(He could have been as famous as Sean Gannon.)

From a new MMA Weekly profile on Joe Riggs:

The year is 2003. Riggs is at least a year away from his UFC debut. He’s fighting for $1,000 a show, good money for him at the time. Slice’s manager, Icy Mike, puts out a challenge to tough guys around the country — come to Florida if you think you can beat up Kimbo Slice. Win, and you get $10,000.

Riggs’ manager at the time, Trevor Lally, jumps at the offer. He emails Mike and says he’s got someone for him. He offers to put up $50,000 of his own money as a show of faith.

Riggs begins training in earnest and mentally preparing for a fight with Slice. But when Mike finds out about Riggs’ credentials, the door is promptly closed.

“I’d of beat the (expletive) out of him,” Riggs told MMAWeekly.com. “It would have been done. No Kimbo. I would have rubbed him out and saved everyone the headaches.”

Or Riggs could have videotaped his street brawls, something he jokingly wishes he did.

Back then, Riggs was a bloated heavyweight who had made his name beating up fellow fatties in the Phoenix-based Rage in the Cage promotion — and Icy Mike was still shuckin’ and duckin’. Luckily, Kimbo was able to find other opponents with acceptable credentials. And the rest, as they say, is history.