What's really good ladies and gentlemen, it's
the OG Bonique with Dandada Chef. i'm here with
none other than mike hanson before I even say
his nickname because i'm super biased to your
nickname and i'm gonna tell you why in a minute
but when I talk bkfc this is the wildest sport
right like combat sport you got to be a massive
dog to get in there right like there's a level
of intensity that I like listen i've been in
fights in my life not in no no craziness but
When you're going bare hands, it's a whole different
ugly than having them taped off or whatever.
Mike, what's going on? I know you just worked
out. I know you got some grub in. How's your
day been so far? My day's a lot better now that
I had a great weekend. Yeah, facts. So I got
to ask you, what got you into training to do
all this MMA, combat sports, boxing, everything?
What was it that said, this is what I'm going
to do? Yeah. I grew up in Colorado, Grand Junction.
And, uh, long story short, I had a neighbor.
He was a buddy of mine and I wanted to always
play with him, but he was constantly at wrestling
practice. And, uh, I finally asked my dad as
I do, can I go hang out with Nick? Can you sign
me up with his dad to his wrestling program?
Fast forward like six years, you know, when I
wrestled, I did pretty good in Colorado. We moved
down here to, uh, California. I was like, I don't
know, like a 90. late 90s early 2000s and then
During that time though. I was boxing out in
Grand Junction, Colorado So I was able to mix
up a little bit when I came out to California.
There was a gym called LA boxing before the UFC
gym bottom out my grandfather Signed me up for
kickboxing So I was throwing hands and feet and
then I wrestled in high school and I didn't want
to go to college for any sports. I was over it.
I was burnt out. I was a four -year letterman
for football and wrestling. And then Camel was
coming up back in the day. So I fought back when
Camel was rash guards on, no shin guards. And
you just fight. So I just signed up for that
one day. I was like 19, I think. I just found
out I was having a kid. And then dude, 13 years
later, here I am. It's crazy. I was like, I got
to figure out how to transition into your nickname.
Because when I played football, they used to
call me Mighty Mouse. I was 5 '7", but I could
dunk. Like, I had a crazy vertical. I was fast.
And they called me Mighty Mouse. So I was like,
when they said Mighty Mouse, I got to talk to
this guy. How did the Mighty Mouse thing come
in? Because it's more than just, I don't want
to hear. I'm at 125 -something. Mighty Mouse
is a very, like, I mean, Superman, but a mouse.
You know what I'm saying? So how did that nickname
come to you? Football and wrestling like you
just said like I'm I'm 5 '4 During football season
and I probably wait about 145, but I played safety
on varsity and JV So when I would hit people
like I would hit him like I'm like a linebacker
It was like dude, how the hell are you laying
these guys out? And I was just so angry just
so aggressive and and in wrestling during practice.
I wrestled at 125 I never wrestled 25 years.
I was, I was rushing the 54s, sixties, 71s. I
was throwing them around, literally throwing
them around. And my coach, my assistant coach
at the time, and if you, my close buddies were
just like, bro, you're like mighty mouse. I want
a little mouse character that goes around, picks
a world up, tosses dudes around. I was like,
Hey, I liked that. I stepped. So that stuck ever
since high school. I was just five foot, nothing
kind of 25 pounds of wet, just throwing guys
around. And then I used to do all this bare knuckle
boxing. after school at a park. So I would fight
guys like bear knuckle. I would, I would fight
guys like that are five, 10, five, 11, six foot.
