The most brutal tournament in MMA... The Predator Don Frye destroys Tank Abbott

Cannon punch, lightning speed to the legs, and bear power are all about Don Frye, the legend of old school MMA. Today he will be the hero of the night of champions within which we remember the Ultimate Ultimate 96 tournament which took place in 1996.
At that tournament, another favorite was Tank Abbott, a fighter whom every self-respecting MMA fan knows.
So, let's get started!
#donfrye #thepredator #tankabbott

[@SportLegends]

Thank you for watching this video, if you liked it, please like it and leave your comments!

[@Dule009]

name of the song please - Tank vs Steve Nelmark

[@joedanis2889]

Why do you zoom in on the original video instead of showing the actual fight footage? Are you trying to avoid copyright complaints. Zooming in when you don't have to is annoying.

[@slickrick5596]

No hes Dan the beast moonlighting Don frye

[@andrewsaluke6315]

Outstanding video with great context. Depending on the intended audience, you might consider a touch more descriptive narration. “Superior fighting skills” was used to describe Frye taking Tank’s back… it’s true but makes the narrator sound less knowledgeable IMO. Especially by today’s standards.

[@Asymmetric.edge.]

The blessed mix of Tom Selleck, Ron Swanson and Stone Cold Steve Austin

[@roycegarvin]

I’m glad Fry is getting the respect he deserves these days because of KZbin. Dude was an animal.

[@garethrichmond4388]

True warrior. His UFC days were great but pride Don was glorious. He was allways a class guy as well.

[@chrismair8161]

Yup!

[@MegaSkyline69]

Don Frye vs Yoshihiru Takayama has got to go down as the greatest stand up fight in old school MMA. The predator became a hero to many after that fight.

[@leandrobego154]

Don and Takayama remains friends til today.

[@Newjerseyblows]

Yoshi became a hero to me. His face was smashed and he just kept jumping back into the trenches and going to war 💪

[@kevinkhaos7673]

Looked like the old game rockin sockin robots, a true slug fest

[@nofilteralltruth]

To this very day that's one of my all-time favorites. Watched it on a VCR tape remember those guys.

[@Dorelaxen]

"Frye was no pushover." Probably the biggest understatement of all time right there.

[@hdhshdhs5503]

Are we sure Don Frye isn’t just Tom Selleck moonlighting as an mma fighter?

[@alexmartin3143]

Tom Selleck is the taller more handsome variant. Fry was the bad ass maniac variant…

[@saxmaniac7]

@@alexmartin3143 he looks like magnum ta with short hair.

[@paintedwarrior516]

Selleck is a butterball, no where near the atheletasm Frye has

[@darrenvonskullsplitter1164]

Magnum P. Frye😆

[@joelara610]

Right??

[@garrylarose1506]

The genetics of Don Frye is seriously incredible. The dude is an absolute beast, and doesn't seem to be dealing with the same effects of CTE like a lot of the old legends. He pretty much won the genetic lottery

[@dreamthread]

Nope. He worked out hard as fuck. Hard for your generation to believe, and credit such things to luck.

[@garrylarose1506]

@@dreamthread Of course he worked hard as fuck. Doesnt mean he isnt also genetically gifted as well. Your naive dismissal of such claims is more than enough to tell me everything I need to know about you.

[@stevenwalker9013]

@@dreamthread working out has nothing to do with brain damage dummy!!

[@harryf1ashman]

The juicing lottery more like

[@BRAAD2]

And "the juice" 😊

[@Diogenes_43]

Tank was an absolute killer back in the day. We had these early UFCs on VHS and used to watch them over and over. Frye was a different breed as well. A true legend with an iron chin. Legends that paved the way.

[@ThehulkGreen]

I had to respond, I am English and a full on religious type boxing fan, done a bit myself and love the sport. I was intrigued by this idea that many styles of fighting could roll into one, fascinating watching it evolve over 30yrs, I remember tyson blowing away berbick in 2 in 1986 as 7yr old, I was hooked on fighting ever since. Ufc/mma is wrong, "PRIDE" came way before, legends were born there in mma.

