UFC Legend Don Frye Hospitalized After Heart Emergency, Saved By Longtime Rival
Don Frye recently disclosed that he was hospitalized after suffering a serious heart-related medical emergency.
In a video posted last week on his YouTube channel, Frye spoke from his hospital bed and revealed he was battling arrhythmia, a condition that causes an irregular heartbeat. Despite the seriousness of the issue, the UFC legend initially resisted going to the hospital and only sought urgent medical care after former rival Gary Goodridge alerted his daughter.
“What brought me in here is my daughter,” Frye said. “Gary Goodridge turned on me, betrayed me, went behind my back, and called the boss. The boss came over and threw me in the truck, and we got stuck here in the hospital for a few days. And I had AFib [Atrial Fibrillation] again. They shot me up back in 2016, and it lasted almost a decade.
“I’ve been feeling like sh*t the last couple years, but in the last three or four months I’ve really gone downhill. Really steady, really fast. You can tell, when [Gary] came over, I couldn’t even go out and feed the horses, [he] knew something was wrong.”
Encouragingly, Don Frye says his condition has stabilized with treatment, noting that he’s now breathing normally as he continues to recover.
“I’m feeling better. I breathe, I wasn’t getting any air in. I had 96% oxygen intake, circulation, but it just didn’t feel like it. But I’m back up to 99 or 100%. I can feel it now. I think the new medicine has kicked in. They just have to adjust it to how much I need.”
How Many Times Did Don Frye And Gary Goodridge Fight Each Other?
Widely regarded as one of the UFC’s most influential pioneers, Don Frye first faced fellow legend Gary Goodridge at UFC 8 in February 1996, where “The Predator” secured the win by asserting superior positional control.
The two crossed paths again later that year at UFC 11.5: Ultimate Ultimate 1996, where Frye once more got the better of Goodridge, wearing down “Big Daddy” through relentless pressure and superior conditioning.
Don Frye and Gary Goodridge met for the third and final time in December 2003 at PRIDE Shockwave 2003. This time, Goodridge turned the tables on Frye, stopping “The Predator” with a first-round head-kick knockout.
Since then, their rivalry has evolved into a close friendship, with the two often spending time together away from competition.