And, uh, I'm just knocking them out. And they're
like, you're like mighty mouse. Like yours over
here, David and Goliath kind of thing. I was
like, I just saw that that name stuck. And then
when I found out about DJ Demetrius Johnson,
I was like, damn, he's got the name already,
you know? So, well, I just kept it. ever since
and from the from the moment i started to get
like big or popularized is everyone started like
oh you're the real mind your mouth shut up yes
i am see that's the thing like i don't like when
people go well you can't have this because someone
has it like i mean everybody takes a spin off
something like a few years ago when uh many years
ago when uh jerry and lind started doing this
thing and they called them lind sanity people
say oh well he's not vince sanity from toronto
Yo, relax. These guys are playing at the highest
level. They're not calling themselves. These
are nicknames that were given to them. You know
what I'm saying? It's not like a self -given
nickname. So, Mighty Mouse does this thing. I
love it when you... Now, I got to ask, because
I played defensive back. I played a little safety,
mostly corner. What number were you? Because,
you know, 21 was my thing. Twenty. Twenty. Oh,
my God. Yo, I feel like I'm talking to the greatest
of all time. Like... That's great. So there cuz
Ed Reed he was a safety and I just and at that
time I was Infatuated with the Ravens because
of the defense how just brutal they were and
I was a hothead in high school so I just would
love to like hit and destroy shit and So I was
just a mean safety. I was mean I would get penalties
all the time But I was like a little fucking
meat missile just flying across the dam Like
my like my coach wanted to be a blitz. He knew
is like it's not gonna be hard for him to get
in there I could fit in small spaces. Yeah, yeah
person big You fit in the gap see that's that's
where I was when I when I wanted to be because
I wanted 27 for Steve Atwater and everybody was
like now you play like prime prime prime Sounds
like I cool. I'll just take 21 Steve Atwater
is my guy because he never went for like interceptions
He went to pick people off instead of the ball.
So but uh so When that first call comes in, how's
that call to get you into BKFC? Oh, man. It's
a story. So I'll make it short. My brother actually
was supposed to fight on that Pachanga card.
Wow. And he sent me a screenshot on Instagram.
He was like, yo, I'm about to fight for BKFC.
Mind you, I've been trying to get into BKFC for
three years prior to my last fight in July. I
was getting a hold of Nate. I was blown his Instagram.
DMs up his Facebook DM blowing him up. He wasn't
giving me no attention because who am I? I haven't
done anything for no tryouts or nothing and then
Someone got a hold of Nate I think for me and
then Nate got back to me. He's like, oh, so your
brother's Chris Hanson. Yeah All right. Well,
I I haven't scheduled to fight this card. Here's
your opponent. Do you want to fight? I'm like,
yes Don't even like I don't even need a name.
Just give me a contract. I don't care what you're
gonna pay me Just let me get my first fight in
BKFC so I can show you what's up. And then my
brother's fight fell out. And then Nate was like,
are you gonna? I was like, no, I am 110 % fucking
ready. I'm game. So showed up July 12th. Another
great performance. And then it was easy for me
to come back after that performance. And I just
replicated again, times 100. Yeah, cuz that that
last fight wasn't then carry I think his name
was uh, I'm gonna carry Diego. Um, I don't know
what to expect cuz the first shot when when he
went down I was like damn right like and I don't
think people understand when you get rocked like
that It's a it's a tough to alright I got to
get back up and try to do this and you just kept
working them and I was like, yo there stand up
It's crazy because it just felt like two dudes
were just we're just gonna bang it out like other
other fights you see It'll be it felt more strategic
where people will try to wait each other out
Try to time punches and all right, you know,
I really don't you guys just like we're gonna
go all out and Whoever knocks who out knocks
who out there was like it was just straight -up
tough guy shit Yeah, now you Dominic surprised
the absolute hell out of me. He uh caught me
off guard. That's how we drive in the first time
I didn't think it was gonna come out guns a blazing
because his last fight I I had noticed when he
was told to line, he stepped back. I was like,
okay, he's probably going to step back and then
we're going to play a patty cake for like the
first 30 seconds. Exactly. No, no. Fucking dude
came out through a gnarly ass right hand that
clipped me and I was like, damn, we're already
doing this. Three seconds in and then we separated.
And then that's when he landed that gnarly right
hand right here. Yeah. And I will tell you this
right now, like I've been knocked down in almost
every single fight that I've had every single
fight. Every time I've gotten up from those fights
it just clicked and I knew I just had to get
up follow Chris Liebman's order so he doesn't
call the fight and just survive for Five more
seconds and I knew what was gonna happen was
gonna happen I knew I was gonna be able to because
I have that kind of pressure that just people
won't be able to take because You're hitting
me and you're thinking that it's five six seven
shots in a row are gonna put me down I'm not
normal. I'm not that guy to go down because I
got rocked. I'm not that guy to give up or quit
because I'm hurting. You're gonna have to break
my jaw. It has to be over here for me to be like,
no, I'm done. Even then I'm just gonna have the
ref call it. So my grind and my willpower plus
my corner yelling at me saying, get the F up,
get the F up, don't be a B word, don't be a bitch.
