He went on to win nine of his 10 UFC bouts, with a sole octagon loss coming by the hands of Mark Coleman, before moving on to PRIDE where he put on memorable (and victorious) battles against Shamrock and Yoshihiro Takayama. Frye captured his first Ultimate Fighting Championship on Feb. 16, 1996 defeating Ramirez and two other opponents. two. Cronkite News is the news division of Arizona PBS. Frye, a bread-and-butter wrestler and swing-for-the-fences puncher, had never won a fight by leg lock, and Hall practically fell into the submission. (Photo by Brandon Magnus/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images). If I can make $50,000 in one night, with six weeks of training, its a hell of a lot better than working all year long just to make $45,000.. "authentically local news & community views", 2009-2023TucsonSentinel.com, Tucson, Arizona. Don Frye (@donthepredatorfrye) Instagram photos and videos JRE MMA Show #112 with Don Frye : r/JoeRogan - Reddit Don Frye eased into his tan leather loveseat with a vibrant serape Creative Commons, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The referee, Yuji Shimada, he was crying during the fight said it was an honor to be a part of that fight.. making it to the UFC. Don Frye on the Hardest He Was Ever Hit: It'd Have to Be Tank Abbott Don Frye dominated the world of mixed martial arts for 6 straight years. Hell yeah. All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week. The money, Frye said flatly. Frye stormed into the fighting scene early, appearing as one of the most well-rounded fighters in the UFC at the time, Severn said. reliant on pain medication from his various injuries. I was never the same after that. [2] Frye also worked in a psychiatric ward but left that position after breaking a patient's arm while restraining him. The former mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, and actor married entrepreneur, Mollie Frye. price for that.. He lives a simple life on a quaint two acre property backing the Readmore, In 2022, while was running for U.S. Senate, then-Attorney General Brnovich suddenly agreed to execute Aaron Gunches - even though he had not carried out any executions in the first seven years of his term - but the new regime had concerns about how executions were carried out. In his final boxing match, Frye lost via technical knockout to David Kilgour of Somis, California at the Reseda Country Club in Reseda, Los Angeles on December 11, 1990, bringing his professional record to two wins, five losses and one draw. When he started getting a little bit famous, entails, rewinding and rewatching the move that cost Takayama his body Then MMA came around. Frye won by way of technical knockout on the scorecard, but it was truly the viewers who won. Soleil Moon Frye's Children - Hollywood Life Then we just started punching.. Your contribution is tax-deductible. [3] During this time, he also took up judo and earned the rank of second dan black belt. shoulders down. (Screenshot courtesy of PRIDE FC), Overall, its a blur, but when you watch it, you think, Oh yeah, I remember that, Frye said in his distinctive, raspy voice. Subscribe and stretch your donation over time: Or give a secure one-time gift with PayPal or your credit card: TucsonSentinel.com is an Arizona nonprofit organization. A rug, bright serape on the chair and flagstone flooring tie the scene together. Last year, they opened the door and let me into the UFC Fan Expo, and I guess it went good enough that it made the other door open., Frye went on to brush off any lingering bad blood with White, who praised the soon-to-be Hall of Famer as a legend in this sport and one of the toughest guys to ever compete., We dont send each other Christmas cards, but you know, Frye said jokingly. just everything. 247 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the "PWI Years" in 2003, This page was last edited on 26 April 2023, at 16:50. Were friends. During his brief MMA hiatus, Frye made a one-off appearance as a pro wrestler in Inoki Genome Federation, losing to Josh Barnett via keylock submission on September 8, 2007. I was never the same after that. friends. In his sophomore Hero's fight, he defeated Yoshihisa Yamamoto at Hero's 6 on August 5, 2006, using the rear naked choke towards the end of the first round. Kitamura found Frye's tough-guy/good-heart demeanor to be the perfect role for the character of Gordon. Luke Rockhold at BKFC 41: Best photos, BKFC's David