Oglala Sioux tribal member David “Bull Dawg” Michaud (Right) makes his return to the ring cage June 1 at the Victory Fighting Championship event that will be held in Rapid City, SD. Photo courtesy Ultimate Fighting Championship
Michaud waves the Oglala Sioux tribal flag as he exits the cage victorious. Photo Courtesy Ella Pedregon.
'Bull Dawg’: Back in the cage
By Brandon Ecoffey
Native Sun News Managing Editor PINE RIDGE — In the reservation town of Pine Ridge, SD, a once unstoppable force has sat idly for over a year waiting for another chance to show the world the pride and power of Native America MMA. On June 1, Oglala Lakota tribal member David “Bull Dawg” Michaud will be idle no more. As a child David Michaud chose to go in different direction than many of those who he had grown up with in the village of Pine Ridge located in the heart of the Lakota Nation. Whereas most kids his age were practically born with a basketball in hand, David Michaud made the choice at an early age to choose the wrestling mat over the hardwood. The decision to choose wrestling over the most popular sport in all of Indian country would be one of the many decisions that led to Michaud being one of the more successful fighters in South Dakota, and a fan favorite amongst both Native and non-Native MMA fans. While growing up on the reservation Michaud veered away from the gangs, drugs, and alcohol that so many of his peers had fell victim to. Instead of running the streets, Michaud, would spend a huge portion of his youth in the wrestling gym that his father Dave Michaud Sr. ran. While under the tutelage of his father, a highly respected and innovative grappling coach, Michaud established a work ethic and skill set that would one day land him on the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s nationally televised reality show the “Ultimate Fighter." During Michaud’s time as a student at Pine Ridge High School he placed in the state wrestling tournament all four years, and won it all in 2007, his senior year. In a state that produces some of the highest quality wrestling in the entire country this was a very significant accomplishment. In addition to being a State wrestling champ he was also a standout student and all-state football player. After graduating from Pine Ridge he would go on to attend South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD where he would again find success on the mat after walking on to the Jack Rabbits’ NCAA division 1 wrestling team. Michaud would graduate from SDSU with a degree in Journalism and Communications. In 2007 when Michaud was only 18, the attention of male sports fans in the U.S. began turning away from professional baseball, football, basketball and boxing and towards the newly reinvented sport of mixed martial arts. The sport which evolved from bare knuckle cage fighting in the U.S. and traditional Vale Tudo tournaments in Brazil has become a billion dollar industry that in many respects has replaced boxing as the preferred spectator combat sport in America. The innovations that have allowed for the sport to become socially acceptable are widely credited to Dana White the current CEO of the UFC. White outlawed many of the more barbaric aspects of the sport including kicks to a grounded opponent and small joint manipulation. The new rules that have been implemented by state sports commissions throughout the US have created an environment that is both family friendly and safe for fighters. Although the sport features martial artists from disciplines like karate, Brazilian jiu jitsu, Tae Kwon Do, and boxing the most successful athletes in the sport have come from an American wrestling background. So when Michaud, who is now a 23 year old 170 lb. ball of Lakota muscle, was pushed in to the sport he already possessed the know how needed to be successful in MMA. The ride to the top of South Dakota’s amateur rankings was quick for Michaud when he captured the “Ring Wars” middle weight crown in 2007. The now defunct Ring Wars promotion that was ran by local MMA coach and fighter Matt Dewolfe, filled the Barnett arena inside Rapid City SD’s Civic center once a month with fans eager to spend money to watch local talent compete. As the promotion grew it quickly became apparent that certain fighters were head and shoulders above the rest, leading the way was Pine Ridge’s Michaud. Michaud racked up an impressive list of victims during the win streak while displaying earth shattering power in both hands when delivering knockouts to established strikers, as well as world class grappling skills when submitting highly schooled jiu jitsu practitioners. In a city where race relations are often strained Michaud, successfully bridged the divide that sometimes exists between the non-Native and Native communities with his display of athletic prowess and respectful mannerisms. MMA is without a doubt a sport where bravado sells, however Michaud succeeded in winning over the regional fan base in his usual out of the ordinary way. After victories he made it customary to grab the Oglala Sioux tribal flag and wave it in the air as the crowd rose to their feet and cheered. When Michaud’s successful run through the Ring Wars talent pool was complete he tried out and was accepted to participate on the hit reality show, “The Ultimate Fighter” on FX. In Michaud’s first fight on the show he unfortunately tore his ACL in his knee and subsequently lost. The injury has sidelined Michaud for over a year. On June 1, he will step back into the ring in Rapid City where he is sure to be one of the main draws at the Victory Fighting Championship event to be hosted at the Rapid City Civic Center. The VFC is widely considered to be one of the primary feeder organizations for the UFC and other major MMA promotions across the U.S. The Omaha, NE based VFC has an impressive roster of alumni that includes Josh “The Dentist” Neer, Spencer “The King” Fischer, heavy handed UFC title contender Jake Ellenberger, and the current lightweight champion of the world Benson Henderson. Michaud hopes that his performances in the VFC along with his appearance on “The Ultimate Fighter” could potentially land him a deal with one of the larger organizations in the United States. If you would like to attend and help Bull Dawg’s profits please purchase your tickets from www.cagetix.com. Once, at the site you will click the select your event tab and choose VFC: Fight Night- Rapid City, SD – 06/01, after which you will be able to select Bull Dawg as your fighter. The VFC has a unique profit sharing component that will allow Michaud to benefit from you purchasing your tickets this way. (Contact Brandon Ecoffey at staffwriter2@nsweekly.com) Copyright permission by Native Sun News
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