like a month and a half after my wife died.. many chapters that altered Fryes life. The referee, Yuji Shimada, he was Overall, its a blur, but when you watch it, you think, Oh yeah, I Hell yeah. Being inducted in the UFC Hall of Fame thatd be the pinnacle of the sport, Frye told MMAjunkie. Find out how your news organization can use Cronkite News content. When the replay of the fight ended, Frye switched to a video of Frye is circumspect about his career as a fighter. He finished his UFC career with a 10-1 record and changed the sport forever. present life, but hes got a lot of good memories, two beautiful Frye will make his way to the UFC Fan Expo once again on July 10, when the formal induction ceremony is set to take place at Las Vegas Convention Center. 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. shoulders down. Maybe not the Below the table, you can find all the information about her birthday. side Don calls over to the horse and the horse comes over and lets Don up there and did all the framing on the garage and put their trusses up On August 28, 2002, he took on Jrme Le Banner in a kickboxing match at the K-1/Pride co-promoted event Pride Shockwave, fighting in front of 91,107 people. Fryes cage name comes from his first English bulldog, and the first Predator movie, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. He says, You have to make a decision, fire department or fighting I said, All right sir, thank you very much. As Don Frye watches his famous bout with Yoshihiro Takayama, his emotions at the time flood back. Don bought everybodys lunch, hes a real goodhearted guy, and took care of people. He moved on to New Japan Pro-Wrestling and PRIDE FC, based in Japan, after his UFC career. Im damn proud of that fight, Frye said. The setback left his record at 20-9-1. In 1987, he won the freestyle and Greco-Roman events during an Olympic qualifier. Don Frye won his final belt in the UFC during Ultimate Ultimate 2 in 1996 before moving on wrestling and MMA in Japan. 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". Readmore, Flags across Arizona should be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Monday, May 1, to mark Arizona Peace Officers Memorial Day, Gov. 179 following. horses, and some good friends., Zach Yentzer, one of two independent candidates vying to challenge Regina Romero as Tucson's mayor in November, said his campaign was ending after losing a challenge over his petition signatures. I had to quit (the job as a firefighter). There, Frye took part in what is known as one of Id like to kill those f that did that to me, Frye said, staring out the kitchen window at the Catalina Mountains, a cigar in his hand. We were out at one of my friends house and there was this horse we were on this 10-acre thing, and it was on the other side Don calls over to the horse and the horse comes over and lets Don pet him. Prior to him losing his wife and daughters, the fighter also lost his horse of 24 years. Creative Commons, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. I didnt think it would ever happen, Frye said. I was never the same after that. Takayama severed his spinal cord while performing a sunset flip for wrestling for Dramatic Dream Team Pro-Wrestling in 2017, which left him paralyzed from the shoulders down. MMA fighting pioneer won the UFC 8 tournament and UFC Ultimate Ultimate 1996 Tournament. He the course of his career, Frye said he has had 45 or 50 surgeries, and Furthermore, his surgery was intended to fix two titanium rods in his back. Road Dogg gets questioned by Chelsea Green: SmackDown Exclusive, April 28, 2023 . So, if you see Frye around Las Vegas during International Fight Week, be sure to shake the mans hand and let him know you appreciate what he accomplished during his legendary career. Old bullets, his fathers Air Force memorabilia, commemorative I had a beautiful stallion. His first fight, with Yoshihiro Nakao at K-1 MMA ROMANEX on May 22, 2004 ended in a no contest when Frye could not continue due to a cut sustained from an accidental headbutt early in round one. Its not fair. Find a staff list and description of our beats here. Because Severn coached Frye at ASU, he knew Frye would do well. Japanese pieces and photos of him and his two daughters fill his living Who won? said Dan Severn, who wrestled and coached at Arizona State He mentions his bulldog is the only thing keeping him going, his daughters are doing their own thing so they don't talk much apparently, and he's in pain 90% of the time and on morphine. Don Frye Full Shoot Interview From his Home! Then we just started punching.. Joined: left him in the hospital for two and a half months, with most of it [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. Check out the main event preview now. It kept going I dont know why and now all of a sudden hes opening the door. Tucson Sentinel's independent nonprofit newsroom learns from & informs Southern Arizonans about the community challenges & unique culture of our Borderlands. Not listening to his body and masking the pain with medication shortened his career, he said. of times. make you or break you, and I got lucky it made me. Katie Hobbs ordered. Deep, GeneTunney7 and 15 others like this. He played FBI agent Clarence Hurt in Public Enemies, by director Michael Mann.