Feldman: If Conor McGregor vs. Mike Perry never happens, it 'doesn't really matter', Chad Mendes explains decision to retire after BKFC 41 loss: 'I just don't need to be doing this sh*t anymore', Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Andrew Lwowski expects to graduate in August of 2022 with a bachelors degree in sports journalism. [16] In September 2001, Frye won the G1 World Climax tournament. Your email address will not be published. After spending four years as one of Japan's top gaijin wrestlers, he returned to MMA with the Pride Fighting Championships in September 2001, much more muscular and sporting an American patriot persona in response to the September 11 attacks. This would be the first in a trilogy of fights between the pair. This would happen three times in the fight, until the referee stopped the bout after Frye mounted Takayama, who was visibly much worse for the wear. Or even with the brutal Ken Shamrock bout at PRIDE 19 that left both men dealing with the damages for years to come. In an interview, Frye mentions that unlike his fights where he has complete control, acting in a Godzilla film he had no control but enjoyed the experience nonetheless. Who won? said Dan Severn, who wrestled and coached at Arizona State He His personal year number in 2023 is 5. (Photo by Andrew Lwowski/Cronkite News). The ex-wife, shed be loving and shoulder). The year 2005 turned out to be a busy year for Frye as he made several appearances. After teaming with Keiji Mutoh to defeat Masayuki Kono and Yoshihiro Takayama in a tag team match, Frye engaged in a post-match brawl with Takayama, playing off their Pride 21 bout from 2002.[19]. MMA veteran Don Frye has said he punched a UFC fan in the face after they challenged him to a fight. I Im going to miss you all.'. As Don Frye watches his famous bout with Yoshihiro Takayama, his emotions at the time flood back. That rage followed Frye throughout his career and beyond as he is set Just ten days later, in his first appearance in the United States since 1996, Don Frye took on Ruben Villarreal in King of the Cage: Predator in Globe, Arizona. Get the latest authentically local news from TucsonSentinel.com. He would later win UFC 9 and He also appeared for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) on October 26, 2003 at their 31st Anniversary, challenging Toshiaki Kawada for the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship in a losing effort. in years. The daily news products are produced by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. Half a dozen saddles are stacked next to his chair, and cowboy hats and reins line the wall beside him. His submitted Ritch Moss at Shark Fights 4 in May 2009 but suffered a quick TKO loss at the hands of Dave Herman at Shark Fights 6: Stars & Stripes four months later. I had to quit (the job as a firefighter). With his former day job, all his MMA wins and participation, as well as his acting career, Don Frye has a substantial net worth estimate of $2 Million. The latest one is a television ad for a yakisoba product named "UFO" produced by Nissin Foods (an executive officer was a fierce fan of Frye). Dons former wife, Mollie took their daughters with her, leaving Don alone. But we rely on your support to bring you independent news without the spin. Both fighters exchanged something more than just blows to the face. He punched me and knocked my feet out from underneath me so I had to grab him by the scruff of his neck to keep from falling. Katie Hobbs ordered. Overall, its a blur, but when you watch it, you think, Oh yeah, I remember that, he says. Stories from the Road: Don Frye - Strange Encounters On April 4, 1998, Frye won the Antonio Final Opponent tournament and earned the right to wrestle NJPW founder and wrestling legend Antonio Inoki in his retirement match, which took place later that night. punched me and knocked my feet out from underneath me so I had to grab [2], After college, Frye trained in boxing for a year and a half and made his professional debut on August 28, 1989 in Phoenix, Arizona, scoring a first-round knockout over Luis Mora. Both men paid a price for that.. professional MMA contest. Hell yeah. Frye had mentioned in an interview prior to the fight that (besides knee strikes) he had never thrown a kick in his life and his disadvantage was obvious as he couldn't use his wrestling skills and was repeatedly thrown when he tried to tie up with Le Banner. He had died, then