Don Frye
Updated: 12/10/2025, 10:23:34 AM Wikipedia source
Donald Frye (born November 23, 1965) is an American former mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, and actor. In MMA, he was one of the sport's earliest well-rounded fighters and won the UFC 8 and Ultimate Ultimate 1996 tournaments and finished as runner-up at UFC 10 in his first year of competition. He retired from MMA in 1997 to pursue a career in professional wrestling with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) 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. He fought bouts with Ken Shamrock and Yoshihiro Takayama during his two years in Pride. He departed the promotion to compete in K-1 and Hero's in 2004 but returned for the final Pride event in 2007. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2016.
Infobox
Tables
| 8 fights | 2 wins | 5 losses |
| By knockout | 2 | 4 |
| By decision | 0 | 1 |
| Draws | 1 | |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
| 8 | Loss | 2–5–1 | David Kilgour | TKO | 4 (4),1:36 | Dec 11, 1990 | Reseda Country Club, Reseda, California, U.S. | |
| 7 | Loss | 2–4–1 | Leon Carter | KO | 2 | Oct 1, 1990 | Tijuana, Mexico | |
| 6 | Draw | 2–3–1 | Fred Heath | PTS | 4 | Jul 31, 1990 | Reseda Country Club, Reseda, California, U.S. | |
| 5 | Loss | 2–3 | David Dixon | KO | 1 | May 21, 1990 | Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California, U.S. | |
| 4 | Loss | 2–2 | Fred Heath | SD | 4 | Mar 27, 1990 | Reseda Country Club, Reseda, California, U.S. | |
| 3 | Loss | 2–1 | Rocky Pepeli | KO | 2 (4) | Oct 24, 1989 | Reseda Country Club, Reseda, California, U.S. | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Troy Baudoin | KO | 1 (4) | Sep 26, 1989 | Reseda Country Club, Reseda, California, U.S. | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Luis Mora | KO | 1 (4) | Aug 28, 1989 | Sun Devil House, Tempe, Arizona, U.S. |
| 0 wins, 1 loss, 0 draws | ||||||||
| Date | Result | Opponent | Event | Location | Method | Round | Time | Record |
| 2002-08-28 | Loss | Jérôme Le Banner | Pride Shockwave | Tokyo, Japan | KO (right hook) | 1 | 1:30 | 0–1 |
| Legend: .mw- Win Loss Draw/No contest Notes | ||||||||
| 31 matches | 20 wins | 9 losses |
| By knockout | 8 | 5 |
| By submission | 10 | 2 |
| By decision | 1 | 2 |
| By disqualification | 1 | 0 |
| Draws | 1 | |
| No contests | 1 | |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
| Loss | 20–9–1 (1) | Ruben Villareal | KO (punch) | Gladiator Challenge: Mega Stars | December 11, 2011 | 1 | 2:30 | Lincoln, California, United States | |
| Loss | 20–8–1 (1) | Dave Herman | TKO (punches) | Shark Fights 6: Stars & Stripes | September 12, 2009 | 1 | 1:00 | Amarillo, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 20–7–1 (1) | Ritch Moss | Submission (rear–naked choke) | Shark Fights 4: Richards vs Schoonover | May 2, 2009 | 1 | 2:48 | Lubbock, Texas, United States | |
| Loss | 19–7–1 (1) | Ikuhisa Minowa | Submission (kneebar) | Deep: Gladiator | August 16, 2008 | 1 | 3:56 | Okayama, Japan | |
| Win | 19–6–1 (1) | Bryan Pardoe | KO (punches) | NLF: Heavy Hands | January 26, 2008 | 1 | 0:47 | Dallas, Texas, United States | |
| Loss | 18–6–1 (1) | James Thompson | TKO (punches) | Pride 34 | April 8, 2007 | 1 | 6:23 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Win | 18–5–1 (1) | Kim Min-Soo | KO (punch) | Hero's 7 | October 9, 2006 | 2 | 2:47 | Yokohama, Japan | |
| Win | 17–5–1 (1) | Yoshihisa Yamamoto | Submission (rear–naked choke) | Hero's 6 | August 5, 2006 | 1 | 4:52 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Draw | 16–5–1 (1) | Ruben Villareal | Draw | KOTC: Predator | May 13, 2006 | 3 | 5:00 | Globe, Arizona, United States | |
| Win | 16–5 (1) | Akebono | Submission (guillotine choke) | Hero's 5 | May 3, 2006 | 2 | 3:50 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 15–5 (1) | Yoshihiro Nakao | Decision (unanimous) | K-1 Premium 2004 Dynamite | December 31, 2004 | 3 | 5:00 | Osaka, Japan | |