I was like. Help me out man, but not all do all
respected dog that man came out Hurt the hell
out of me. I'm not gonna lie to anybody out there
anybody out there right now. I hurt the hell
out of me See, but that's the thing. I think
that people don't realize like most people who
watch combat sports They're so used to you get
the boxing with the gloves or MMA with you know,
it's still padded It's not like boxing but what
they're not realizing is This is straight bone
right is that this is just straight up hands
in your face. Yeah It's a whole different feeling
too and um For guys that go five rounds. I'm
just like man. You guys gotta be hurting your
hands or just I like I I don't like just like
the second day soreness on my face is like hurting
today. I I felt fine yesterday I was hurting
the night of the fight of course was all fresh,
but my lips swollen more now on the inside My
second 30 year in this side is just like it's
like pulsing my left hand's fucked a little bit
because it's like swollen from don't like a I
Don't know what I threw but I planted something.
What's my knuckle? But um That fight was that's
the way that I like to fight though. I like I
I still want to portray my boxing because If
I actually were able to box with bare knuckle,
I was surprised a lot of people with how skillfully
I am I have a great coach and I've been doing
this forever But that's what I wanted to bring
to BK was boxing, not just a brawl. But at the
same time, if I got a brawl, I'm the guy to do
that with. You see, that's why I like BKFC so
much. Because boxing has became into a sport
where it's a lot of dancing around. And for a
large part, they hold and all that. And you're
like, I kind of just want to see people thugging
it out. I grew up with boxing like I didn't like
I said, I never fought professionally But it's
the sport that I always enjoyed watching So I
was like when I started paying attention to bkfc.
I was like, yo, this is crazy Like this is that
you you cannot not be a dog and go into that
rent It's that's not built for that Not bkfc
has actually filtered out a lot of those dog
and non -dog fighters Like i've seen a lot of
ufc guys come in a lot of them Like for example,
Luke Rockhold. He was a dog in the UFC Not in
BK FC. Not he he literally quit. Yeah, he got
folded and it was like Wow I see I didn't expect
that because when you think of like UFC you think
all these guys are badass, right? Like the door
in the case. Oh, yeah round the pound like these
guys are legit then they come here and it's like
damn like There's a few guys who they get tagged
a few times and they're like, alright, I'm done
like this it's just not for me and it's like
you say you you start weighing all that out and
i'm like yo bkfc is the shit and to me it's one
of the fastest rising promotions i've ever seen
like the buzz on bkfc is crazy it it's it's it
reminds me it's nostalgic a lot with uh the ufc
back in the day back in the early 90s when the
cheetah brothers and dana white bought it And
what they did with it, they just absolutely just,
it just skyrocketed. That's what David and Connor's
doing. It's just, and then the whole team with
BKFC, like people just look at David and Connor
as people, but the BKFC team, like I have been
able to be on two cards that weren't big cards.
They're little small fight nights at a casino
and a Thunder Studios, but just the production
team, the media team, the way that we have to
follow certain rules and certain guidelines.
It reminds me. As if I could be in the UFC like
this is what the UFC would have us do as well
But BKFC is not replicated nothing. They're just
doing it their way. And that's why When you think
of boxing Like if you ask to be a casual fan
now boxing they the the bare knuckle will always
come in their mind too as well Yeah, it has a
long prestigious history to the original. Yeah
Bare knuckle fighting back in the days through
Europe and all that like it's a dope look 2 &
0 because in BKFC when you watch it at home,
they'll say undefeated at 1 & 0 undefeated at
2 & 0 at 2 & 0 You got at this point because
a lot of guys you see they don't even get that
second, you know when because it's like we said
It's a it's a different animal. Um, is there
somebody you really looking at like I gotta get
this guy so My thing was like trying to find
guys like for example, I'm I'm watching JR Ridge
and Chansey Wilson right now They're both flyweights.
