Twenty-nine years after they squared off at UFC 8, two of the more recognizable names from the promotion’s early days recently reunited to look over some hardware earned three decades ago.
Still rivals, but now in a lighthearted way, Don Frye and Gary Goodridge traded jokes as the Frye’s belt case was opened and out came the UFC 8 tournament belt.
“Where’s my belt?” Goodridge asked. “You’ve been keeping it warm for me?”
No one found that funnier than Frye, who let out a deep cackle.
“It’s shiny and pretty – and says Don Frye on it,” Frye rebutted.
UFC 8 took place Feb. 16, 1996. Frye defeated Goodridge by TKO in the tournament championship after wins over Thomas Ramirez and Sam Adkins. Those were the first three fights of Frye’s career. Goodridge had earned the tournament final spot after wins over Paul Herrera (RIP) and Jerry Bohlander.
Frye and Goodrige would fight twice more, once at UFC 11.5 in December 1996 (which Frye won by exhaustion) and the other at PRIDE Shockwave 2003 (which Goodridge won by 39-second head kick).
It’s trippy seeing videos like this. We always talked about how MMA and the UFC didn’t have the history of the major four sports. But as MMA’s oldest generation ages, so do we.
Frye and Goodridge have both in recent years struggled openly with health issues, including depression and other after-effects of a career of fighting. They will both turn 60 in 2025, but nostalgia in this sport is just being born – and I’m not sure I’m ready for that.
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