[20]. Well, the audience because they witnessed something My wife died in 1999, Spencer said. Frye stormed into the fighting scene early, appearing as one of the most well-rounded fighters in the UFC at the time, Severn said. everybody had their hands out. The Predator, often regarded as one of the grittiest fighters in MMA history, acknowledged he hadnt watched his fight with Yoshihiro Takayama in years. All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week. Readmore, A federal judge handed down a 51-month prison sentence to Brian Kolfage, co-founder of a fraud called We Build the Wall, which he billed as a grassroots fundraiser to fulfill the campaign promise of former President Donald Trump for "big, beautiful" wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. He got me into the UFC when I asked him to. Takayama, God bless him, man, he said. In MMA, he was one of the sport's earliest well-rounded fighters and won the UFC 8 and Ultimate Ultimate 96 tournaments and finished as runner-up UFC 10 in his first year of competition. However, he accepts bookings as a keynote speaker for forums and other speaking events. kicker was when she says, I dont think you can provide for the family Frye lost that fight. It shocked the hell out of me. with them and Im sure thats what made him big over there., His popularity also led to his featured role in Godzilla: Final Wars., Before fighting, Frye worked various odd jobs ranging from horse He finished his career in 2011 with a pro MMA record of 20 wins. Don Frye Obituary. You don't spit into the wind. Frye sat in silence and watched the video of what Takayamas life UFC Ultimate Ultimate 1996 Quarter-Final. His daughters help care for them and the property when he cant. Fryes memorable MMA career dates back to February 1996, at UFC 8, when he became a three-fight tournament winner after defeating Gary Goodridge in what remains one of his most noteworthy moments. 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. Sign up for the MMA Junkie newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. That rage followed him throughout his career and has led to a major role in an upcoming movie with actor Michael Par about tracking down and killing pedophiles, he said. First at 6 by a family friend, then at 8 by an adopted family relative, and then at "10 or 11" while working as a dishwasher for a hotel in Sierra Vista. We were all sitting there watching the fights, Frye recalled. The juxtaposition of The Predators ferocious persona in the cage with his bond with animals outside is fascinating. Frye captured his first Ultimate Fighting Championship on Feb. 16, 1996 defeating Ramirez and two other opponents. on the matching ottoman with a sigh. Although his close friends knew him as J.R. Frye, he had a different identity in Japan, said Jeff Spencer, one of Fryes close friends. Half a dozen horse saddles are stacked 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!'. He stole my soul. pet him. Hes like an animal whisperer or something, he I want to help TucsonSentinel.com offer a real news alternative! MMA world at all. 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. The year 2005 turned out to be a busy year for Frye as he made several appearances. 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. Use our convenient PayPal/credit card donation form below or contact us at donate@tucsonsentinel.com today. Then we just started If you enjoyed the . It appears ONE Championship won't be doing business with former UFC heavyweight champion and prized free agent Francis Ngannou. came around at that time and I was like 28, 29, and then I got into it. Who won? asked Dan Severn, who wrestled and coached at Arizona State, where he met Frye. (Photo by Andrew Lwowski/Cronkite News) Frye stormed into the fighting scene early, appearing as one of the "most well-rounded fighters" in the . 175 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the, Ranked No. But we rely on your support to bring you independent news without the spin. 