[@Tkidddd]

I would have never believed that Tank Abbott would tapout to a toe bar

[@nofilteralltruth]

He was not. What are you talking about he couldn't win a fight. Got his ass stomp by kimbo slice.He was like winding up a windmill and sending him. He was fun to watch for about 3 minutes because that's what he had in his tank.

[@Tkidddd]

@@nofilteralltruth I saw him knock out a Gracie and then put his white towel on the guy's face laying on the mat, like he was dead. Ha ha

[@mf_dom08]

tank is the snot of the mma world..courage and bloodlust will never last in a technical competition..out of shape, looked like he lived in the everglades with beer as his vitamins..oh god too many shitty points to mention

[@MrMementoMori]

Don Frye was one helluva fighter.

[@Pissedman]

..and with a porn-stash to match it! :)

[@princerellikofhell3097]

I love old school fighters that started UFC at a early time! Frye, Abbott, Coleman, Shamrock, Rutten, and many others! 🤘💯

[@leonidasrozas2347]

And Dan The Beast Severn!!!

[@1972mrkleen]

@@leonidasrozas2347 I'll take Severn over Shamrock any day

[@patrickkirkham]

@@1972mrkleen absolutely

[@TroyShahanMusic]

Don Frye’s mustache killed five men back in ‘92.

[@alexsaucedo8032]

It was that Damm big ass thick mustache that had everyone scared. Lmao. LOL. Hahahahaha. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@jeffmetz2129]

Actually, it was 8 men. It was when he had a goatee in '91.....

[@propheon9789]

You know these guys were tough when they have to put in the rules " no eyes gouging"

[@thesaints-7-andrew.]

Best comment here.

[@jonascastejon5888]

"No neck breaking either."

[@random__joe]

Or groin shots

[@SLAYER-nm5zw]

😅

[@winwinogaming]

In an interview Frye said that when Abbott fell it was because he stepped on Abbott's foot while at the same time headbutting him. In the replay you can see his head making contact.

[@EatDirt1]

This takes me back, I was in Buffalo for UFC 7. The day before the tourney me and my two pals were driving to our hotel and we passed Oleg Tactarov and his trainer standing by their broken rental car on the side of the road. We stopped and offered them a ride. We all crammed in my buddy’s crappy Ford Probe lol. They were really friendly but didn’t speak much English. We got them to their hotel though. Then later we were loitering around a back entrance to the Aud and who walks up but Ken Shamrock, his girl, and his mom. They too were very friendly. Ken posed for pictures with all of us, I still have that print. After that a security guy came out and chatted with us for a bit. We asked him if we could go in and see the empty Aud and he said “sure, just don’t touch anything and make it quick” lol. We scurried in through the bowels of the Aud, past the Zamboni,locker rooms and onto the floor where a guy was actually vacuuming the octagon. The rest of he trip is a little fuzzy but it was one hell of an experience.

[@silverfox8801]

Hell of a story buddy! Very jealous 👍🥊

[@bobbeezel2593]

That’s awesome experience. I had my own with the original Wrestlemania #1 back in ‘85. Good Lord do I miss those days!

[@shanghunter7697]

Great story and t.y. for sharing, i was on that card in Buffalo UFC 7 (Buffalo native here) as an alternate and won (stomach virus and all). Very best wishes to you and yours.

[@letzgobrandon5007]

Tank Abbot was a brutal bruiser but he ran out of gas to fast. If you could survive 3-4 minutes your chances of winning increased exponentially

[@IsaacSchultz]

It's why he never won the whole event too. There were a few fights back in the day where you had to win three fights in one night. It was clear Tank hadn't recovered from the previous fight most of the time... But I'd never want to get in the ring with even a tired Tank.

[@mikepalmer2219]

These guys are monsters. I could not imagine getting in fight with any pro fighter much less these monsters.

[@david9783]

Me, neither.

[@Garf2O]

If i trained for it i probably could have, but with that stuff even if you win you lose, unless youre just eyes on the prize full red mist, logically the injuries sustained arent worth it at all unless you just LOVE fighting, imao.

