Tag: Don Frye

MMA fan risks life in confrontation with Don Frye

You don’t tug on Superman’s cape. You don’t spit into the wind, and you sure as hell don’t touch Don Frye’s hat.

You don’t tug on Superman’s cape. You don’t spit into the wind.

You don’t pull the mask off that old lone ranger, and you sure as hell don’t touch [autotag]Don Frye[/autotag]’s hat.

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-gallon top, leading to the two-time UFC tournament winner delivering a bit of street justice with a short right hand.

Frye told TMZ Sports that he believed the fan was intoxicated, and that the two had a “spirited conversation” before he was challenged to a fight.

Fortunately for the fan, Frye elected to allow the discretion to pass, gifting the man a few additional days in the land of the living, and “The Predator” walked away and watched the rest of the night’s action. Frye, 56, reportedly did not face criminal charges for the incident, which was caught on tape in the video above.

Frye was elected to the UFC Hall of Fame’s pioneer wing in 2016. One of the promotion’s earliest stars, the former pro boxer, Division I wrestler and judo black belt claimed single-night, eight-man tournament victories at UFC 8 and the Ultimate Ultimate 1996, taking out the likes of David “Tank” Abbott, Gary Goodridge and Mark Hall, among others.

He might be best remembered for a legendary brawl under the PRIDE banner, as well, standing toe-to-toe with Yoshihiro Takayama in 2002 in one of the wildest exchanges of punches ever seen in a ring or cage.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

Holy haymaker! Relive Don Frye and Yoshihiro Takayama going hell for leather at PRIDE 21

Relive one of the wildest fights in PRIDE history as Don Frye and Yoshihiro Takayama went ballistic in an unforgettable clash at Pride 21.

If there was a pictorial glossary of MMA terminology, this fight would undoubtedly be the entry under the word “slobberknocker.”

The PRIDE 21 clash between [autotag]Don Frye[/autotag] and [autotag]Yoshihiro Takayama[/autotag] remains one of the craziest fights ever captured on camera as the two hulking specimens – one a professional mixed martial artist and one a towering professional wrestler – went toe to toe and threw bombs at each other.

The usual rules of unarmed combat didn’t apply here. There was no feeling-out process. The only time they spent assessing each other was during their unforgettable staredown, which could be thrown into the Hall of Fame alone for its intensity. But, as it turned out, the electrifying faceoff between the pair was a mere appetizer for what was to come. And boy were we unprepared for what came next.

The pair flew out of their respective corners and immediately started to throw punches. No circling, no probing for openings, just straight ahead, all guns blazing.

After Frye connected with three big punches, Takayama closed the distance and initiated the clinch, but was met by more heavy-handed strikes from Frye. Takayama then used his size advantage to back Frye into the corner before the most incredible exchange in the history of MMA unfolded in front of an enthralled Saitama crowd.

With each man holding the back of the other’s head with one hand, the pair unloaded haymaker after haymaker as they hammered away at their opposite number. We’ve tried to count the shots in that wild corner exchange and we reckon they threw 13 rapid-fire haymakers each during their incredible synchronized punching salvo.

Frye eventually got the better of things, with his ludicrously strong chin and his more professionally-honed strikes proving the key difference maker as he eventually finished a battered and bruised Takayama at the 6:10 mark of the first round.

It was named fight of the year for 2002 by the Wrestling Observer and remains one of the most iconic bouts from the wild, glory days of PRIDE Fighting Championships.

Kick back, crack open a beer and enjoy. They don’t make fights like this any more.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.