On Sept. 28, 2001 at UFC 33 (appropriately titled Victory in Vegas) , Dave Menne stepped into the Octagon to face Gil Castillo for the vacant UFC Middleweight Championship. By then, he was a veteran of nearly 40 fights with a record of 30-7-2. He was also very well traveled, having fought in various countries such as the United States, Japan, and Kuwait, making him one of the more experienced competitors on the roster at the time.
However, Castillo was by no means out of his league against the MMA globetrotter, as the Californian was a perfect 8-0, with wins over some of the then best in the industry like Vernon White and Nate Marquardt. Throughout his short career, he also managed to win several notable titles in his native California, including the IFC Welterweight Championship, the King of the Cage Middleweight Superfight Championship, and the Stockton Challenge 2 Tournament.
Before the fight even began, the young Menne confidently boasted his intention to take home the strap, stating that, “It’s time to crown a champ, and I’m not leaving empty-handed.” In front of 9,500 spectators, these two world-class mixed martial artists clashed for their place both amongst the greatest fighters on the planet, as well as in the annals of UFC history. With that coveted gold belt just a punch away, the man from a small town in Minnesota went forth to claim his destiny in the biggest bout of his life.
Menne: The Early Years
Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Menne’s first venture into combat sports came when he joined his high school wrestling team while growing up in Forest Lake. He would continue to train in the art all the way through his time in college while attending the University of Iowa. However, It wouldn’t be until he joined the famed Minnesota Martial Arts Academy (a gym that has produced several UFC champions like Brock Lesnar and Sean Sherk) that he truly began to hone his fighting skills.
Kicking off his professional career in 1997, Menne astonishingly went on to compete six times during the same month he made his debut, going 5-1, with his one loss coming at the hands of one of the top fighters in the nation at the time, Shonie Carter. The Minnesotan didn’t have to wait very long for a rematch against “Mr. International”, as they ended up encountering each other again more than a year later, this time fighting to a draw.
Picking up a win in his next fight over Adam Johnson, Menne next crossed paths with the man who would go on to become an all-time great in the UFC, future seven-time defending welterweight champion Matt Hughes. Although just three fights into his career, the soon-to-be legendary Hughes put on a dominant performance against his fellow Midwesterner, defeating Menne by unanimous decision.
Menne on a Tear
While the loss to Hughes was unfortunate, “The Warrior” rebounded in marvelous fashion by winning his next 14 fights in a row, securing impressive victories over stiff opposition such as Dennis Hallman, Jutaro Nakao, and Chris Lytle. This streak, unfortunately, came to an end during his last bout of 1999 when he lost a unanimous decision to Kiyoshi Tamura at the King of Kings 1999 Block B tournament.
Despite the defeat, Menne ushered in the new millennium by competing on his very first UFC card when he clashed with Fabiano Iha at UFC 24. Making the most of his debut, the Midwesterner recorded a solid unanimous decision win over his Brazilian adversary.
The fight proved to be a one-off appearance, however, as Menne would spend nearly the next two years traveling the globe in search of other top-tier competition. This journey led him from the far corners of the United States, to the shores of Japan, and also Kuwait. He logged a total of nine matches, winning six of them, with one of them coming against another future UFC champion, Carlos Newton.
A Shot at Supremacy
It was then in 2001 that Menne got the call that changed his life forever when he was offered to fight for the vacant UFC Middleweight Championship. At UFC 33, “The Warrior” locked horns with rising West Coast prospect Gil Castillo for the chance at claiming a coveted piece of UFC gold.
Right from the get go, Castillo began to use his grappling to keep Menne on the fence in order to tire him out and land shots in the clinch. But having bested other notable grapplers throughout his career, Menne found little difficulty in reversing the Californian with his superior Jiu-Jitsu ability. This spelled the story of the entire five-round contest, as Castillo, unable to make any headway on the feet, opted to tie up with Menne whenever he got the chance, who easily reversed him every single time.
By the end, both men were clearly gassed, but it was Castillo who bore the most damage, leading to the Minnesota native getting his hands raised as the first UFC Middleweight Champion.
Bouncing Back, A Stint in Bellator, and Retiring
For the veteran Menne, winning the 185-lb. strap was the accomplishment of a lifetime; a fitting cornerstone piece for his legacy in the sport. Sadly, he didn’t get the chance to embark on any kind of lengthy title run, as he went on to drop the championship in his first defense against Murilo Bustamante, a fighter who had only ever lost to MMA icon Chuck Liddell.
For the next ten years, Menne continued to compete, coming to blows with several top-notch fighters like Ed Herman, Jake Shields, and Josh Koscheck. He also made a short run in the 2009 Bellator Welterweight tournament, making it to the second round of the competition before losing to Omar de la Cruz by knockout. By the time of his retirement fight in 2012, Menne had accumulated a staggering record of 45–17–2. He ultimately lost his last bout via unanimous decision to previous foe Murilo Bustamante in his home country of Brazil, who subsequently also retired after the contest.
Final Thoughts
Although he wasn’t the champion for very long, Menne unknowingly left a lasting impact on the sport of mixed martial arts by producing a strong UFC title lineage that would go on to include some of the greatest fighters of all time. These legendary names include the likes of Chris Weidman, Alex Pereira, Israel Adesanya, and Anderson Silva. He also stands as an important figure in the history of Midwest combat sports, as he was the first competitor from Minnesota to win a UFC title.
While his reign was but a brief moment in the rich lore of the middleweight division, at one point in time, Dave Menne stood at the top of the world.
