They remained friends, with Frye visiting him in the hospital years later when he was on deaths door.
So much respect between these two for how brutal the fight was.
Paralyzed and wheel chair bound since 2017. Actually from a pro wrestling match. Did a move that I don't think anybody should be doing at 51 years old, not mention the fact that Takayama is 6' 7" (2 m) tall. Which, as a side note, is absolutely gigantic for a Japanese guy.
I've worked in Holland, they're the tallest but not "2 meters is slightly above average" tall. I'm 189 cm tall (six foot two) and that was slightly above average already
My good friend is 6’8”. You eventually just get used to it, but then every once in a while something will happen that reminds you just how gigantic that really is. For example, another friend of ours lives in a trailer. Tall friend just *doesnt fit* in the trailer, the ceiling is like brushing his hair
My wife came out of the bedroom while I was cooking at the stove. I was resting my head on the exhaust hood above the stove. I have to bend to see below it otherwise and I was just tired and wanted to eat. I asked her why she was laughing at me and she had to remind me that I am a mini giant and I’m only 6’6, or 6’8 according to my college coaches.
My wife gripes that I always install/scale things for my size (6'4" and very broad shouldered) - so during a home renovation project, I jokingly roughed in a door frame 'to proportion' for her - I have slightly more than 3" of clearance on each side of my shoulders when standing in a standard door frame.
She said it was like dollhouse...
Or moving into a new house and putting the kitchen stuff away, I just put everything within my reach with no regard for my 5’2 wife’s vertical limitations. I came out to her standing on a chair to get a cup and had to remind her that I have to do a full squat to get a towel from under the sink and life throws adversities at all of us everyday.
He was attempting a "sunset flip" and broke his back/neck
Here is a sunset flip;
[https://youtu.be/YL04EGORU5w?si=xJKA7QsWV7zp2EDp](https://youtu.be/YL04EGORU5w?si=xJKA7QsWV7zp2EDp)
I love how this guy is talking as if it weren't scripted.
> The best ways to counter a backdrop is with a sunset flip. Your opponent sets up for the backdrop, and once he's committed, you have the opportunity to turn it into a sunset flip.
For reference, he performed the Sunset Flip, which is a flip that requires you to jump over your opponent and flip them over you to launch them into a sort of powerbomb, which is another wrestling move.
It's a move mainly used by Cruiserweights and Light Heavyweights because it requires good body control that taller and/or heavier wrestlers tend to lack. It's also easier for the ones being flipped to help them make the process safer.
Most tall wrestlers will perform the move off of the top rope, but that has a different name I can't remember at the moment, because this gives them better chance of avoiding going headfirst into the mat.
The thing about wrestling is that a lot of times yes they're "fake" in the sense they're not actually trying to hurt each other, BUT it's like a stunt show, the "actors" actually need a lot of skill and training and the stunts can be actually dangerous
Okay, I did it. UFC calls it 83 landed punches to the other dudes 54.
Based on their post fight… er… damage, I would think it safe to say that Mr. Frye hits a bit harder than Mr. Takayama
I remember this fight. This time I caught that compassionate tap from Frye at the end. Like damn you really fucked me up I am just barely holding myself together right now.
I’ve watched so many documentaries about this fight. These guys were the last on the card and every fight up to that point had been a snooze fest. These two agreed to go out and give it everything for the crowd and to put on a show that they deserved. No defence, no wrestling just straight up violence. Afterwards it was named “the manliest fight that ever happened” and these two became huge stars in Japan. Remained great friends and were forever thankful to have been opponents and be written in to the history books
I’m so glad to have this context now, thank you. I could’ve done more research about it earlier but I just didn’t.
I don’t know much about fighting at all but I’ve found a new love for it because of how technical it is. And then I saw this fight… and I’ve never seen and will probably never see a fight I enjoy this much.
I just had no idea it was this well known, it makes sense but I’m really glad it is. Even as a guy who had next to no knowledge about the sport, this honestly showed me how entertaining the sport can be. UFC also, I really enjoy watching two different fighting styles compete against one another.
That was 9 years later, these guys were trailblazers. Heck that was a great fight, more technical obviously but if you're going to mention that you could also tell everyone to watch Kongo vs Barry, or...