the divorce.. Frye sat in silence as he watched, rewinding and rewatching the move that cost Takayama his movement and career. contest over his storied career. Born of Irish and Scottish descent, Don Frye began wrestling at Buena High School in Sierra Vista, Arizona then in college for Arizona State University in 1984, where he was trained by fellow future Ultimate Fighting Championship compositor, then assistant wrestling coach, Dan Severn. His Head down, tail up and charge mindset produced explosive fights, but what really powered his rage was experiences in his youth, and they still fuel him today. Frye won at the U-Japan event in November 1996, taking a submission victory by forearm choke over Mark Hall in a rematch. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) His two daughters, who he admires for staying with him through the divorces, help with care of the animals and property. on the matching ottoman with a sigh. Birthplace Arizona . Spencer, a retired fire battalion chief, has been like a brother to Frye for nearly 30 years. it was the wild wild West. And I get pretty pissed off when people try to take advantage of him.. the middle of the divorce at that time, and somebody had this bulldog and got it all framed in for him. [17] While his close friends knew him as J.R. Frye, he had a He said no. He took the role based solely off the plot, he added, with no monetary motivations. The one regret that journey was also a dark past. He didnt He also appeared in No Rules and starred in Nagurimono. His pride and joy come from a cigar, his pit bull Quinn, and two horses, Puzzle and Funk. Don Frye Before Fame [ ] On 11-23-1965, Don Frye was born. When the replay of the fight ended, Frye switched to a video of Readmore, After a tough winter for roadways, the Arizona Department of Transportation has pledged more than $85 million to patch potholes and to resurface, repair and improve highways in the state. Just one month later, Frye entered the UFC's Ultimate Ultimate 96 tournament, held to find the best of the best from past tournament winners and runners up. My first daughter was born in 2000, second daughter born in 2001, and they were born dizzy." On trading punches and taking punishment: "That was my problem: I always wanted to. Age 57 years old Hall would later claim that Don Frye and manager Robert DePersia convinced him to throw the two fighters' semi-final match. Took a big chunk out of my spirit that fighting spirit that the Japanese always talk about. Severn has victories over the other When I Minowa won via kneebar at the 3:56 mark of round one, dropping Frye's record in Japan to 8-6. My wife betrayed me and is taking the kids with her, so I got nothing. I mean, Mr. White and I got into a pissing contest on the internet seven or eight years ago. He wasnt doing real good, he was in the middle of the divorce at that time, and somebody had this bulldog that they didnt want anymore and so he called me and hes like, Can I bring it home? and Im like Yeah. Swear to God, as soon as that dog got here, Don started getting better.. It shocked the hell out of me. where he met Frye. dont think I fought in the UFC until I was 30.. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. His significant popularity in Japan in the 2000s might be attributed to his "good old tough fuddy-duddy" character reminiscent of sheriffs in some 1960s American movies. Spencer met Frye while Frye worked as a reserve firefighter before Then we just started of times. Appearing in an MMA bout for the first time in five years at Pride 16 in Osaka, Japan on September 24, 2001, two weeks after the September 11 attacks, Frye entered the ring waving an American flag and wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the words "terrorists suck". Readmore, From the top editor on down, the Arizona Daily Star staff was cut by nearly one-quarter on Monday, as the newspaper's corporate chain owners told local journalists they were being laid off. what it was.. I figured Id pick up some quick cash, pay off the bills and get back to the department and back out in the field, and it just snowballed from there. If you enjoyed the . Don bought everybodys lunch, hes a real goodhearted guy, and took care of people. The most special thing to him is his dog, he said. UFC Hall of Famer Winner of UFC 8 , UFC 9, the Ultimate Ultimate 2 '96 New Japan Pro Wrestling, Co-host of Dan and Don's Toxic Masculinity Podcast. only four cage fighters with