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. perception from when he started, from divorces to injuries to making a If youre a good-looking redhead or a good-looking blonde, come up there and give me a hug, Frye joked. Keep scrolling to know what happened to martial arts legend Don Frye, his marriage with wife Mollie, his kids, and how much the former fighter is worth now. the man you used to be, not as tough as you used to be, you dont have Spencer, a retired fire battalion chief, has been like a brother to Frye for nearly 30 years. Widely recognized as one of the first fighters to successfully combine various styles into a well-rounded MMA game, The Predator looked back on the reasons behind his early octagon success. And it just all worked out. In his last appearance in the promotion, Frye faced Kim Min-Soo at Hero's 7 on October 9, 2006 and knocked him out with a right hook in the second round. Old bullets, his fathers Air Force memorabilia, commemorative Japanese pieces and photos of him and his two daughters fill his living rooms wooden shelves. asked him to. where he met Frye. But, youd get off the plane and it was just crazy, the people would like mob him. Bio Don Frye, best known for being a MMA Fighter, was born in Arizona, United States on Tuesday, November 23, 1965. Spencer met Frye while Frye worked as a reserve firefighter before A couple on my hand, couple on this (left) elbow, this (right) elbow, about five or seven on this (left shoulder), about five on this (right shoulder). Frye fought numerous big names during his foray in fighting from the mid-90s, including Mark Coleman, Tank Abott, and Ken Shamrock. Frye had over his career was not listening to his body. He fought bouts with Ken Shamrock and Yoshihiro Takayama during his two years in Pride. get paid but thats pretty much how you test somebody.. (Screenshot courtesy of PRIDE FC. Nothing good is going on in my life. Don Frye began acting in movies with Godzilla: Final Wars (2004), playing the role of Captain Douglas Gordon. He is credited on IMDb for the role as "Wrestling Opponent". 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. Frye was molested three times as child, he said. 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. This is a breath of fresh air.. We're committed to making quality news accessible; we'll never set up a paywall or charge for our site. appeared through his thick, burly mustache as Takayama the 6-foot-7, A rug, bright serape on the chair and flagstone flooring tie the scene together. Chad Mendes at BKFC 41: Best photos, Mike Perry def. Download Don Frye With Daughter wallpaper for your desktop, mobile phone and table. relative, and then at 10 or 11 while working as a dishwasher for a Im damn After the tournament win, Frye left NJPW and returned to MMA. My wife died in 1999, Spencer said. 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 MMA, Frye was one of the sport's earliest well-rounded fighters and he had instant success, winning the UFC 8 and Ultimate Ultimate 96 tournaments and finishing as runner-up UFC 10 in his first year of competition. Not listening to He found success in the sport he loved, but rooted in that journey is a dark past. A He also wrote a humorous weekly column called "Dear Don: Advice from The Predator" in which he gives fans advice on love, life, friendship, and more. Like I said, the back is a mess.. How do you top that?. Frye stopped his opponent's takedowns and land punches, knees and elbows, and used a judo ude-garami on the jiu-jitsu champion, something that was unusual at the time. in years. living; he admitted hes a lot darker now.. It's been a rocky road for UFC Hall of Fame legend Don Frye. animals and property. It gave me something to stay angry about and motivate me., Don Frye watches a tape of his most iconic bout, with Yoshihiro Takayama in 2002. Because John McCain was pulling his nonsense, so everybody was trying to crawl up McCains ass. 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. 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. The couple tied the knot in 1996, but in 2016, they filed for a divorce and the two eventually split. 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. I was in the toilet mentally, he said. Despite his success in MMA, Frye retired from the sport after winning the Ultimate Ultimate '96 tournament. [4], In 1995, Don Frye helped train Dan Severn for the Ultimate Ultimate 1995, accompanying Severn's entourage to Denver. Since he competed in Pride FC, he has also appeared in several commercial ads in Japan. He participated in Godzilla: Final Wars, Miami Vice, and No Rules. (Photo by Andrew Lwowski/Cronkite News). Youre not a man anymore., Then the kicker was when she says, I dont think you can provide for the family anymore. Ah, OK, theres the truth.. Taking his first loss since fighting Mark Coleman in 1996, Frye was submitted by Yoshida via armbar in the first round. around for two, two and a half years. Furthermore, Noah actors fans express their excitement to see The Predator back in the fighting scene once more should he decide to come back. friends. 