Dan ‘The Beast’ Severn MMAMemories.com Exclusive Biofile Published by Scoop Malinowski Last Updated on October 14th, 2008

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Status: UFC Hall of Famer. 13-time champion.

Ht: 6-2 Wt: 265

DOB: June 9, 1958 In: Flint, Michigan

Childhood Heroes: “Hate to say it, growing up, I was watching the Three Stooges, Moe, Larry and Curly – they were the true, no holds barred pioneers [laughter]. That Moe, he was a mean one.”

Hobbies/Leisure Activities: “I’m a tinkerer. To explain, I have an industrial arts background. I like woodworking. It might be hard to believe, but I planted a small fruit orchard, strawberry and raspberry patch, put in a couple of nut trees. I’ve planted over 2,000 hedges on my property.”

Nicknames: “Preacher was one. Farm Boy. Baby Bull. And The Beast.”

Favorite Movies: ‘Inspirational type movies. The very first Rocky, that would be one.”

Favorite TV Shows: “Couldn’t even tell you, my TV viewing is so minute. I watch mindless TV late at night like Seinfeld or Drew Carey, to have a couple of chuckles before I call it a night.”

Musical Tastes: “Probably classic rock and roll, Emerson Lake & Palmer. Some classical in the evening, Beethoven, Bach.”

Childhood Dream: “I still don’t know. I’m just making it up as I go. Although my CPA says, he’s never met anyone like me, my entire life is a write-off. I’ve been able to take stuff I enjoy and turn it into a business.”

Favorite Meal: “I think it’s an off-shoot of what Will Rogers once said, “I never met a meal I didn’t like [laughter].”

Favorite Breakfast Cereal: “I really don’t do that. It’s usually eggs.”

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Just flat out fudge vanilla.”

First Job: “Working at a fruit stand in Michigan. Actually before that, picking strawberries. Then swingin’ a machete to trim Christmas trees at Everyberry Tree Farm in Montrose, Michigan.”

First Car: “Chevy Chevette. Turquoise outside, black interior – which was not good for Arizona – no air conditioning [laughs].”

Early Fighting Memory: “I’ve been a pro wrestler since ’92. I started MMA in ’94. I could run through a few matches verbatim. Amateur wrestling – people trying to intentionally injure you in a match. In Istanbul, Turkey, being head-butted, splitting open my eye brow. In MMA, my first day out of the shoot was in UFC IV Tulsa, Oklahoma. Anthony ‘Mad Dog’ Macias. I think I shocked the fight world by picking up a human and bodily flinging him to and fro. What is known as a suplex. To see someone use it in a fight situation – people had never seen it before.”

Pre-Fight Feeling: “Actually, I had doctors check my heart rate. It was so low they thought I should be asleep. It was not the time to worry. Most worrying comes from the second-guessing of what you did in training. I’ve seen other fighters in the dressing room get up and bounce around on their feet, shadowboxing. And by the time they get out there, they’re exhausted – more so mentally than physically. It was my mental mind-set that put me head and shoulders above the rest of the field.”

Greatest Career Moment: “I don’t know, I have to think about that one. I have 13 championship belts. I want at least one more. 13′s not a good number to end on. Put it that way. I believe the previous record was seven different title belts – with all the different organizations – by a Japanese pro wrestler. I’d like to win one more. Not bad for a guy that started at age 36.”

Most Painful Moment: “Are we talking about injury, or? (Whatever comes to mind.) I’ve got a couple of different situations that would pertain to. But since I really don’t wish to give anyone any kind of media attention, I’d just let it be buried. You heard of the expression, Bury the hatchet? There’s a couple of people I’d like to bury the hatched right in their forehead [smiles].”

Worst Injury: “I’ve had like five knee surgeries. One elbow surgery. One hand surgery. I’ve had my face sewn up half a dozen times. Put my teeth through my lip a few times.”

Funny Fighting Memory: “Sure, King of the Cage about four years ago, I forget where it was. He had his guard around me, pushing and pushing towards my feet. Basically my trunks came all the way down and I was basically mooning the crowd.”

Favorite Vacation Spot: “I rarely take vacations. In ’95 and ’96 I think I took one day off. In ’97 I got lazy and took two days off. ’98 I took four. I’m basically a workaholic. I like what I do. The most beautiful place I’ve been to was outside Budapest, Hungary, up in the mountains. I forget the name of the place but it had some natural internal and external hot springs. That was beautiful.”

Favorite Fighters To Watch: “One of the people I enjoyed watching was Muhammad Ali. The heavyweight class with George Foreman, Joe Frazier and Ali was something. Those were some battles.”

Favorite Fights: “I can’t really say. I don’t even really watch it today. I don’t watch much television period. I simply say this: There are two types of people – there are those who watch people and let life pass them by, and those who engage in the game of life.”

People Qualities Most Admired: “Probably a couple. A good work ethic is a nice foundation. With that comes a lot of perks. A good work ethic is probably number one. I assume most people are lazy, that’s how I look at it [laughs]. Hate to say it, but that’s how I look at it.”