UFC® today announced that two-time UFC tournament champion Don “The Predator” Frye has been named to the 2016 UFC Hall of Fame class as a Pioneer. The event will take place on Sunday, July 10, at 12 p.m. PT at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The ceremony will close out the UFC Fan Expo® during the final day of the 5th Annual UFC International Fight Week™. The event will also be streamed live and available on-demand exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS®.
Don Frye named to 2016 UFC Hall of Fame Class
“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 notched a 10-1 record during four events over a span of 11 months in 1996. His mixed martial arts career began at UFC® 8: DAVID vs. GOLIATH, where he defeated three opponents to capture the tournament title on February 16.
He then competed at UFC® 9: MOTOR CITY MADNESS on May 17, winning his fight on a non-tournament based card. Following his runner-up finish during UFC® 10: THE TOURNAMENT on July 12, he secured his second tournament championship at UFC®: THE ULTIMATE ULTIMATE 1996 on December 7.
During his tenure, Frye recorded a number of impressive firsts, becoming the first UFC athlete to finish three opponents in less than one minute, the first athlete to notch both a knockout and a submission in less than one minute, and the first to defeat five consecutive opponents by knockout.
Over the course of his 15-year career, Frye also competed in PRIDE Fighting Championships®, earning wins over UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock and Yoshihiro Takayama at PRIDE 19 and 21, respectively.
A native of Sierra Vista, Arizona, he attended Buena Vista High School where he competed as a wrestler, earning a scholarship to Arizona State University. During his time as a Sun Devil, Frye was a member of three PAC-10 championship teams, including the 1988 club that captured the NCAA Division I championship.
After transferring to Oklahoma State University, he was a member of the Cowboys wrestling team that won the 1989 Big 8 conference title. Originally recruited by UFC Hall of Famer Dan Severn, Frye brought a well-rounded skillset to the Octagon® that included a black belt in judo and experience as a professional boxer.
The final inductees of the Class of 2016 will be announced in the coming weeks leading to the landmark UFC® 200: CORMIER vs. JONES 2, onSaturday, July 9 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
To view Frye’s UFC FIGHT PASS original series Fightography: Don Frye, please visit: http://www.ufc.tv/video/fightography-don-frye.