over 100-career wins, and of those four, Frye returned to Pride in February 2002, facing long-time rival Ken Shamrock at Pride 19 in a fight he had been trying to trash-talk himself into ever since Shamrock had defeated Dan Severn at UFC 6. Reseda Country Club, Reseda, California, U.S. Wins the Ultimate Ultimate 96 Tournament. that the Japanese always talk about. Who won? asked Dan Severn, who wrestled and coached at Arizona State, where he met Frye. T hank you for praying over this precious family during this difficult time, and thank you for reaching out to the extended Frye family over the . Spencer, speaking about himself, acknowledged he doesnt have many friends, and he doesnt like a lot of people, but Frye has always been there, even during the toughest of times. They met while Frye worked as a reserve firefighter before making it to the UFC. MMA fan risks life in confrontation with Don Frye - MMA Junkie Maybe not the It will either UFC Ultimate Ultimate 1996 Tournament Winner, UFC The Early Years: What You May Have Missed Part 3 (UFC 6-8), Norris Gives Willis a Ribbing in Heavyweight Win, Don Frye Reflects On Going From Horseshoer And Firefighter To UFC Pioneer: I Needed Something To Do, "MMA Review: #69: UFC 9: Motor City Madness", Fixed fights in the UFC: A look inside the autobiography of "Big" John McCarthy part 1, YAMMA Pit Fighting Books Don Frye vs. Oleg Taktarov for April 11 - MMAjunkie.com, 5150 Fightwear Presents - Don Frye vs "Warpath" Villarreal, Wrestling Observer's Tributes: Remembering Some of the World's Greatest Wrestlers, "Don Frye Wrestlers Database CAGEMATCH - the Internet Wrestling Database", "Don Frye on Kimbo Fight, YAMMA and Acting Gig - MMAjunkie.com", "Don Frye in new AT&T comercial - Sherdog Mixed Martial Arts Forums", "Stick 10 Even More Swag: The United League of Stereotypes", "Final Fight fan-movie features some brutal, awesome fights and the perfect Mike Haggar", "Power Puncher Pavlovich Wants Heavyweight Title After Record Extending Knockout", https://web.archive.org/web/20011122060527/http://www.100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/pwi/pwi50099.htm, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Don_Frye&oldid=1151849442, Episode: "The Gang Wrestles for the Troops", One of only two fighters to win a UFC Tournament and Ultimate Ultimate Tournament (, Ranked No. I was never the same after And it was Spencer who got Fryes pit bull, Quinn. An aggressive brawler also known for his patriotic, open and quote-worthy public persona, Frye is certainly one of MMAs most recognizable personalities worldwide. Its not fair. Hall says that since Tank Abbott had already advanced to the final after two relatively easy wins, Frye who'd logged eleven minutes of cage time already that night wanted to save his energy for the championship match. Furthermore, his surgery was intended to fix two titanium rods in his back. Dear Don: Ken Shamrock - YouTube Don Fryes career took a toll on his body, but now that he is out of the hospital, he can see his two horses, Puzzle and Funk, which are his pride and joy. after his UFC career. Three months later, at a joint New Year's Eve show Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2001: K-1 vs. Inoki, Frye defeated Cyril Abidi with relative ease, taking the French kickboxer to the mat and controlling him throughout round one before finishing him with a rear naked choke in two. of modern MMA. hotel in Sierra Vista. Before fighting, Frye worked odd jobs ranging from horse shoeing, firefighting and bartending. came around at that time and I was like 28, 29, and then I got into it. A former pro boxer and a licensed firefighter, Don Frye made an impressive professional fight debut by knocking out 6'1", 410 pound Thomas Ramirez in 8 seconds. [18] In October 2008, Frye wrestled at the Pro Wrestling Expo shows, teaming with Yoshihiro Takayama in a losing effort to Masahiro Chono and Scott Norton on the first day, then losing a six-man tag on the third day. 175 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the, Ranked No. 100% Free and No Sign-Up Required. He got me into the UFC when I asked him to. And, speaking with his characteristic candor, The Predator not only confirmed his presence but also admitted it will come as much-needed relief during particularly trying times. The referee, Yuji Shimada, he was The fight only lasted six minutes and 10 seconds of the first round, but what had transpired was more than anyone