Ultimate Ultimate 96
Encyclopedia
The Ultimate Ultimate 2 was a mixed martial arts
event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship
on December 7, 1996. The event took place at the Fair Park Arena
in Birmingham, Alabama
, and was broadcast live on pay-per-view
in the United States, and released on home video
.
with two alternate bouts, and was the UFC's second "Ultimate Ultimate" tournament, held to find the best of the winners and runners up from past UFC events. This event was the first to introduce the "no grabbing of the fence" rule.
Ken Shamrock
appeared as a guest on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
on the mainstream network NBC
to promote the event, a groundbreaking moment for the young sport of mixed martial arts
.
UFC 10
and UFC 11
champion Mark Coleman
was originally scheduled to compete in the tournament but was forced to withdraw from the event due to a virus.
The Ultimate Ultimate 1996 also marked the final appearance of UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock
before leaving the UFC to go to the World Wrestling Federation
. Shamrock would not return to the UFC until 2002 at UFC 40
.
The event would also be the last time Don Frye
fought in the UFC, as he would also transition into pro wrestling, signing with New Japan Pro Wrestling
.
withdrew due to injury, and was replaced by alternate Steve Nelmark.
2Kimo Leopoldo
withdrew due to fatigue, and was replaced by alternate Mark Hall.
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
on December 7, 1996. The event took place at the Fair Park Arena
Fair Park Arena
The Fair Park Arena is a 6,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. It hosts local sporting events and concerts. It was built in 1980....
in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, and was broadcast live on pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
in the United States, and released on home video
Home video
Home video is a blanket term used for pre-recorded media that is either sold or rented/hired for home cinema entertainment. The term originates from the VHS/Betamax era but has carried over into current optical disc formats like DVD and Blu-ray Disc and, to a lesser extent, into methods of digital...
.
History
The card featured an eight man tournamentTournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
with two alternate bouts, and was the UFC's second "Ultimate Ultimate" tournament, held to find the best of the winners and runners up from past UFC events. This event was the first to introduce the "no grabbing of the fence" rule.
Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
appeared as a guest on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
on the mainstream network NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
to promote the event, a groundbreaking moment for the young sport of mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
.
UFC 10
UFC 10
-External links:***...
and UFC 11
UFC 11
UFC 11: The Proving Ground was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 20th, 1996, at the Augusta Civic Center in Augusta, Georgia...
champion Mark Coleman
Mark Coleman
Mark Coleman is an American mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, former NCAA collegiate wrestler and former Olympic amateur wrestler. In MMA, he was the UFC 10 and UFC 11 tournament champion, the first Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion, and the Pride Fighting...
was originally scheduled to compete in the tournament but was forced to withdraw from the event due to a virus.
The Ultimate Ultimate 1996 also marked the final appearance of UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
before leaving the UFC to go to the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
. Shamrock would not return to the UFC until 2002 at UFC 40
UFC 40
UFC 40: Vendetta was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 22, 2002, at the MGM Grand Arena on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada...
.
The event would also be the last time Don Frye
Don Frye
Donald Frye is a retired American mixed martial artist, actor, and professional wrestler. Frye rose to fame fighting in early Ultimate Fighting Championship events, winning the UFC 8 and Ultimate Ultimate 96 tournaments...
fought in the UFC, as he would also transition into pro wrestling, signing with New Japan Pro Wrestling
New Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
.
Alternate bouts
Mark Hall vs. Felix Lee Mitchell
- Hall defeated Mitchell via TKO (punches) at 1:45.
- Steve Nelmark vs. Marcus Bossett
- Nelmark defeated Bossett via submission (choke) at 1:37.
- Tai Bowden vs. Jack Nilson
- Bowden defeated Nilson via submission (headbutts) at 4:46.
Quarterfinals
- Ken ShamrockKen ShamrockKenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
vs. Brian JohnstonBrian Johnston (fighter)Brian Johnston was a mixed martial artist who competed throughout the mid 1990s, most notably in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. His effective mix of precision striking and ground fighting, as seen with other fighters such as Marco Ruas, would set the standard for what are now common traits in...
