BJJ but he's gotten by on his athleticism in MMA, so once he got to the top it was no longer the gift compared to the others that are just as gifted but yet have better wrestling and BJJ. He's a gatekeeper and thats why he's now fighting the has beens of MMA like Rua and why he couldnt beat those like Reyes, Bader, Rothwell and others. It's great to be loyal, but it cost him a lot in his MMA career but he is a VFL and I'm proud of him!

 

[Franklin_Vol09]

Not sure I have ever seen him with the blackzillians, Jacksons, Team Quest, AKA or American Top Team. Plus going to visit to train isnt anything like spending your time training somewhere. I mean I got a lot out of going to camps for wrestling with the likes of Sanderson and Gable, however spending short periods of time with them isnt anywhere close to actually spending years training under them. His wrestling is terrible and its not because he isnt athletically gifted(who usually pick up wrestling much quicker than those like me that arent but have to train all the time). He has ok BJJ but he's gotten by on his athleticism in MMA, so once he got to the top it was no longer the gift compared to the others that are just as gifted but yet have better wrestling and BJJ. He's a gatekeeper and thats why he's now fighting the has beens of MMA like Rua and why he couldnt beat those like Reyes, Bader, Rothwell and others. It's great to be loyal, but it cost him a lot in his MMA career but he is a VFL and I'm proud of him!

He’s trained with AMA (I think this is in Jersey) and Randy Coulture’s gym in Vegas.
Both have top notch fighters that have some time there. He also has a brown belt in BJJ. To say his BJJ isn’t good is laughable. Is he a top notch BJJ guy, no. But neither is most MMA fighters. Jon Jones is a purple belt. Would beat Jones in a pure BJJ competition.
Just my thoughts though.
I honestly wish he would have worked with Duane Ludwig and get some time in with Bang Muay Thai. However, he is really past his prime now.