Don Mcguire – The Biggest Fraud in Combat Sports History (Part 1)

By David Potter

Disclaimer

This will be four installments.

Don McGuire has “retired” from combat sports. Which is interesting, because I’m not sure how you retire from scamming people — but God bless.

Every time he decides to pop back up, make new claims, attack someone in the community, or rewrite history, I will repost all four installments. One by one. Including your stories. Until he disappears for good.

If you have incidents involving Don McGuire, email:
fightworld@beaverto.com

If cancer shows up, you don’t ignore it. You remove it. And you monitor it.

If you’re around combat sports long enough, you’re bound to meet a few strange human beings. Some loud. Some delusional. Some harmless weirdos.

And then there’s the other type.

The one who makes just enough noise for just long enough that you start asking yourself: how is this guy still here?

Let me introduce — though he’d swear you already know him —

Mr. Don McGuire

A man who never fought, never promoted, never built anything meaningful in the sport — but somehow convinced people for over a decade that he’s an industry legend.

A one-legged narcissist with main-character syndrome in an industry he never competed in and barely worked in beyond:

• A BlogTalkRadio account
• A low-level podcast
• Taking photos with a tiny consumer camera
• Using sympathy and health issues to gain access
• Burning bridges once resources run dry

Over 85 people came forward with their stories.
Eighty. Five.

This was supposed to be one page calling him a fraud.

Instead, it became a four-part series.

Yes, my lawyer reviewed this. Multiple times. Shout out to Harris & Carter, Esq. I’m pretty sure I just paid for someone’s college textbooks.

But here’s the thing.

I love this community. I’ve given my life to it. I consider it family.

And when someone exploits that community — preys on kindness, sympathy, and opportunity — I don’t stay quiet.

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PART ONE: Don McGuire’s “Accolades”

This article was sparked by an incident involving Mike Vazquez, head of BYB Extreme Fighting Series.

Mike is widely respected. Calm. Generous. Not someone who gets rattled easily.

Don used his health issues — more on that later — to gain access. Mike gave him credentials. Access to shows. Financial help. Resources.

Don then allegedly represented himself as affiliated with BYB to build credibility elsewhere.

For example, one of the most well known MMA gyms in the world. (Who i suggested and we agreed they would be nameless)

That didn’t go well.

Mike cut him off.

And Don, of course, responded like a “legend.”

Which brings us to the core issue:

His accolades.

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FACT CHECK: DON McGUIRE’S CLAIMS

1. UFC Photographer

Claim: Don McGuire has represented himself as a photographer for the UFC since its inception.

Fact Check:
There is no verifiable record of Don McGuire being an officially employed or contracted photographer for the UFC. No credential listings. No staff directories. No archived credit listings tied to his name.

Being granted event access does not equal employment. Media access is not the same as being on staff. We searched every known database. Zero credits belong to don.

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2. Three Emmy Awards

Claim: Don McGuire has claimed to have won three Emmy Awards.

Fact Check:
There are no publicly verifiable Emmy records listing Don McGuire as a three-time Emmy winner under his name. No award databases. No ceremony archives. No press releases confirming this claim. He was never on the radio.

Extraordinary claims require receipts. None have surfaced.

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3. Eleven Hall of Fame Inductions

Claim: Inducted into 11 Hall of Fames.

Fact Check:
There is no consolidated, verifiable list of 11 Hall of Fame inductions tied to Don McGuire in recognized institutions. No public induction ceremonies. No institutional confirmations. No documentation supporting that number.

If you’re in 11 halls of fame, there’s a trail.

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4. Worked for FOX

Claim: Worked for FOX.

Fact Check:
There is no publicly verifiable employment record tying Don McGuire to FOX as staff, contracted media, or official contributor besides mma lockup on fox sports 98 the fan. Someone elses station. Again. Using someone elses platform for clout. Event access or studio visits do not equal employment.

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5. “Famous Photographer Since 1986”

Claim: Famous photographer since 1986.

Fact Check:
For someone claiming nearly four decades of professional photography — especially in sports and entertainment — there is remarkably little verifiable portfolio presence.

• No widely archived body of work
• No credited mainstream publications
• No searchable historical coverage footprint consistent with a “famous” photographer of that era

Even pre-internet photographers have archived scans, publication credits, or third-party references. The absence is noticeable.

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6. “In the Industry Since the 80s” / “On Radio Since the 80s”

Claim: Long-standing radio and industry presence dating back to the 1980s.

Fact Check:
No widely verifiable radio station employment history, syndicated listings, or broadcast archives have surfaced confirming a sustained radio career from the 1980s.

A BlogTalkRadio account and a podcast in the internet era do not substantiate a legacy broadcast career.

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The Reality

What does exist:

• A BlogTalkRadio page
• A podcast
• Occasional event access granted through sympathy or relationships
• A pattern of burned bridges

What does not exist:

• Verifiable Emmy records
• Confirmed FOX employment
• Documented UFC staff status
• Eleven identifiable Hall of Fame inductions
• A widely archived professional photography career dating to 1986

There’s a difference between being around the industry and being in the industry.

There’s a difference between access and accomplishment.

There’s a difference between a resume and a story.

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In Conclusion

Don McGuire is not what he claims to be.

Part Two will cover documented incidents involving members of the MMA community. Including lying about having cancer, fundraisers, personal attacks, death threats, harassing peoples children and so much more!

Stay tuned.