| NC | 15–4 (1) | Yoshihiro Nakao | NC (cut caused by accidental headbutt) | K-1 MMA ROMANEX | May 22, 2004 | 1 | 1:19 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Loss | 15–4 | Gary Goodridge | KO (head kick) | Pride Shockwave 2003 | December 31, 2003 | 1 | 0:39 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Loss | 15–3 | Mark Coleman | Decision (unanimous) | Pride 26 | June 8, 2003 | 3 | 5:00 | Yokohama, Japan | |
| Loss | 15–2 | Hidehiko Yoshida | Technical Submission (armbar) | Pride 23 | November 24, 2002 | 1 | 5:32 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 15–1 | Yoshihiro Takayama | TKO (punches) | Pride 21 | June 23, 2002 | 1 | 6:10 | Saitama, Japan | Fight of the Year (2002). |
| Win | 14–1 | Ken Shamrock | Decision (split) | Pride 19 | February 24, 2002 | 3 | 5:00 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Win | 13–1 | Cyril Abidi | Submission (rear–naked choke) | Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2001 | December 31, 2001 | 2 | 0:33 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Win | 12–1 | Gilbert Yvel | DQ (eye gouging) | Pride 16 | September 24, 2001 | 1 | 7:27 | Osaka, Japan | |
| Win | 11–1 | Eric Valdez | Submission (choke) | Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 5 | June 20, 1997 | 1 | 0:49 | Amarillo, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 10–1 | Tank Abbott | Submission (rear–naked choke) | Ultimate Ultimate 96 | December 7, 1996 | 1 | 1:22 | Birmingham, Alabama, United States | Wins the Ultimate Ultimate 96 Tournament. |
| Win | 9–1 | Mark Hall | Submission (achilles lock) | 1 | 0:20 | UFC Ultimate Ultimate 1996 Semi-Final. | |||
| Win | 8–1 | Gary Goodridge | Submission (fatigue) | 1 | 11:19 | UFC Ultimate Ultimate 1996 Quarter-Final. | |||
| Win | 7–1 | Mark Hall | Submission (forearm choke) | U-Japan | November 17, 1996 | 1 | 5:29 | Japan | |
| Loss | 6–1 | Mark Coleman | TKO (punches) | UFC 10 | July 12, 1996 | 1 | 11:34 | Birmingham, Alabama, United States | For the UFC 10 Tournament Championship. |
| Win | 6–0 | Brian Johnston | TKO (submission to elbow) | 1 | 4:37 | UFC 10 Tournament Semi-Final. | |||
| Win | 5–0 | Mark Hall | TKO (punches) | 1 | 10:21 | UFC 10 Tournament Quarter-Final. | |||
| Win | 4–0 | Amaury Bitetti | TKO (punches) | UFC 9 | May 17, 1996 | 1 | 9:22 | Detroit, Michigan, United States | |
| Win | 3–0 | Gary Goodridge | Submission (position) | UFC 8 | February 16, 1996 | 1 | 2:14 | Bayamón, Puerto Rico | Wins the UFC 8 Tournament. |
| Win | 2–0 | Sam Adkins | TKO (doctor stoppage) | 1 | 0:48 | UFC 8 Tournament Semi-Final. | |||
| Win | 1–0 | Thomas Ramirez | KO (punch) | 1 | 0:08 | UFC 8 Tournament Quarter-Final. |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2004 | Godzilla: Final Wars | Captain Douglas Gordon | |
| 2005 | No Rules | 1978 Fighter | |
| Nagurimono: Love & Kill | Unknown | ||
| 2006 | Miami Vice | Long-Haired Aryan Brother | |
| The Ant Bully | Soldier Ant | Voice | |
| Honor | Shay | ||
| Just Another Romantic Wrestling Comedy | Rocco Piedra | ||
| 2007 | Big Stan | Nation Member | |
| 2009 | Public Enemies | FBI Agent Clarence Hurt | |
| 2010 | 13 | Handler | |
| 2012 | Badass Brock | Brock Bannon | |
| 2013 | Within | Grizzled Man | Short |
| 2014 | Noah | Warrior | |
| 2014 | Stick 10: The United League of Stereotypes | Matt Ninesister | Voice |
| 2019 | Animal Among Us | Burl Wolf |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2009 | It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia | Wrestling Opponent | Episode: "The Gang Wrestles for the Troops" |
References
- "Don Frye: Record & Stats"https://web.archive.org/web/20240103115936/https://www.martialbot.com/mma/d/don-frye.html
- "UFC The Early Years: What You May Have Missed Part 3 (UFC 6-8)"https://web.archive.org/web/20111104215208/http://www.rattling-the-cage.com/blog.php?id=45&mode=blogview
- Norris Gives Willis a Ribbing in Heavyweight Win Rich Tosches, Los Angeles Times (December 12, 1990)https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-12-12-sp-5697-story.html
- Don Frye Reflects On Going From Horseshoer And Firefighter To UFC Pioneer: ‘I Needed Something To Do’ Derek Hall, middlehttps://middleeasy.com/mma-news/don-frye-rogan-ufc-pioneer/
- 16 Questions for Don Fryehttp://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/1/16-Questions-for-Don-Frye-16222