[@Davidforprofit]

This was back when grown men fought and Don Frye was the MAN

[@JCMendez1]

MMA fighters today would absolutely STOMP out anyone from that era

[@Davidforprofit]

@@JCMendez1 probably yes because the sport has evolved so much over the years and a lot has been learned but for the time Don Frye was an extremely well rounded fighter and one of the toughest SOBs in the sport that only a couple of today's fighters can compare to because toughness can't easily be taught if at all. Don Frye era fighter had to fight up to 3 times in a single night against almost any sized fighter they didn't have months worth of camp to come up with a game plan and strategy for the fight they only found out who they were fighting like 10min before the fight and there were pretty much no rules at the time. Most of today's fighters are lucky to fight 3 times a year and sometimes far less and this man had 3 fights in one night these guys were a different breed of fighters we know today and doesn't take anything away from him that he would lose to a modern fighter with all the latest knowledge on technique and how to maximize training. Either way Don should get credit for what he accomplished when he accomplished it and not try to compare them because Don Frye is a Legend of his time and deserves the respect

[@PyroBlonde7777]

@@Davidforprofit There aren't too many fighters today that would survive the octagon back then. Multiple fights a night and hardly any rules. Don Frye endured things modern UFC fighters never will. He stomped on Tank's foot and headbutted him to the ground. You just don't see shit like that anymore.

[@harsha1989able]

Man Big John McCarthy is such a huge guy... 😄 Bigger than all of the fighters here...

[@patrickbateman7369]

Love it when you said in the first fight with Shamrock that he caught the kick and then took his opponent down, c'mon man he ate every bit of that kick

[@truthh8322]

But also caught it and took him down.

[@spacejockey4746]

He still sucked as a pro fighter. C’mon 10-15? He went all out right from the start, but when he didn’t get lucky enough to get in a good one, he lost. Tank had 45-50 pounds on Frye, got in some good punches but Don survived to put that fatty to sleep. Well, if he wouldn’t have tapped out.

[@nofilteralltruth]

But you're wrong about shamrock look at some of his shoot fighting in Japan. His ego and the WWF is what held him back and UFC. His brother Frank was a beast too.

[@realchristianmusicchannele9532]

I remember seeing these events on pay per view. They blew my mind.

[@chadthunderkawk1650]

The Frye vs Goodrich rivalry was one of the best kept secrets in MMA. Such great fights.

[@bigglilwayne7050]

The narrator must be the president of the Tank Abbott Fan Club

[@DavidLJones-bo9sr]

the Predator…Don Frye has always been my favorite MMA fighter

[@fightingclass]

"here tank falls accidentally" dude he literally was pushed to the ground with force.

[@spacejockey4746]

Yup.

[@horse5407]

This guy just makes shit up.

[@poom641]

lol i didn't even see the part you commented about - - but being a ufc and pride watcher back then . . . i knew what you're talking about lol again

[@nofilteralltruth]

There was no pride back then

[@BigDaddy-je2nq]

But he never meant to fall, it was an accident

[@leonidasrozas2347]

Don The "Predator" Frye and Dan "The Beast" Severn .... My favorites fighters!

[@AdoreYouInAshXI]

The battle of the mustaches.

[@jonascastejon5888]

​@@AdoreYouInAshXIWas the 'Tom Selleck's moustache' a fashion trend back then 😂?

[@philipbohlinger4150]

Don and Dan were my favorites. I'm honestly glad they never fought each other.

[@leonidasrozas2347]

Friends, like brothers!

[@jonascastejon5888]

And Dan also beated Abbott.

[@someonethatisachristian]

they have a show together now.. toxic masculinity i believe its called

[@JoshNormandy]

Don Frye was on another level...

[@larrymansfield9393]

Man, I loved Tank’s bar brawl style. If he woulda had any type of grappling/ground game, he woulda got a belt.

[@lildeezul2]

He was a collegiate wrestler. But didn't matter. He had no discipline. He lost way more than he won. Look up his record. His cardio ,lack of discipline, and disrespect of the real martial arts was his downfall.