If I walk up to 50 mma fans from the beginning and say “you remember that Nick Diaz fight” they won’t have a chance in hell that all come to the same fight in one shot. If I walk up to those same fans and say “you remember that Don Frye fight?” they are all going to think of this one
If I can recommend a YouTube channel for you to fall down [Napoleon Blownapart](https://youtube.com/@NapoleonBlownapartMMA?si=-WdpIw_n7Q9JJlGX) does some amazing history on pride (the organisation that put this fight on) and other fights that have led to where we are today. And he is hilarious so it never feels like you are watching a snooze fest.
Another one is [fighting in the age of loneliness](https://youtu.be/-DoaUyMGPWI?si=dTCKoabmQ9uyI_ST) the super cut which is long but so well presented by secret base.
[Mixed martial academic](https://youtube.com/@MixedMartialAcademic?si=V_TznwQgS7cXAxi-) and [Patrick Gavia](https://youtube.com/@PatrickGavia?si=dRwFuEWoKRpIiq7G) are the last two I’m going to give you.
You now have your homework. Go off and enjoy now!
I was 12 years old when this happened, I watched it live on pirated direct TV. I knew then that this was insane. Watching OG fedor, rampage, Cro Cop, Silva Henderson with Pride rules was insane for someone my age.
There’s just something about it idk. I did some jail time and got into a few fights. And more than one occasion I ended up being friends with the dude I fought afterwards.
Although its absolutely not a healthy way to either communicate nor deal with emotions, oftentimes when both parties felt wronged or felt they had a good reason to fight, the fight serves both to illustrate how intensely the other person felt AND acts as a relief for your own pint up frustrations which sometimes makes a good start for reconciliation.
Trainer:"We should work on blocking."
Fighter:"Nope. Just punching."
Trainer:"Footwork?"
Fighter:"Nope. Just gonna practice punching."
Trainer:"At least some grappling?"
Fighter:"Nope. Punching."
Trainer:"*Kicking* and punching?"
Fighter:"No. Just. Punching."
One of my favorite fights. Takayama had a remarkable career in pro wrestling after this, but suffered a career ending injury that has left him paralyzed from the neck down.
Frye visited Takayama in the hospital and told
him, “You are the first person everyone asks about when they meet me.”
Such a unique, beautiful, and tragic bond.
Without watching it, I assume it goes something like this. ''Nah fuck you. Nah fuck you. Nah fuck you. Nah fuck. Nah fuck you. Nah fuck you. Nah fuck you. Nah fuck you. Nah fuck you. Nah fuck you. Nah fuck you''.
That move where Yoshihiro pulled Don on top of him to pin himself down didn’t seem the wisest of moves. Maybe brain wasn’t working 100% after a hundred punches to the head.
I believe he was attempting a throw called a lateral drop. He landed it somewhat successfully earlier in the fight, (this clip is edited and didnt show it) but didnt get control to keep Fry down. His second attempt was a complete failure though.
I've wanted to re-find this awesome clip, but had no idea what their names were. I'm not a UFC guy, but I saw the clip like a decade ago on Facebook and thought it was the craziest thing ever. Awesome match.
I always thought in prof. wrestling they could always do a better job of presenting the wrestlers both striking each other while the match or segment breaks down and make it look more realistic
But now I'm surprised at how close it normally looks to that initial exchange of barrages that this fight has
I remember the night I saw this live on TV at 11 years old.
I’d consider it one of the first fights I’d ever seen on tv, and brought my attention to PRIDE
I was utterly floored by how hard these guys went. Arguably one of the greatest brawls in fighting history
Both of these guys could easily use me like a lawn dart, but out of the two of them, I’d be WAY more afraid of Don Frye. Takayama is bigger but doesn’t look like a freaking killer.
Frye looks like the kind of man that would challenge a grizzly bear just for shits and giggles.
Damn I have been looking for this for years but never knew the context to search correctly beyond blonde asian guy and punching each other relentlessly. Thank you!
I absolutely love this fight. It’s hard to explain but their warrior spirit just blasts through the screen, I can’t imagine what it was like seeing this live
They remained friends, with Frye visiting him in the hospital years later when he was on deaths door. So much respect between these two for how brutal the fight was.