- "Archived copy"https://web.archive.org/web/20101026012455/http://members.multimania.co.uk/fight/judo/judovsbjj.html
- The Oratoryhttps://web.archive.org/web/20161220114901/http://the-oratory.com/mma-review-301/
- Top 10 MMA Conspiracy Theories Archived July 25, 2013, at the Wayback Machinehttp://www.cagepotato.com/top-10-mma-conspiracy-theories/
- Fixed fights in the UFC: A look inside the autobiography of "Big" John McCarthy – part 1http://prommanow.com/2011/12/14/fixed-fights-in-the-ufc-a-look-inside-the-autobiography-of-big-john-mccarthy-part-1/
- "Don Frye Interview |"https://web.archive.org/web/20130413032742/http://hereisyourwinner.com/2013/04/don-frye-interview/
- "16 Questions for Don Frye - Bad Blood"http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/2/16-Questions-for-Don-Frye-16222
- MMA Weeklyhttps://www.mmaweekly.com/pride-34-review-the-end-of-an-era-2
- YAMMA Pit Fighting Books Don Frye vs. Oleg Taktarov for April 11 - MMAjunkie.com Archived February 12, 2008, at the Waybhttp://mmajunkie.com/2008/02/08/yamma-pit-fighting-books-don-frye-vs-oleg-taktarov-for-april-11/
- USA Today, Weekend results: Filho, Rizzo win; Frye falls Archived September 15, 2009, at the Wayback Machinehttp://mmajunkie.com/news/16164/pee-wee-herman-earns-swift-tko-win-over-don-frye-at-shark-fights-6.mma
- 5150 Fightwear Presents - Don Frye vs "Warpath" Villarrealhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP_yiSm7480
- Wrestling Observer's Tributes: Remembering Some of the World's Greatest Wrestlers
- "PUROLOVE.com"http://www.purolove.com/njpw/history/iwgphwdefenses.php#43
- "Strong Style Spirit"http://www.puroresufan.com/njpw/results/notes/050202.html
- "Don Frye « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - the Internet Wrestling Database"http://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=4080&view=matches#matches
- Sports Navihttps://archive.today/20130413122602/http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/sports/fight/headlines/article/20130318-00000001-spnavi
- "Don Frye on Kimbo Fight, YAMMA and Acting Gig - MMAjunkie.com"https://web.archive.org/web/20080402064612/http://mmajunkie.com/news/4033/don-frye-on-kimbo-fight-yamma-and-acting-gig.mma
- IMDbhttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt1537140/
- "Don Frye in new AT&T comercial - Sherdog Mixed Martial Arts Forums"https://web.archive.org/web/20110717050022/http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f2/don-frye-new-t-comercial-1110934/
- IMDbhttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt3914362/
- "Final Fight fan-movie features some brutal, awesome fights and the perfect Mike Haggar"https://www.destructoid.com/final-fight-fan-movie-features-some-brutal-awesome-fights-and-the-perfect-mike-haggar-511133.phtml
- "Don "The Predator" Frye"http://sportsbore.com/videos/don-the-predator-frye/
- Slam Wrestlinghttps://stage.slamwrestling.net/index.php/2024/07/17/don-frye-happy-about-career-accomplishments/
- "UFC 45: Revolution"http://www.fighttimes.com/magazine/magazine.asp?article=856
- UFC Encyclopedia - The Definitive Guide to the Ultimate Fighting Championship
- UFC Encyclopedia - The Definitive Guide to the Ultimate Fighting Championship
- UFC Encyclopedia - The Definitive Guide to the Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Sports Briefhttps://sportsbrief.com/ufc/38854-power-puncher-pavlovich-heavyweight-title-record-extending-knockout/
- "Archived copy"https://web.archive.org/web/20110813023829/http://100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/newjap/njother.htm
- "New Japan Pro Wrestling"http://prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/japan/newjapan/njindex.html
- "Pro Wrestling Illustrated Top 500 - 1999"https://web.archive.org/web/20011122060527/http://www.100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/pwi/pwi50099.htm
- "Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Top 500 Wrestlers of the PWI Years"https://web.archive.org/web/20110515112842/http://www.100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/pwi/pwi500yr.htm
- Sherdoghttp://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Don-Frye-124