- Shamrock defeated Johnston via submission (forearm choke) at 5:49. Shamrock was unable to continue in the tournament because of a broken hand he suffered after pinning Johnston up against the cage and unleashing a series of punches.
- Tank AbbottTank AbbottDavid Lee Abbott is an American mixed martial arts fighter and former professional wrestler. He has described his fighting style, which he developed brawling in the bars and streets of Huntington Beach, California, as "street fighting"...
vs. Cal WorshamCal WorshamCal Worsham is an American mixed martial arts fighter and former corrections officer. He is an early pioneer of mixed martial arts having competed in one of the earliest modern events...
- Abbott defeated Worsham via submission (punches) at 2:51.
- Don FryeDon FryeDonald Frye is a retired American mixed martial artist, actor, and professional wrestler. Frye rose to fame fighting in early Ultimate Fighting Championship events, winning the UFC 8 and Ultimate Ultimate 96 tournaments...
vs.
Gary GoodridgeGary GoodridgeGary Goodridge , nicknamed "Big Daddy", is a Trinidadian and Tobagonian-Canadian former super heavyweight kickboxer and heavyweight mixed martial artist fighting out of Barrie, Ontario. Goodridge is known for his hard-hitting fighting style and showmanship...
- Frye defeated Goodridge via submission (fatigue) at 11:19.
- Kimo LeopoldoKimo LeopoldoKimo Leopoldo , or simply Kimo, is an American mixed martial artist. He made his MMA debut at UFC 3 in 1994 losing to Royce Gracie by submission. Kimo's fighting style has been described as freestyle, with a mixture of striking and grappling techniques.He was credited with a black belt in Taekwondo...
vs. Paul VarelansPaul VarelansPaul Varelans is a former professional mixed martial arts fighter. He is famous for his appearances in the Ultimate Fighting Championship from 1995 to 1996, as well as a worked shoot fight against Taz in Extreme Championship Wrestling.-Career:...
- Leopoldo defeated Varelans via TKO (corner stoppage) at 9:08. Leopoldo was unable to continue in the tournament due to fatigue.
Semifinals
- Tank AbbottTank AbbottDavid Lee Abbott is an American mixed martial arts fighter and former professional wrestler. He has described his fighting style, which he developed brawling in the bars and streets of Huntington Beach, California, as "street fighting"...
vs. Steve Nelmark
- Abbott defeated Nelmark via KO (punch) at 1:05. Nelmark was an alternate for Ken Shamrock, who could not continue due to a broken hand.
- Don FryeDon FryeDonald Frye is a retired American mixed martial artist, actor, and professional wrestler. Frye rose to fame fighting in early Ultimate Fighting Championship events, winning the UFC 8 and Ultimate Ultimate 96 tournaments...
vs. Mark Hall
- Frye defeated Hall via submission (Achilles lock) at 0:20. Hall was an alternate for Kimo Leopoldo, who could not continue due to fatigue.
Finals
- Don FryeDon FryeDonald Frye is a retired American mixed martial artist, actor, and professional wrestler. Frye rose to fame fighting in early Ultimate Fighting Championship events, winning the UFC 8 and Ultimate Ultimate 96 tournaments...
vs. Tank AbbottTank AbbottDavid Lee Abbott is an American mixed martial arts fighter and former professional wrestler. He has described his fighting style, which he developed brawling in the bars and streets of Huntington Beach, California, as "street fighting"...
- Frye defeated Abbott via submission (rear naked choke) at 1:23 to win the Ultimate Ultimate 1996 Tournament.
Ultimate Ultimate 96 bracket
1Ken ShamrockKen Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
withdrew due to injury, and was replaced by alternate Steve Nelmark.
2Kimo Leopoldo
Kimo Leopoldo
Kimo Leopoldo , or simply Kimo, is an American mixed martial artist. He made his MMA debut at UFC 3 in 1994 losing to Royce Gracie by submission. Kimo's fighting style has been described as freestyle, with a mixture of striking and grappling techniques.He was credited with a black belt in Taekwondo...
withdrew due to fatigue, and was replaced by alternate Mark Hall.