Donald Frye (born November 23, 1965) is an American former mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, and actor. Please check your email for a confirmation. By 1998, Frye began to rise in the ranks as he quickly became one of the company's lead heels. After being given a standing eight count early on, he was forced into a corner and knocked unconscious with a right hook at the 1:30 mark of the first round. Thats why we became good friends, because I knew him before he was famous and I didnt want anything from him. He finished his UFC career with a 10-1 record while changing the game forever. owes me, and Im like, Don, you dont owe me anything. Severn, who is also a UFC Hall of Famer, is one of only four cage fighters with over 100-career wins, and of those four, only three have over 100 victories. He debuted in 1996, winning UFC 8, finishing all three fights in under three minutes with Severn in his corner. He participated in Godzilla: Final Wars, Miami Vice, and No Rules. (Photo by Andrew Lwowski/Cronkite News), Left: Many fans remember Frye and love to interact with him, like at this UFC International Fight Week Legends Panel in Las Vegas. He jumped on present life, but hes got a lot of good memories, two beautiful I need this more than anything. He That was Dan Severns and mine advantage. Don Frye eased into his tan leather loveseat with a vibrant serape Soleil Moon Frye's Daughter Is 'Obsessed' with Acting - People 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. fight.. Fryes impending Hall of Fame induction as an MMA pioneer was announced on June 4, during the UFC 199 pay-per-view broadcast. Hell yeah. Then, he was asking me how much he Learn more about what we do and how to find our content on our broadcast, digital and social media platforms. His daughters help care for them and the property when he cant. Takayama delivered for PRIDE 21. Stories from the Road: Don Frye - Strange Encounters All rights reserved. I was never the same after that. Half a dozen horse saddles are stacked 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. At According to TMZ Sports, a fan at this past weekend's UFC 270 event tempted fate by bumping into the legendary UFC Hall of Famer's 10 . He took the role based solely off the plot, he added, with no monetary motivations. I shouldve retired after the Takayama fight, said Frye, who had a storied 15-year career. Frye capitalized on a failed neck crank attempt to get standing and try to outmatch Coleman there, but he was taken down again, and a late takedown attempt of his own also failed, with Coleman reversing and threatening with an overhead throw before returning to his routine. 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. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Because John McCain was pulling his nonsense, so everybody was trying to crawl up McCains ass. We were all sitting there watching the fights, Frye recalled. Hell yeah. At the end, after Coleman secured side mount and dropped punches and headbutts onto Frye's face, the referee stopped the action, handing Frye his first loss in seven fights. Spencer, a retired fire battalion chief, has been like a brother to Frye for nearly 30 years. He moved on to New Japan Pro-Wrestling and PRIDE FC, based in Japan, after his UFC career. The fight struck me as odd. Road Dogg gets questioned by Chelsea Green: SmackDown Exclusive, April 28, 2023 . Creative Commons. 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). Below the table, you can find all the information about her birthday. After a successful wrestling stint at Arizona State University, the now 50-year-old Frye was working as a firefighter when he was first invited to try his luck at the UFC. Multiple sizes available for all screen sizes and devices. Don Frye. My friends said that horse was wild and that nobody else could even get close to it. [17] Somewhere halfway between Japan and L.A., hed turn into Don The Predator Frye rock star, Spencer said. In a rather long battle, Frye lost a unanimous decision to Coleman after three rounds. Frye won via technical knockout on the scorecard, but it was truly the viewers who won. said. There were no weight classes and many of the being in a medically induced coma from brain hemorrhaging. experiences in his youth, and it still fuels him to this day. Don Frye - Wikipedia It was such a great fight, take the time to learn the mans name, because he deserves it. performing a sunset flip for wrestling for Dramatic Dream Team Don Frye dominated the world of mixed martial arts for 6 straight years. caring in front of everybody, but when we were alone, You just arent Furthermore, his surgery was intended to fix two titanium rods in his back. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! In Just Another Romantic Wrestling Comedy, he played Rocco Piedra, the father of a wrestling family who dreams on marrying their child off to a famous wrestler. 'He stole my soul': Don Frye reflects on a storied career, and one of people would like mob him. many chapters that altered Fryes life. They always say that big, blond Chinese guy,' Frye said. and got it all framed in for him. Damage CTRL, Indi Hartwell, Frye & Dawn & Shinsuke Nakamura drafted: SmackDown, April 28, 2023 . https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2016/06/with-horse-gone-and-wife-leaving-don-frye-says-ufc-hall-of-fame-came-at-the-right-time, Twitter reacts to Mike Perry's TKO of Luke Rockhold, faceoff with Conor McGregor at BKFC 41, Eddie Alvarez def. After all, with the rest of his life not doing so well, The Predator could use the encouragement. I He finished his career in 2011 with a pro MMA record of 20 wins. Don stopped doing professional fights in 2011 and has since been active in mixed martial arts. When the replay of the fight ended, Frye switched to a video of Takayamas current condition. The one regret 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. The daily news products are produced by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. Frye captured his first Ultimate Fighting Championship on Feb. 16, 1996 defeating Ramirez and two other opponents. I have never seen anything like it, Spencer said as he recalled a Your email address will not be published. It seems like Dons family chooses a life behind the spotlight. Soleil Moon Frye knows a thing or two about being a child . His voice would get deeper, Frye had over his career was not listening to his body. 188 posts. Don Frye - Age, Family, Bio | Famous Birthdays From there, he signed with Shark Fights stateside the following year. The life of fighting or lack 2023 Cronkite News. 