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. daughters who take care of him, a beautiful bulldog, two beautiful Irregular western flagstone paver flooring ties it all together. How do you top that?. At However, in a recent interview, Don said that he plans to go back to professional fighting and have a match with Francis Ngannou. "Maybe not the present life, but he's got a lot of good memories, two beautiful daughters who take care of him, a beautiful bulldog, two . Don Frye vs. Sonny Westbrook The Samoa-born Westbrook, who was significantly older, provides security for the reality television series Dog The Bounty Hunter, and is a respected, even beloved trainer at Kona Boxing Club in Kailua, Oahu, Hawai'i. UFC on ESPN 44 results: Vintage Max Holloway outpoints gritty Arnold Allen MMA Underground staff 285-pound Japanese pro-wrestler and his former self moved to the DamianK1, A.S. There were no weight classes, and many of the moves used then are now illegal. He stole my soul. punched me and knocked my feet out from underneath me so I had to grab experiences in his youth, and it still fuels him to this day. Somewhere halfway between Japan and L.A., hed turn into Don The Predator Frye rock star, Spencer said. Frye now enjoys a quiet life in Catalina, a rural community 30 miles north of Tucson. And, interestingly enough, The Predator found out about it the same way as everyone else. I need this more than anything. [13], After a two-year absence and at forty-six years of age, Frye was scheduled to face Mike Gonzalez for the Gladiator Challenge Light Heavyweight title. Because he'd already suffered two defeats to Frye earlier in his career (and therefore probably wasn't going to win anyway) and DePersia implied that saying no would have a disastrous impact on his future, Hall says he reluctantly agreed to go along with the plot. Lwowski works as a reporter and photographer for Wrangler News and interned for Phoenix Magazine Visuals in spring 2022. The life of a UFC Hall of Famer has sculpted Fryes life and Youre not a man anymore. Then the Don Frye eased into his tan leather loveseat with a vibrant serape just everything. He would later win UFC 9 and that time, the UFC was set up in a tournament bracket. Over the course of his career, Frye said he has had 45 or 50 surgeries, and his career started to spiral in the wrong direction when he became reliant on pain medication from his various injuries. Frye sat in silence as he watched, rewinding and rewatching the move that cost Takayama his movement and career. His mentality of head down, tail up and charge drove him to produce A lot of people that were around Don always wanted something from him, Spencer said. corner of the ring and exchanged right hands akin to Rock Em Sock Em Birth Sign Sagittarius. what it was.. 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. But, fighting is just one of the about five or seven on this (left shoulder), about five on this (right He finished his UFC career with a 10-1 record while changing the game forever. Don Frye is an American former mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, and actor. Nothing on my side.. However, if it were not for Severn, Frye may have never graced the The fight only lasted six minutes and 10 seconds of the first round, but what had transpired was more than anyone could have asked. Spencer admitted he doesnt have many friends, and he doesnt like a brawls with The Viking Raiders: SmackDown highlights, April 28, 2023 . The O.C. He got me some fights across the country where I didnt The one regret It seems like Don's family chooses a life behind the spotlight. After eight bouts over the next fourteen months he retired and became an emergency medical technician and a firefighter in Bisbee, Arizona. bull in a China closet.. Nobody else on the planet but him wouldve made that fight what it was.. Since he retired in 2011, he has been in and out of hospitals. Although he fought for 11 different Its not fair. January 26, 2022 11:55 am ET. Curiously, for a prominent character in a Japanese-language film, all of his dialogue was spoken in English. I didnt have the money (when I didnt fight), Frye said. He was also noticeably more muscular and seemingly stronger than his UFC days, having gained 7 kilograms (15lb) in weight since his last MMA outing. If you can not make it to the visitation and service on Monday, you can send condolences and gifts of appreciation to Lee Ann Frye at 1001 Sherwood Avenue, Marysville, OH 43040-1340. Ive had like 27 just on my back or related to my back alone. THE HANNIBAL TV 352K subscribers Join Subscribe Share Save 39K views 1 year ago Don Frye Full Shoot Interview From his Home! 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). wrestling, Judo and boxing. popular trending video trivia random. Hell yeah. Frye returned to a professional wrestling ring on March 17, 2013, at an event held by AJPW in Tokyo. 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. Big 12 Conference remains open for expansion after Pac-12 merger talks end, As sports betting grows, states tackle teenage problem gambling, Former Arizona stars Mathurin, Terry, Koloko impress in NBA Summer League debuts, 2 kid-friendly films to wrap up Tucson summer Movies in the Park. [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. The induction also got him through a major back surgery, one that