Either one of them would be a great fight for
me. But just because I'm 2 and 0, it doesn't
mean that I'm going to call out the number one
contender. Based off my performance and based
off how my coach and my family feels, the flyweight
division is this stacked, with all due respect,
to like the bantamweight, the featherweight.
Because there's only maybe, what, maybe 10 flyweights.
But there's like 45 bantam weights So like Whoever
I fight next will just give me that next step
up. Yeah to fight for number one contender I
would just love to have a name or sorry to have
a number next to my name or find another guy
that's fighting someone who was Three to one
two and two but has fun someone like JR Ridge
Chansey Wilson or even the champ So anyone right
now at this point I could really care less. There's
a lot of good guys out there. You got Schroed
out there He's out there killing it. You got
uh, I mean Wilson Jared is out for a while because
I think he's doing that UFC gym in Florida Who
else we got a flyweight? He's interested now
we have freaking know what's his name? BKFC cut
man. He's a flyweight. So I'm like Yeah, his
next fights that flyweight. Oh That's why I was
like damn they're my roster. So like I have to
go to not rush more people and Every fight that
I get no no matter win or lose just a great performance
will keep my stock high keep me in the company
and eventually I'm gonna be able to touch and
smell the smell the belt eventually. Oh no facts
like she In a way, it's like you said it's a
pool. It's a small pool of how many guys so it's
tougher to move around um what I know that they
had that uh what's it it's a tournament it's
like 25 million dollar tournament I think it
was it was just said like yeah is there any like
thoughts on that I'm not saying break any news
or nothing like that but that's got to be a massive
thing because right now you're two and oh and
that is a big thing in bkfc when you get those
two wins three wins you're part of this movement
right so it's going to be a really good look
because listen 25 million dollars and I know
it's like a I think 100 guys go into some kind
of camp something like that But you're gonna
have some big name dudes that are gonna come
in and put more eyes on bkfc as well. Yep Yeah,
no, that's that's that's that's gonna be great
for the sport for every weight division and then
just the company in general because This is I
think the first step to doing what I think they
should do like an ultimate fighter type of series
Yep, in the future. This would be a good pilot
to see if like how they can maneuver or navigate
something like that. Because if, if they had
a reality TV show in some way, shape or form
like that with, with bare knuckle fighters, bro,
throw me in the flyway division. Like where you
have like flyways and welterweights that will
be stick, but you only fight once, not like five
times in a freaking month or whatever. It's like,
you guys have one fight, you train for it. We
guys match you up. It's a huge show. You have
eight weeks to train and here like that'd be
great. They'd be great, but we just can't fight
multiple times because we're gonna get all busted
up. Yeah, you'll kill each other Because right
now I can't get enough BKFC right like I I love
what's there but it's it's more like a pay -per
-view the once a month thing if You have full
content at least if I forget two three things
a month plus a pay -per -view I'm like, yo This
is great because the more stuff there is and
the more we'll actually know about guys that
we might not have ever seen for so You can go
into, I was about to say, what's the guy's name,
who won the first Ultimate Fighter? Damn, I can't
remember. The very first one? Yeah. Shit. Well,
I have his face right here. I don't have his
name. Oh, yeah. I remember watching the Ultimate
Fighter and I fell in love with the fighter.
So when he gets into UFC, he's already your guy,
right? It's like, well, this is my product. This
is the guy that I watched get to here. And you
guys could have that as well. And I'm like that
I didn't even think about that, but that would
be so dope. That would be a crazy, um, yeah,
that would be dope if they had that. There's
a lot of that that they could do that for a lot
of guys too. Yeah. And it would just, like I
said, it would give more to BKFC would give more
to the fans. Um, I know, like I said, I try to
get you to say, I wanted you to say, look, I
want the champ, right? Like I ain't gonna lie.