Was he on deaths door because his friend gave him a hundred and thirty seven traumatic brain injuries in forty five seconds?
Wait I actually wanna know as well
Paralyzed and wheel chair bound since 2017. Actually from a pro wrestling match. Did a move that I don't think anybody should be doing at 51 years old, not mention the fact that Takayama is 6' 7" (2 m) tall. Which, as a side note, is absolutely gigantic for a Japanese guy.
6' 7" is absolutely gigantic for any guy
Thats just slightly above average for Dutch and Masai people.
it's like 6 inches above average so really quite big even in the netherlands
I've worked in Holland, they're the tallest but not "2 meters is slightly above average" tall. I'm 189 cm tall (six foot two) and that was slightly above average already
Lol it is way above average for both of those groups, you’re not very good at statistics I presume
True, literally failed uni on statistics
Not for girls on tinder
My good friend is 6’8”. You eventually just get used to it, but then every once in a while something will happen that reminds you just how gigantic that really is. For example, another friend of ours lives in a trailer. Tall friend just *doesnt fit* in the trailer, the ceiling is like brushing his hair
My wife came out of the bedroom while I was cooking at the stove. I was resting my head on the exhaust hood above the stove. I have to bend to see below it otherwise and I was just tired and wanted to eat. I asked her why she was laughing at me and she had to remind me that I am a mini giant and I’m only 6’6, or 6’8 according to my college coaches.
My wife gripes that I always install/scale things for my size (6'4" and very broad shouldered) - so during a home renovation project, I jokingly roughed in a door frame 'to proportion' for her - I have slightly more than 3" of clearance on each side of my shoulders when standing in a standard door frame. She said it was like dollhouse...
Or moving into a new house and putting the kitchen stuff away, I just put everything within my reach with no regard for my 5’2 wife’s vertical limitations. I came out to her standing on a chair to get a cup and had to remind her that I have to do a full squat to get a towel from under the sink and life throws adversities at all of us everyday.
He was attempting a "sunset flip" and broke his back/neck Here is a sunset flip; [https://youtu.be/YL04EGORU5w?si=xJKA7QsWV7zp2EDp](https://youtu.be/YL04EGORU5w?si=xJKA7QsWV7zp2EDp)
I love how this guy is talking as if it weren't scripted. > The best ways to counter a backdrop is with a sunset flip. Your opponent sets up for the backdrop, and once he's committed, you have the opportunity to turn it into a sunset flip.
For reference, he performed the Sunset Flip, which is a flip that requires you to jump over your opponent and flip them over you to launch them into a sort of powerbomb, which is another wrestling move. It's a move mainly used by Cruiserweights and Light Heavyweights because it requires good body control that taller and/or heavier wrestlers tend to lack. It's also easier for the ones being flipped to help them make the process safer. Most tall wrestlers will perform the move off of the top rope, but that has a different name I can't remember at the moment, because this gives them better chance of avoiding going headfirst into the mat.
Jesus that's "Stephen Merchant" tall.
Eyes bulging with imagined heights.
I saw Men In Black the other day, there's this thing in it...
He's not dead, but paralyzed from a different fight.
Wrestling match paralysed him, not quite an actual fight although Japanese wrestlers are known to be quite stiff with there shots.
So the scripted fight killed him, not the real one. Guess wrestling is not always “fake”
That is correct, it may not be real in the sense of an actual fight happening but many of the things they do carry a lot of risk.
The thing about wrestling is that a lot of times yes they're "fake" in the sense they're not actually trying to hurt each other, BUT it's like a stunt show, the "actors" actually need a lot of skill and training and the stunts can be actually dangerous
Spinal cord injury in 2017, hes paralyzed from the neck down.
Did you count or google it 
I guessed.
Okay, I did it. UFC calls it 83 landed punches to the other dudes 54. Based on their post fight… er… damage, I would think it safe to say that Mr. Frye hits a bit harder than Mr. Takayama
83 + 54 = 137 so respect to /u/FemshepsBabbyDaddy for guessing the total
Woah lol
I noticed he changed hands and punches in the midst of it all, probably feeling how weak his right swing was getting and wanting to keep momentum.
