Friends: Jon Favreau's Story Included A Fight Against This Real UFC & WCW Star
When it comes to spectacular sitcom guest spots, "Friends" stands at the peak. From Brooke Shields and Brad Pitt making quick and hilarious pitstops to Bruce Willis portraying an overprotective father for multiple episodes, the iconic and long-running series made a habit of entertaining viewers with a plethora of high-profile guest appearances. One such star that fans may have forgotten about is none other than "The Mandalorian" creator and "Happy" Hogan himself, Jon Favreau.
In Season 3, Favreau's character, Pete Becker, is introduced as a genius millionaire and quickly becomes a love interest for Monica Geller (Courteney Cox). Despite being a highly successful businessman, and to Monica's absolute bewilderment, Becker decides to dive into the world of combat sports — and not as a spectator. He trains hard to become a fighter and sets his sights on the Ultimate Fighting Championship. That's right, while the UFC was struggling to get mixed martial arts recognized as a legitimate sport in the '90s, the organization secured a serious mainstream victory by appearing in a cultural phenomenon like "Friends."
Appearing in Season 3, Episode 24, "The One with the Ultimate Fighting Champion," are a trio of UFC legends. Announcing Pete Becker's debut to the octagon is none other than Bruce Buffer, while "Big" John McCarthy serves as the referee. And Becker's opponent is none other than the David "Tank" Abbott, an MMA mainstay during the '90s. Spoiler alert: poor Pete gets absolutely demolished.
'Tank' Abbott is a former UFC and WCW star
In the '90s, the UFC didn't have the star power and name recognition it does today. The Brock Lesnars and Conor McGregors were few and far between. However, that's not to say the organization was completely devoid of big names. Aside from heavy hitters like Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie, the UFC also boasted stars like David "Tank" Abbott.
While he never won a world title and retired with a less-than-emphatic MMA record, Abbott still captured the public's imagination with his unique look, savagely simple fighting style, and brutal punching power. Essentially, "Tank" looked like the guy you never wanted to cross at the bar, and the UFC used that image to perfection. It was this aura and appearance that appealed to another more entertainment-based promotion: World Championship Wrestling. The pro wrestling organization tried to use the fighter's experience and reputation to their advantage; how epic would it have been to see a long-term Abbott-Goldberg rivalry! While that was initially the plan, it really never took off, and Abbott's WCW run became a rather forgettable one.
Still, his cameo on "Friends" can't be downplayed. The sitcom was a '90s juggernaut and the idea that a niche and bloody sport, and a hardcore fighter like Abbott, were able to appear is just incredible.