Sherdog's Top 10: Greatest Pride Fights

6. Don Frye vs. Yoshihiro Takayama | Pride 21 (June 23, 2002)

Frye vs. Takayama is easily the most controversial entry on this list. It even received a second-place vote although half the voters, myself included, left it off entirely. Certainly, the opening, where Frye and Takayama charge at one another, grabbing the back of their foe's head with the left hand and repeatedly punching with the right like a couple of enraged hockey players, is one of the most iconic in the sport’s history. However, this is also by far the lowest caliber match of any on this list. Takayama was 0-2 at the time and ended his time in MMA a winless 0-4, all via stoppage. Frye was very good in the 90s but had taken a four-year hiatus from 1997 to 2001 and when he came back was no longer a top fighter thanks to a combination of age, injuries and the sport simply evolving past him. Moreover, both Frye and Takayama did a lot of pro wrestling in Japan and it was Frye's idea to begin the fight the way they did, which a nervous Takayama readily agreed to in the locker room. That was the only part of the contest that was agreed upon beforehand, but nevertheless, it makes its most famous portion more pro wrestling than MMA.

Still, it was an amusing spectacle. Frye, having some boxing ability, landed more punches than Takayama did, and they were harder and more accurate than those of the stiff Japanese pro wrestler, to boot. This was reflected in their faces, as Takayama was bloody and battered a minute into the contest, while Frye’s face was still fresh. However, Frye gots tired, which Takayama took advantage of to throw him to the canvas before smashing him with a knee to the head while he was still grounded. Frye got up and they briefly went back to the hockey routine, though with less vigor this time. Now Frye had a cut on his forehead, too. Both men were already exhausted two minutes in, though Frye continued scoring with occasional short right hooks and right uppercuts, which Takayama simply stood there and ate, though he managed a few effective knees in return. After a nearly minute-long medical break to examine Takayama's broken face that allowed both men to catch their wind, they resumed and Frye immediately battered his foe with straight rights and lefts followed by uppercuts in the clinch as Takayama's attempted knees were far less effective. With both men exhausted again, Takayama tried an ill-advised takedown, leaving Frye on top in mount, from where the American summarily pounded him out. The memorable contest had concluded in just over six minutes.

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