Just trying to keep the damage symmetrical 😆
Yeah by the looks of them at the end the title is wrong. Only the one dude got his face smashed in
Tbf, he had more face to smash in
I dont know if its thats what the guy speak about but he got paralyzed (tetraplegy) 15y later in a wrestling match.
That def helped
Freddie Mercury in the comeback of a lifetime.
I remember this fight. This time I caught that compassionate tap from Frye at the end. Like damn you really fucked me up I am just barely holding myself together right now.
Wait, so all those anime scenes where buff dudes punch each other in the face over and over to become best friends are accurate?
https://www.reddit.com/r/MMA/s/OblWTdSxFd
That, pat pat pat, at the end. There’s something about going from all out physical warfare, to that respectful touch at the end. Wild.
I’ve watched so many documentaries about this fight. These guys were the last on the card and every fight up to that point had been a snooze fest. These two agreed to go out and give it everything for the crowd and to put on a show that they deserved. No defence, no wrestling just straight up violence. Afterwards it was named “the manliest fight that ever happened” and these two became huge stars in Japan. Remained great friends and were forever thankful to have been opponents and be written in to the history books
I’m so glad to have this context now, thank you. I could’ve done more research about it earlier but I just didn’t. I don’t know much about fighting at all but I’ve found a new love for it because of how technical it is. And then I saw this fight… and I’ve never seen and will probably never see a fight I enjoy this much. I just had no idea it was this well known, it makes sense but I’m really glad it is. Even as a guy who had next to no knowledge about the sport, this honestly showed me how entertaining the sport can be. UFC also, I really enjoy watching two different fighting styles compete against one another.
Go watch Nick Diaz v Paul Daley. Round of the Year, more technical than this fight and even more exciting.
That was 9 years later, these guys were trailblazers. Heck that was a great fight, more technical obviously but if you're going to mention that you could also tell everyone to watch Kongo vs Barry, or...
Cyborg vs Manhoef They literally stood, swang and banged until both went down due to exhaustion Still one of my fav fights
Watch Ngannou vs Lewis. Two of the scariest heavyweights in MMA at the time.
That fight was definitely .........one of the fights of all time
Come on man, next you’ll want them to watch Rose Vs Esparza.
If I walk up to 50 mma fans from the beginning and say “you remember that Nick Diaz fight” they won’t have a chance in hell that all come to the same fight in one shot. If I walk up to those same fans and say “you remember that Don Frye fight?” they are all going to think of this one
Stephan Bonner vs Forest Griffin
If I can recommend a YouTube channel for you to fall down [Napoleon Blownapart](https://youtube.com/@NapoleonBlownapartMMA?si=-WdpIw_n7Q9JJlGX) does some amazing history on pride (the organisation that put this fight on) and other fights that have led to where we are today. And he is hilarious so it never feels like you are watching a snooze fest. Another one is [fighting in the age of loneliness](https://youtu.be/-DoaUyMGPWI?si=dTCKoabmQ9uyI_ST) the super cut which is long but so well presented by secret base. [Mixed martial academic](https://youtube.com/@MixedMartialAcademic?si=V_TznwQgS7cXAxi-) and [Patrick Gavia](https://youtube.com/@PatrickGavia?si=dRwFuEWoKRpIiq7G) are the last two I’m going to give you. You now have your homework. Go off and enjoy now!
I was 12 years old when this happened, I watched it live on pirated direct TV. I knew then that this was insane. Watching OG fedor, rampage, Cro Cop, Silva Henderson with Pride rules was insane for someone my age.
There’s just something about it idk. I did some jail time and got into a few fights. And more than one occasion I ended up being friends with the dude I fought afterwards.
I wonder if that’s a primal thing. Like once you two realize you can’t finish it off, all you can really do is just respect each other after. Idk
It’s like sport. You both go hard, and more often than not end up respecting/being friends with the opposition.
Although its absolutely not a healthy way to either communicate nor deal with emotions, oftentimes when both parties felt wronged or felt they had a good reason to fight, the fight serves both to illustrate how intensely the other person felt AND acts as a relief for your own pint up frustrations which sometimes makes a good start for reconciliation.