I want. Wanted that but I love the humbleness
because in this bkfc shit like I said any it
could be anybody's day, right like so There's
not a guy because I know you're on your humble
thing and I get it But if I step back and said,
you know what in a few months, I want you at
the champ How would you even train for that done
done? I would uh full -time 100 % train take
a leave of absence from work Let my family know
what's up because I know that the payday is gonna
be very good And the opportunity alone it would
be an easy switch if I got a call right now from
Nate shook saying yo Yes, eight and a half weeks
to get ready for John Dawson I'm on the my next
phone call is gonna be to my boss and hey, I'm
taking eight and a half week hiatus My next call
would be to my soon -to -be fiance yo Here's
the deal and I'll tell my kids Leave me alone
for eight and a half weeks. I i'm gonna go to
big bear for a hot minute. I'm changing without
different Yeah now you said about to be my fiance.
She doesn't know like you haven't popped the
question No, not yet. No, not yet. But it's it's
it's one of those things where we both know what's
coming i'm just like Playing a little bit with
her to letting her know like oh it's gonna happen
too. Don't worry, but I already got it all planned
out um, i'm just waiting for uh certain things
in our There's a few things going on that we're
trying to let dial in real quick and then we're
gonna go take care of that Sweet listen like
ain't nothing better than having the perfect
woman in your life. I've been with my wife 25
years So this is my age. She's my rock. It's
the boss. But um It's such a dope thing. Like
I said, I had to ask like when you said it I
was like wait, you said about give me John though
Hey, you know what? I all bullshit. So you give
me John right now. I ain't saying no I already
I already shot him a DM and I was commenting
on his post, just asking for the opportunity
and he finally replied and he said, I know who
you are, just keep working and I'll see you soon,
hopefully. Oh, yeah. And I had that screenshot
and I can send it to you later. See, that's that
champ shit, right? Because the champ pays attention
to who he thinks is coming up. So he's sitting
there like, yo, I know who you are, bro. That's
what he said. Yeah, that that's freaking awesome.
I mean, like that. see like I want to smoke I
want to smoke for you like I don't want to smoke
I want to smoke you know there's a super upside
uh I gotta ask you because they had like a Halloween
one and I can't remember the guy's name but it
came in like Michael Myers and I was like yo
what's this like did the guy came in like I I'll
send you the video it's a BKFC fighter came with
the Michael Myers mask I was like holy shit like
I'd love to see more of this I think I remember
that yeah oh yeah all right so I was like yo
like he was like the only one that came i was
like oh shit this is wild but this is to me i
i don't want to see a fight and i feel like that's
what bkf she does it gives you more of an entertainment
value into the fight like the intros are better
it's not just kind of uh we're just walking in
or whatever seems like the fighters are all geared
up and there's no oh yeah we're just gonna do
this like they know they're about to go into
a pit so um Right before you go into that ring,
what's the feeling? Is there a nervousness? Is
there a like I don't give a fuck. I'm kill somebody
Like leading up to the walk like as soon as I
get told a Hanson you're on deck or you got two
minutes My nerves are just absolutely through
the roof. Like I don't want to throw up I'm hoping
to God I roll my ankles so I don't fight like
I want something crazy to happen We're like the
lights go out and I'm okay the fights off and
then as soon as I get out there and I'm getting
my hands checked That I agree stuff and I get
in there It's just like the only thing I explained
is that it's just a numb feeling like mentally
and physically it's numb I don't I don't feel
anything and then once you start exchanging and
I can After I got knocked down is when I woke
up. I was like, okay, we're fighting like Yeah,
kind of fucking known like no more trying to
like get your shit together. You should together
now we're gonna get knocked out and then That's
when it just I was just in the zone boom and
and you can see it on my face, too And then the
way I was moving I just clicked I just all right.
That's it. We're here but I'm trying to stop
doing that because That's that's someone's gonna
be able to catch me one day with no gloves on
and I'm probably not gonna be able to get up
and I'm I don't want to lose a fight because
I went out there to like compose and relax so
I've there's certain things in my fight game
that I'm trying to Develop and that's one of
them too is my nerves Those are always the worst.
They always get to me. I mean my my boxing coach
will tell you Adele He has talked to me like
a hundred times back there like dude, you're
good You're the man like we change for this like
fuck. I know Jesus I need some anxiety medicine.