[@SJ-ty5rw]

@@lildeezul2 Ken Shamrock said it best anytime Abbot fought anyone .. who was a good fighter he lost ! he only beat average fighters . He lost to Kimo who was not even considered a great fighter .

[@rodmunch69]

Tank was the every man fighter, that's why he was beloved. What man didn't watch Tank and think, I could do that? Meanwhile seeing some 130lb Brazilian wrapping themselves around someones ankle like a snake - that's not something I'd ever be able to do. The mix of styles in early UFC is what made it so interesting to watch. If Tank made himself into a grappler and just sat around hugging guys for 10 mins, no one would remember him today.

[@hamnchee]

The bums will always lose!

[@thebaddog4104]

@@hamnchee Legend!

[@marcusvonmaximus8071]

Most brutal? What you meant to say is the most enjoyable! Watching tank get his ass beat down was so delightful to watch.

[@SouthsideGar42]

I never thought Tank was a great fighter but if I saw his name on the card I was all in.

[@monolithgeometry3221]

And if you and your friends saw him get irritated w you you'd be 'all out

[@JoseDiaz-yl9sh]

Don was a beast. Nice film. Real fighting days

[@CT-nb5lm]

Don Frye & Dan Severn are Gen-X LEGENDS!

[@BillyBob-wq9fl]

The Finest Generation..

[@JustAnotherMatt420]

8:59 he wasn’t knocked out of his shoes, that knocked the soul out of him. 😂😂😂

[@JosephJohnson-kg5yr]

Brutal, damn

[@ericlimon4366]

yeah, dude, did that guy die in the octagon?!

[@JustAnotherMatt420]

@@ericlimon4366 no, he didn’t pass. He just got knocked TF out and fell weird. He dropped like a sack of hammers.

[@ericlimon4366]

@@JustAnotherMatt420 oh for sure…bcuz abbot somewhat tosses his head opposite direction of the way he landed that BRUTAL fist to the neck/skull attachment, region?..so when the guy lands, his body appears to not only collapse but also it appears the guys head almost falls OFF! 🫥

[@docholliday7226]

I thought he had a broke neck leaned up on the cage lol

[@jeremylamovsky9868]

Any self respecting MMA fan, along with knowing who Tank is, as well as knowing how to pronounce Royce Gracie's name.

[@NoHomo1776]

Don Fry is the GOAT in my book.

[@theflanman1986]

Frye was an absolute animal and I don’t know how his name and record isn’t more well known.

[@gato7908]

I think it is but it was also a very long time ago. Not everyone is a history buff.

[@danielwebster5748]

Tank vs nelmark is one of the most brutal knockouts I've ever seen

[@JosephJohnson-kg5yr]

Surprised Nelmark survived that punch

[@neganrex5693]

Tank was a good fighter but Tank didn't have much in the gas tank as far as stamina goes. Don Frye had this fight before it even begun and Tank got luck with a good shot and that was the only reason it lasted as long as it did. Don Frye was a beast in his prime.

[@007Hutchings]

Tank was a beast as well.

[@sir-richard4172]

@@007Hutchings how's that "Tank" deek taste?

[@johnaustin209]

@@007Hutchings One trick pony...

[@poindextertunes]

@@johnaustin209 the “one trick pony” critique is so overused and cringey in mma

[@BillyBob-wq9fl]

Buddy if Tank didnt fall down.. Predator was getting brutalized… Predator thought he could box with Tank but found out he could not..

[@bigdogboos1]

Frye is the most terrifying guy i've seen fight. he just has this "i'm gonna stomp you into dust" look and physique.

[@nedaCFilms]

Goodridge used his Tang Soo Do Gi in UFC 8 as well. It wasn’t the Gi’s fault, because he removed the Gi in his first match with Don Frye after wearing it against Paul Herrera and Jerry Bolander.

[@Liquidcadmus]

yeah blaming the gi is just an excuse. TSD gi are not like Judo or BJJ gi, they are very light.

[@vkpskulls]

I love that everyone was running gear like crazy. Makes things fun

[@mrbtapir]

"Frye is, as always, charged up" cut to Frye looking immensely stoned.