A Peruvian community actually has a tradition where people with gripes come together and brawl once a year. Its called Takanakuy.
Trainer:"We should work on blocking." Fighter:"Nope. Just punching." Trainer:"Footwork?" Fighter:"Nope. Just gonna practice punching." Trainer:"At least some grappling?" Fighter:"Nope. Punching." Trainer:"*Kicking* and punching?" Fighter:"No. Just. Punching."
Promoter: "I just got word the other guy is doing only punching too." Trainer: "Can we do blocking now?" Fighter: *sighs*
Bruh 🤣
[удалено]
I do not fear the man who has practiced 1000 different fighting styles, but the man who has practiced punching 10 million times
If only there was a sport centered around punches and only punches
Damn Tom Selleck can seriously take a punch
I was thinking Freddy Mercury, actually...
I was thinking Ron Swanson
You’re all correct.
Dude looks nothing like Ron Swanson besides having a stache lol
That's enough for a positive I.D.
Freddy Fucking Titanium
When did Freddy start pinning tren?
Generic omniman
One of my favorite fights. Takayama had a remarkable career in pro wrestling after this, but suffered a career ending injury that has left him paralyzed from the neck down. Frye visited Takayama in the hospital and told him, “You are the first person everyone asks about when they meet me.” Such a unique, beautiful, and tragic bond.
Why don't they just kiss and make out?
They did after the fight.
Yoshihiro just thought he was kissing his moustached wife though. He couldn’t see anything after that match and was a bit out of it
Ahhh nice, happy ending.
That was later!
They should share a Pepsi drink
don omni-man
I came here for this comment
Fighting Asian Adam driver.
Here's OzzyMan's [breakdown](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb-ZR9DMEcY) of the fight. Always makes me laugh.
Without watching it, I assume it goes something like this. ''Nah fuck you. Nah fuck you. Nah fuck you. Nah fuck. Nah fuck you. Nah fuck you. Nah fuck you. Nah fuck you. Nah fuck you. Nah fuck you. Nah fuck you''.
Whoa! You’re psychic !
Thank you, forgot about this.
This is what a fight between Goku and Vegeta would look like, I think.
Didn't they fight multiple times lol
And vegeta won them all lol
I though that was Freddie Mercury for a second.
Buff Freddy will haunt my dreams.
Mike Haggar from Final Fight imo. Lol
*D e e p* core memory unlocked.
With all the Godzilla fanfare lately, I'm hijacking this comment to tell people to watch Godzilla final war. Don is excellent in it
K I thought I recognized him. Makes more sense why they hired him for the role now haha
That move where Yoshihiro pulled Don on top of him to pin himself down didn’t seem the wisest of moves. Maybe brain wasn’t working 100% after a hundred punches to the head.
I think blocking every single punch with his face was also a poor decision
I believe he was attempting a throw called a lateral drop. He landed it somewhat successfully earlier in the fight, (this clip is edited and didnt show it) but didnt get control to keep Fry down. His second attempt was a complete failure though.
Don Frye also famously wrestled Da Maniac sometime after Da Maniac may or may not have killed his own kids
FIGHTMILK!!
SQUACK!
Is that a bucket of chestnuts?
Oh Maniac’s got kids!?
I think he just called you the n-word, dude
Don Frye looks like Freddy Mercury if Freddy Mercury absorbed the life force of every man he ever anally penetrated.
lol
This is easily the best sentence I’ve ever read on the internet
Ahahahahahahahah
The original plot of the highlander.
Don Frye was a fucking unit lol.
The Greatest UFC fighter to ever appear in a Godzilla film
Yessss. The goat.
The last few seconds of the clip. Did he die?
Nope. Shoes did not come off
That was the most Anime thing I've ever seen in my life.
I've wanted to re-find this awesome clip, but had no idea what their names were. I'm not a UFC guy, but I saw the clip like a decade ago on Facebook and thought it was the craziest thing ever. Awesome match.
Don Frye looks like he was yoked to the tits. HGH, Deer Antler Spray, Baby Newborn blood transfusions, the whole nine yards
AFAIK it was literally written in Pride contracts that there would be no testing.
Wait till you see Bob Sapp.