I give me something to calm the fuck down and
I can't take nothing so uh And bkfc just has
me on that edge because again, I there's a high
risk high reward Like you have no gloves on Could
get cracked once and then they're in my orbitals
shattered and then I'm out for a year, you know
So those like those things cross my mind But
as soon as I get moving and I get my distance
and I just get my hands going a little bit The
confidence goes through the roof. Yeah, there's
a comfort level that you see in it. Yeah, so
I'm one of those people. I love music. I love
hip -hop all that good shit for a big big fight
like if it look i'm not even trying to say a
championship fight like a big brain fight does
your interest music switch like i gotta all right
i'm gonna come in with this because my vibe is
going to be there so like because interest music
to me is everything i don't know why but i just
i'm a big interest music kind of person yeah
no it's definitely big i was in long beach california
And I just thought that it was it just fit right
to play some California love from Tupac and or
or or like some Snoop Dogg or something. But
I also didn't want to play the same music that
some fighter already has booked. So I originally
I originally had just like us from SZA and DJ
Khaled because that's like just a dope song.
And that's like my wife or my my my my girl and
our song. So I was going to walk out to that.
And then they said, hey, we we can't find your
song. I was like, Oh, dude, California love them.
Damn. Yeah. So California love came on. And then
I, I, it, I do feel like it, it, it, it fit better
that night for that song because we are in Long
Beach, California. I'm from the area and it was
all hood. It's like, I just love it. I just love
it. Now that's fire. Um, listen, there's a few
things I wanted to ask. I know you're a busy
man. I got ish to do, but last question. Not
a championship question. I don't want to, we
already did that. But is there any other promotion
besides BKFC that you're looking at where you're
like, I'm going to do my thing here, but if this
happens, like for UFC or anything else? No, I
have no intention on fighting MMA again. Oh,
wow. Because I know that you say you kind of
came up and you were doing the kickboxing and
everything so it's straight Well, you know what?
I I take that back the only thing the only other
solution I would would would would be for that
game bread that bare knuckle MMA Yeah, I would
do that Um But i'm still waiting for someone
to make bare knuckle kickboxing Here here in
the us. I will definitely do bare knuckle kickboxing.
So the closest thing To be a KFC would be to
get on one of those Jorge Masvidal cards and
just stand and bang and throw some kicks and
knees. I wouldn't even entertain no groundwork.
Damn. Yeah. My man is a bully. This is and in
a good way, not in a bad way, because, you know,
we're in a sensitive era right now. You can't
really use the word bully. But listen, if you
want to get your ass whooped, this is the man
to do it. He'll kick the shit out of you. It's
Mike Hanson. I appreciate your time, my brother.
Like, I'm sorry I kept the short, but. Yeah,
I guess so. Thank you. It's all good. But listen,
I appreciate it. I'm a fan. Anything you post,
I'll share it because I love to see people grow.
And at 2 and 0, I expect nothing but the best
for you. So on that happy Thanksgiving. Stay
safe. Do what you got to do. Actually, no, my
bad. I'm rushing. Plug your stuff, please. Plug
your stuff before we go. Yeah, my IG is BKFC
underscore. My name is Alice125. Facebook is
Mike Hanson. You can't miss it. I'll have a fight
picture up there. Real quick one shot to my kids
We're doing my shit and the wake up. I want to
shout out my soon -to -be future wife my baby.
I love you To know because you thank you for
the support and the stress -free camps Coach
Dell forgive my hands right and let me bring
the dog out and take the leash off of me Nate
shook For always taking care of me. Give me the
right fights taking care of all the fighters
the promotion BKFC Danny's Nutrition came in
last second clutch to help me get that weight
down for now and forever moving forward He is
my nutrition guy Danny nutrition You guys look
him up if you guys are in SoCal that man will
take care of you who else who else I got a gang
of more But that's about it. Thank you for your
time And then we'll have another one too after
I get another victory. I promise Absolutely.
Listen, that's what it's about and I can't wait
to see you beat the shit out of the next guy
myself this badass we out of here deuces thank
you everybody