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. Katie Hobbs ordered. Below we countdown to Don Frye upcoming birthday. that journey was also a dark past. Some fans expressed their delight, while some fans would very much like for him to retire because of his age and health issues. [25], For the professional wrestler who also used the ring name "The Predator", see, Later career and sporadic comebacks (2007present), New Japan Pro-Wrestling (19972002, 2004). said. Senator John McCain was actively campaigning against the sport he referred to as human cockfighting, Frye was forced to choose between his two occupations. And I get pretty pissed off when people try to take advantage of him.. Then we just started Due to the controversy surrounding MMA at the time, Frye was barred from both firefighting, his previous occupation in his hometown of Sierra Vista, Arizona, and from training in the Buena High School gym he had used since his ASU days following the event. But, youd get off the plane and it was just crazy, the Frye finished his UFC career with a 9-1 record, with no fights going the distance. 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. But at the end of the day, he doesnt wish he had it any other way. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2016. My wife betrayed me and is taking the kids with her, so I got nothing. He Upcoming Birthday. Frye took seven months off following the losses to Le Banner and Yoshida, and next fought at Pride 26 on June 28, 2003 to try to avenge his loss to Mark Coleman. Birth Sign Sagittarius. 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. While his close friends knew him as J.R. Frye, he had a brawls with The Viking Raiders: SmackDown highlights, April 28, 2023 . Using his TV for the first time since it was given to him while he Don bought everybodys lunch, hes a real This is a big privilege and honor for me.. Much to everyones knowledge, Don went through difficult challenges both in his health and family life. Joined: Don Frye and Yoshihiro Nakao rematched at K-1 Premium 2004 Dynamite on December 31, 2004 with Nakao coming out on top and winning a unanimous decision, resigning the American to his sixth unsuccessful fight. Im damn up there and did all the framing on the garage and put their trusses up Although Frye and his family fought to press charges, nothing materialized and the experience led to him to start drinking alcohol in fifth grade as therapy, he said. CATALINA, Ariz. Don Frye eased into his tan leather chair, loosened his back brace and rested a leg on the matching ottoman with a sigh. He lives a simple life on a quaint two acre property backing the I was molested a few times when I was a kid, so that will f make He departed the promotion to compete in K-1 and Hero's in 2004 but returned for the final Pride event in 2007. You'll now receive the top MMA Junkie stories each day directly in your inbox. When he was doing pro wrestling in Japan, he was flying, so I went up there and did all the framing on the garage and put their trusses up and got it all framed in for him. That year, he also assembled and coached the Arizona-based Tucson Scorpions in the International Fight League, but on November 9, 2007 announced on TAGG radio that he and the IFL had parted ways. Soleil Moon Frye's Children - Hollywood Life Frye then faced Mark Hall for the third time in his career, but this fight was even shorter, with Frye getting a takedown and an Achilles lock for the give up in 20 seconds. 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. Not listening to Fun facts: before fame, family life, popularity rankings, and more. Don bought everybodys lunch, hes a real goodhearted guy, and took care of people. 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. However, in a recent interview, Don said that he plans to go back to professional fighting and have a match with Francis Ngannou. crying during the fight said it was an honor to be a part of that And he couldnt believe it because everybody else that always hung overseas. The director of the film, Ryuhei Kitamura, mentioned that he wrote the role with Frye in mind since he was a fan of Frye's matches. 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. Although he fought for 11 different He wasnt doing real good, he was in His daughters help care for them and the property when he cant. Donald Frye (born November 23, 1965) is an American former mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, and actor. 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. That still blows me away," said Greyhound Soul's stalwart leader Joe Pea ahead of this weekend's gigs marking the band's nearly three decades of music. 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. Spencer met Frye while Frye worked as a reserve firefighter before But one day, he suddenly disappeared from the fighting scene. Don Frye will celebrate 58th birthday on a Thursday 23rd of November 2023. Taking his first loss since fighting Mark Coleman in 1996, Frye was submitted by Yoshida via armbar in the first round. It shocked the hell out of me. It was Fryes career and charisma that turned him into an icon overseas. Hell yeah. Don being Don, he would take a lot of time with them and Im sure thats what made him big over there., His popularity also led to his featured role in Godzilla: Final Wars.. In a fight that many consider to be one of Pride's most exciting matches, Frye and Takayama clinched in a hockey fight pose, each holding the head and hitting, with Takayama finally going to the body after more than a full minute of unrelenting, undefended shots. 2023 Cronkite News. Don Frye - Biography - IMDb like a month and a half after my wife died.. Maybe not the Required fields are marked *. Frye sat in silence as he watched, rewinding and rewatching the move that cost Takayama his movement and career. Ive had like 27 just on my back or related to my back alone. Oddly enough, those jobs set him up for his latest gig: a . Who won? said Dan Severn, who wrestled and coached at Arizona State Ultimate Ultimate 2 in 1996 while finishing as runner-up in UFC 10. When Frye came back from California after his surgery and stroke, he was in a bad place, Spencer said. His voice would get deeper, just everything. 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. 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. Don Frye has two daughters with his ex-wife Mollie Frye. The Predator, often regarded as one of the grittiest fighters in MMA history, acknowledged he hadnt watched his fight with Yoshihiro Takayama in years.