[@antonchigurh3794]

I remember watching Tank knock that guy out. We all thought that Tank had killed him !

[@badbob9nine282]

This is amazing in all my years on youtube how have I not seen this

[@05Framer82]

Taking punches from Frye to the face, on purpose .. haha. dayam! Although I love the new fighters and rules, I miss these old school titans. I was completely obsessed with Tank Abbot, back in the day when we were using those huge satellite dishes. Yep, I'm getting old. 40 now.. So I wasn't even 10 when I was watching them on our hacked satellite dish that allowed me to watch anything for free. Satellite cards loaded up with large amounts of credits, so I could watch anything I wanted! Loved those days!

[@causticwit2286]

Gary Goodrich has the best knockout with the elbows from the crucifix. I remember that as a kid.

[@Troughi]

Easy to see why Tank still doesn’t like Don to this day.

[@hankogle6858]

Tank hit the button,when he gave that nasty KO. It’s like between the upper cheek and jaw

[@asdnetwork4268]

These were more entertaining fights than what we have now.

[@mathematics557]

Definitely!!!! These old school fights are legendary, tank abbott was my favorite to watch 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@rodmunch69]

I watched all these early UFC, and I'll still watch some UFC today, and while I certainly enjoyed old UFC more, there was a LOT of bad fights that were boring back then. However I think it's less about the fights than the pacing. I loved the single night tournament format, so much better than today when someone fights like once a year, and the actual shows are a fight followed by literally an hour of nothing happening. But the actual fights today, often, can be quite entertaining - but personally I'd still rather just see a brawler like Abbott out there beating people to a pulp.

[@Antonocon]

I worked in a nightclub in '97. It looked like this every night, but less classy.

[@KevinEFCox]

Very well done sir. Thanks for a well put together video.

[@cavemaster]

Whos the music?

[@thesaints-7-andrew.]

Watching from Greece.hi everybody. Incredible powerful fighters.

[@poindextertunes]

this takes me back to the UFC game on Dreamcast. Such a fun fade game and very unique for the time

[@KanyeKetchup]

Never knew

[@leebrown964]

Best part of the video is seeing Tank GET HIS ASS Handed to him. Fat man was not as tough as he thought

[@RickHorejsi]

When we were YOUNG , GOD BLESS OLD SCHOOL AND OLD SCHOOL CHAMPIONS

[@NicoDsSBCs]

I wonder how many liters of doping was used between all these fighters. They for sure were build differently back then. Then it were like JCVD movie characters.

[@thewarhammer8707]

One of my first memories of mma. I wanted tank to win so bad. What a fight.

[@rodmunch69]

Oh man, I remember watching this live, using the old de-scrambler box.

[@stephenzaborski8656]

Fantastic commentary, sir. Subbed.

[@hitchensrazor5450]

A bad worksman always blames his tools. Blaming his gi because he lost is showing a lack of respect....why should I be surprised?

[@LiveFreeOrDie2A]

Especially when you’re the dumbass who chose the tool. It’s like blaming the screwdriver for why you couldn’t hammer the nail.

[@hitchensrazor5450]

@@LiveFreeOrDie2A Any half-decent MMA fighter today would have tied Goodridge up in knots. He had a hard punch and nowt else.

[@paulharbron8439]

I admit, Tank thought Frye would throw down until the end and didnt expect a submission. Tank got the best of him man to man.

[@jesseison-bowman3964]

I wouldn't say he 'destroyed' him. He remembers that fight every time he looks in the mirror.

[@hanorokpony420]

One of the best old tournaments for sure

[@olivierpatanchon2168]

Tank Abbot, first fighter that makes me discover mma.

[@RobertSmith-li2eu]

I think you're doing a hell of a job keep up the good work I enjoy and I'm sure a whole lot more those too

[@delboytrotter2042]

Tank mad because the fight wasn't just stand up punching. Don took the chance to the ground where tank had no skills really. Pissed because Don didn't fight to his strengths lol.

