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It was widely understood for a long time that Joe Son would be forever remembered as the most unfortunate and sympathetic victim of the early UFC rules.

When Joe Son competed in UFC 4, there were no rules against groin strikes, and so it came to pass that while fighting Keith Hackney on the ground, he received a long series of repetitive punches to the scrote. Hackney was credited with the victory at 2:44 of the 1st round by “Front Triangle Choke / Tapout due to Groin Blows.”

However, even at this early stage of his life and career, Joe Son had cemented his position as one of the charter members of the MMA Mental Hall of Fame. He had already appeared at UFC events as the manager to Kimo Leopoldo, who entered the ring with an oversized cross strapped to his back in a bizarre display of Christian fanaticism. When Kimo lost to Royce Gracie at UFC 3 but damaged Gracie enough that he had to bow out of his next match, both Kimo and Joe Son invaded the octagon in celebration (Joe Son now without his shirt).

Sure enough, Joe Son brought his religious beliefs into the octagon with him at UFC 4. After letting fans know that on this night they were going to “witness the power of the Lord of Jesus Christ,” he too entered the ring with an enormous cross on his back. He then fought Keith Hackney with an ineffective martial art he had developed on his own (Joe Son Do) which has never been confirmed to have been practiced by any other fighter in history.

Joe Son then proceeded to follow up this loss with three more, finishing his MMA career with a record of 0-4. His fighting wardrobe became increasingly glittery and effeminate as his short career progressed.

As well, his spastic and somewhat disturbing ring entrance as he prepares for a Japanese pro wrestling match with Shinya Hashimoto pretty much sums up what his ring presence was about. Also, though short, this wrestling match outlasted any of his professional fights.

It appeared that his life and career were taking an upwards turn in 1997 when he was cast across from Mike Myers in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. As a parody of the razor-edged-hat throwing character Odd Job, Joe Son appeared as the shoe-throwing Random Task. Who throws a shoe, honestly?

This role followed a brief acting career that included low budget martial arts films such as Shootfighter, Shootfighter II and Bloodfist V.

However, once an MMA mental, always an MMA mental, and Joe Son’s rise to mainstream fame was short lived. He outdid all of his previous mental case accomplishments in one fell swoop in late 2008 when he violated probation and, upon giving a DNA sample, provided law enforcement with a cold hit on a 1990 gang rape case. Sadly, it appeared, Keith Hackney’s groin strikes had come a couple years too late.

The allegations were extreme and many, with the rape at gunpoint ultimately culminating into rape with the firearm, among numerous other crude and terrifying acts. Who participates in gang rape and then compares himself to Jesus Christ, honestly?

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