Don Frye to be Inducted into UFC Hall of Fame ‘Pioneer’ Wing
With all-time great heavyweight Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and former UFC owner Bob Meyrowitz already scheduled for induction into the UFC Hall of Fame on July 10 during the UFC’s annual International Fight Week, speculation ran rampant in the MMA world as to who would join them.
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Frye burst onto the MMA scene at UFC 8 , winning the event by stopping all three men he faced that night. His triumphant debut culminated with a thrilling war with Gary Goodridge, a brawl that, even though it lasted less than three minutes, warranted a rematch at UFC “The Ultimate Ultimate 1996.” In that epic battle, Frye won via exhaustion after more than 11 minutes of pure chaos. Frye went on to win that tournament as well, giving him two UFC tournament titles.
A former collegiate wrestler at Arizona State University and Oklahoma State University as well as a judo black belt, Frye emerged as a fan favorite during his MMA career. Willing to stand toe-to-toe with anybody, “The Predator” was almost never in a dull fight. He continued to etch his name in MMA history when he moved on to Pride; his brutal duels with Ken Shamrock and Yoshihiro Takayama remain two of the most incredible fights in the Japanese organization’s history.
“Don Frye is a legend in this sport and one of the toughest guys to ever compete," UFC President Dana White said. “He was known for putting on incredible fights like his one with Takayama in Pride, which is still to this day one of the craziest fights I've ever seen. Congratulations to Don Frye for being selected to the 2016 Class of the UFC Hall of Fame!”
Frye will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame at 12 p.m. PT at the Las Vegas Convention Center on July 10. The induction ceremony will close out the UFC Fan Expo and will be streamed live on UFC Fight Pass.
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