[@theincrediblebulk7040]

Fighters nowadays should be required to have multiple fights in one night like these real men

[@patrickkirkham]

The reason why they don’t is so many dropped out after one or two fights and after a couple more instances where the alternate that hadn’t fought yet comes in and wins the whole tournament, you will change your mind too

[@noshit61]

All fun and games until you get a blow to the yin-yang

[@lastcall4686]

I miss watching old school MMA

[@Newjerseyblows]

That Don Frye sub at 10:15 was shady as hell. I think they set that up so they could beat Tank in the finals. The guy doesnt throw a punch just jumps guard? Then Frye wasnt even doing an ankle lock he was pulling on like his knee. Still one of my favorite fighters all time but they did Tank dirty.

[@kingkiller_1001]

Don was a beast

[@inflamedcarnie]

Interesting commentary, good pacing, informative. Great video.

[@louisstiles3811]

Poor Kimo had to fight a guy 100 lbs bigger than him.

[@mikepalmer2219]

The old format was insane.

[@timothycontreras8424]

Arizona is happy to have Mr Frye 🌵

[@bmurphy386]

LOL the tank looked like he wanted to throw a tantrum. Should have been brushing up on submissions instead of throwing blows. Don is Legend.

[@janetdear6429]

💪 awesome video thanks 💖😁

[@BirdDawg1]

10:56 that wasn't an accidental fall, Frye was coming straight for him with everything, hit him with his head...straight forward predator aggression is what caused Tank to fall. And get finished shortly after.

[@hankogle6858]

Don Frye was ahead of his time

[@azzalghul1828]

Awesome video man!!🎉

[@themadhatter227]

Don Frye goes home after. Cracks a bottle of scotch whiskey, lights a cigar, pets his dog and passes out to Leno on TV. When he wakes up, his mustache walks in through the door after winning secret wars on terrorism.

[@bigj3086]

Fry beat the he'll out of Tank's fists with his face!!

[@spacejockey4746]

Tank stunk. 10 Wins - 15 losses.

[@josephnicolino8529]

Don Frye's stache need to be in the Hall of Fame.

[@ihugkittens484]

Cannon punch, lightning speed, bear power and a moustache that would make even Tom Selleck green with envy!

[@thebaddog4104]

0:33 always makes me think of a bull having the matador horned up on a wall 💪

[@zekegarzaiii2012]

I know for a fact that Tank Abbott would have Killed Kimbo Slice at that time when tank was younger.

[@debbiemiller4281]

Love this channel but your bias in this video against Shamrock was rough to watch. Put some respect on Ken Shamrock name. He damn well earned it. I like Frye like you but when people mention Frye, Coleman, Ruas, & Shamrock you got to mention them all with respect.

[@ThehulkGreen]

Don talks the same now as he did years ago. The man is a machine. Fan from the 🇬🇧 uk.

[@othmanlahlou7684]

Kumo finish the giant was very outstanding 😅

[@samshelton436]

Tank was never in prison. Even his county jail reputation is highly suspect. Dude was a college athlete and graduate.

[@alexrekzu4079]

Plus the "locked up" aspect doesn't scare anyone

[@samshelton436]

@@alexrekzu4079 , exactly.

[@bloodgoat]

Don looks like an action figure

[@atsekjoker]

don frye looks like the lost brother from the village people

[@rafalmarc71]

Prawdziwa walka, teraz to MMA wygląda jak zabawa. RESPECT 💪

[@jonasirw1]

Yes..more Frye

[@brianblackburn-author7531]

Tank's got one speed - full f***i*g THROTTLE!!!

[@robertmceuen3630]

Always interested in any Don Frye and T as no Abbott fights!

[@andu1854]

Fun fact: Don Frye has said Haku is the most scary fighter he has ever seen

[@arthurrankin]

This sport has evolved to another level .

[@DaddyyCrab]

Don and I worked together at a fire dept and I remember him handing in his badge to the fire chief to fight in one of the first MMA’s. The chief wouldn’t give him annual leave to go to the fight.

[@Taylor-cu8hf]

I love the raw beginnings I'll never forget the first vcr tape I seen in 93

[@ELBAMBIROJO]

Tank Abbot had that Edgar Cut here.

[@Garf2O]

Si quema cuhh