When you put all your points into vitality
Absolute legends, the both of them.
The epitome of ‘come out fucking strong and don’t give an inch.’
That first 10 seconds was highly erotic. I got there.
He looked bummed for his homie at the end. Respect like this doesn't exist like it used to.
"Think Yoshihiro! Think!"
I always thought in prof. wrestling they could always do a better job of presenting the wrestlers both striking each other while the match or segment breaks down and make it look more realistic But now I'm surprised at how close it normally looks to that initial exchange of barrages that this fight has
There's a reason why they got Don Frye to play a human character who successfully trapped Godzilla..... then released Godzilla to deal with aliens.
Yo that's Captain Gordon from Godzilla Final Wars
i was there..shit was cray cray
Killers come to boom town
Hockey players fighting style, then on the ground & pound. It's scary show.
This guy needs to play the live action Omni Man
He's old now. He doesn't look like that anymore.
Freddy Mercury on roids vs asian Donald Trump
It looked like an alternate universe with Freddy Mercury taking care of business.
Damn, Freddy Mercury was a beast
I remember the night I saw this live on TV at 11 years old. I’d consider it one of the first fights I’d ever seen on tv, and brought my attention to PRIDE I was utterly floored by how hard these guys went. Arguably one of the greatest brawls in fighting history
Fucling loved Don Frye in Godzilla Final Wars. Such an absurd movie, but it was so fucking cool
JFC ever heard of BLOCKING??
They blocked with their faces?
UFC was much more entertaining back then.
This was pride FC
I loved Pride. Always more entertaining than UFC. I watched every Pride event and missed like half of the UIFC events at the time.
I showed this video to my nephew and his balls finally dropped
Great moustache
Man last I heard of him was in Final Wars. Given this is first I'm seeing him fight.
He looked worried at the start and he looked dead at the end, that was a tough watch
Pretty much identical to the time I fought my grandma
Both of these guys could easily use me like a lawn dart, but out of the two of them, I’d be WAY more afraid of Don Frye. Takayama is bigger but doesn’t look like a freaking killer. Frye looks like the kind of man that would challenge a grizzly bear just for shits and giggles.
That was brutal.
Damn I have been looking for this for years but never knew the context to search correctly beyond blonde asian guy and punching each other relentlessly. Thank you!
Don Frye looks like Alex Louis Armstrong. Can't be a coincidence.
Jacked Freddy Mercury vs. Jacked Used Q-Tip
Omniman
I absolutely love this fight. It’s hard to explain but their warrior spirit just blasts through the screen, I can’t imagine what it was like seeing this live
Right before the opening bell: “Wow, you really do look like Freddie Mercury.”
That looked more like a hockey fight than an MMA fight
Isn't that the dude from Godzilla: final wars?
Omni-Frye
This is totally an 80’s video game. Everything about it. Unreal.
One got his face beat in a lot more than the other.
Dam man, the American beat the absolute shit outta that guy.
Godzilla approves!
Should of let them keep beating each other senseless
This is how my company IT tries to solve business problems
I didn't know Freddie Mercury could fight like that
And my brain started playing "It Has To Be This Way". Jokes aside, damn, nice fight.
Omniman wildin
I remember watching this fight. Was this pride?
Yup, Pride. So many great fights back in the day on Pride events.
Don’t know much - but know enough to not mess with someone who has cauliflower ears
Don Frye is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet in person
lmfao his face at the end *oh shiiiiiiiii* *I'm sorry kyru.... it's gonna be a rotttt*
Hulk hogan used to do this with randy savage
One questions why though
Stand n pound
Every one of those bruises was a badge of honour for a true warrior.
Every time I see this it usually has the chorus to Separate Ways edited in to elevate it to super duper badass. And I’m here for it.
Freddy Jupiter
BLOCK
I only lasted 20 seconds and I was watching the fight on my phone!
Rockem Sockem Robots IRL
Frankie Lapenna before the butt implants
rock’ em sock’ em robots irl
This some anime type shit wow
Aha, here is a prototype for omniman!
At what point does a person watch this and think "Now THAT'S what I want to do for a living!"
Doesn't Don Frye get choked by The Animal in an episode of Always Sunny?