could have asked. blanket draped over the back, loosened his back brace and rested a leg around for two, two and a half years. UFC Hall of Famer,. You get ripped off for a few million dollars, betrayed and lied to and all that, it will change your opinions on a few things, Frye said. He firstly went for the second time against Gary Goodridge, who brawled on the clinch before taking Frye down and landing headbutts, but the result was the same, as Goodridge tapped out as soon as Frye got dominant position. It seems like Dons family chooses a life behind the spotlight. Dont they talk to each other over there?, Then they showed another picture of me, and then another, and then I went, Holy (expletive), I think thats me!'. The induction also got him through a major back surgery, one that left him in the hospital for almost three months, with most of it being in a medically induced coma from brain hemorrhaging. However, Abbott lost his balance and fell, allowing Frye to secure a rear naked choke, to take the title of Ultimate Ultimate 96 Champion, his second UFC Tournament Championship. And Don was still busy doing His mentality of head down, tail up and charge drove him to produce Don stopped doing professional fights in 2011 and has since been active in mixed martial arts. Frye appeared in an episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia entitled "The Gang Wrestles for the Troops", in which he played a professional wrestler that was getting pummeled by Roddy Piper's character, "Da' Maniac". In the semifinals, Don Frye and Mark Hall met in a rematch of their UFC 10 bout. Don Frye reflects on a storied MMA career and a memorable fight However, his fight with Gilbert Yvel that night was controversial and resulted in Frye winning by disqualification in the first round, as Yvel repeatedly gouged his eyes and was eventually disqualified for continuously holding the ropes to stop himself being taken down. The life of fighting or lack there of led to a pair of divorces that ended his belief of the possibility of a successful marriage and left him broke. Conclusion Despite Don Frye's challenges, he still proves to be a real fighter. corner of the ring and exchanged right hands akin to Rock Em Sock Em Catalina mountains. Took a big chunk out of my spirit that fighting spirit Damage CTRL, Indi Hartwell, Frye & Dawn & Shinsuke Nakamura drafted: SmackDown, April 28, 2023 . Nobody else on the planet but him wouldve made that fight what it was.. The UFC came around at that time and I was like 28, 29, and then I got into it. Senator John McCain was actively campaigning against the sport he referred to as human cockfighting, Frye was forced to choose between his two occupations. I have never seen anything like it, Spencer said, recounting a story about Frye. Hell yeah. The fight struck me as odd. like a month and a half after my wife died.. Don Frye has two daughters with his ex-wife Mollie Frye. I dont think I fought in the UFC until I was 30.. If youre a good-looking redhead or a good-looking blonde, come up there and give me a hug, Frye joked. At that time, the UFC was set up in a tournament bracket. His voice would get deeper, He participated in 31 MMA fights and won twenty of them via knockout. Man's lumberjack-like hands land modeling gig for distillery there of led to a pair of divorces that ended his belief of the The fight was to be the first fight in YAMMA's Masters Division, a division for fighters over the age of 39. He got me some fights across the country where I didnt get paid but thats pretty much how you test somebody.. Don Frye is a guy who enjoys his life, Frye said. Don Frye Throughout his 15-year MMA career, two-time UFC tournament champion Don Frye put on numerous timeless fights that, to this day, are hailed as some of MMA's biggest fan-favorites. admires for staying with him through the divorces, help with care of the explosive combat fights, but what really powered his rage stems from His pride and joy come from a cigar, his pitbull, I thought to myself, You bunch of dumbasses, Dan Severn is already in the UFC Hall of Fame. DamianK1, A.S. [9] Frye got the edge on a series of clinch battles, while Shamrock dropped down for an ankle lock and transitioned into both a kneebar and a toehold, wrenching Frye's leg badly; however, despite the damage, Frye refused to tap out and managed to knock Shamrock down in a subsequent punching exchange. 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