Gary Goodridge facts for kids

Gary Henry Goodridge (born January 17, 1966), known as "Big Daddy", is a former professional fighter from Trinidad and Tobago and Canada. He was a top competitor in kickboxing and mixed martial arts (MMA). Before his fighting career, he was also one of the best professional arm wrestling champions in the world. In 2012, Gary was diagnosed with an early form of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain condition.

Early Life and Sports

Gary Goodridge was born in Saint James, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Later, he moved to Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Before becoming a combat sports star, he worked as a welder at the Honda factory in Alliston, Ontario.

He was a world champion in arm wrestling. He even beat famous arm wrestlers like Sharon Remez and John Brzenk in 1991 and 1994. Gary was also the super heavyweight amateur boxing champion of Canada.

Mixed Martial Arts Career

Gary Goodridge decided to try out for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) after his friends suggested it. He started training in Kuk Sool Won, a Korean martial art. He quickly earned a 4th-degree black belt and agreed to represent the school in the UFC. He went to his first UFC event with less than a month of experience in this new martial art.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)

In 1996, Gary made his UFC debut at UFC 8: David vs. Goliath in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His first opponent was Paul Herrera. Gary won the fight in just 13 seconds by knockout.

In the second round, Gary faced Jerry Bohlander. Gary used his strength to control Bohlander. He eventually knocked Jerry out with two strong punches. In the finals, he fought against the famous fighter Don Frye. Gary was very tired, but he decided to fight to earn the money. Frye won the fight by making Gary give up due to exhaustion.

Gary returned at UFC 9: Motor City Madness to fight Olympic wrestler Mark Schultz. Schultz controlled the fight on the ground. The referee stopped the fight because of cuts on Gary's face. On July 12, 1996, at UFC 10: The Tournament, Gary fought again. He knocked out John Campetella. Then he faced Mark Coleman, who won the tournament. Coleman took Gary down many times and won the fight.

His next UFC match was a rematch against Don Frye at Ultimate Ultimate 1996. Gary took Frye down and hit him. But Frye managed to escape and take Gary down. Gary gave up again because he was too tired.

Vale Tudo in Brazil

After his time in the UFC, Gary Goodridge went to Brazil to compete in vale tudo fights. These fights had very few rules. His first match there ended when he gave up due to exhaustion.

On July 6, 1997, Gary took part in the first International Vale Tudo Championship tournament. He won his first two fights quickly. He then reached the finals, where he faced Pedro Otavio. Gary won the tournament by making Pedro give up after many punches.

PRIDE Fighting Championships in Japan

In late 1997, Gary Goodridge joined PRIDE Fighting Championships in Japan. He made his debut at PRIDE 1. He fought against Oleg Taktarov and won with a powerful knockout punch.

At PRIDE 2, Gary fought Marco Ruas. Gary was doing well, but Ruas caught him in a leg lock, and Gary had to give up. At PRIDE 3, Gary knocked out Amir Rahnavardi with many punches.

Gary's next PRIDE fight was at PRIDE 4 against Igor Vovchanchyn. Gary took Igor down, but Igor got back up and knocked Gary out with two strong punches.

After a quick return to the UFC in 1999, Gary fought Olympic judoka Naoya Ogawa at Pride 6. Ogawa took Gary down and made him give up. Gary later said that someone offered him money to lose this fight, but he refused the offer and fought his best.

PRIDE Grand Prix and "Gatekeeper" Role

On January 20, 2000, Gary took part in the PRIDE Grand Prix 2000 tournament. He won his first fight quickly. In the next round, he faced Igor Vovchanchyn again, who knocked him out for the second time. Gary was out of the tournament. He became known as a "gatekeeper" in PRIDE, meaning he often fought new, rising stars.

Gary then lost two fights before winning against Yoshiaki Yatsu at PRIDE 11. Gary avoided Yatsu's takedowns and landed many kicks and punches, winning by TKO. He continued his winning streak by beating Bob Schrijber and Valentijn Overeem.

His winning streak ended at PRIDE 15 against Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira. Nogueira was very good at Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He took Gary down and made him give up with a choke.

At the end of 2002, Gary won a fight by armbar. He also beat Yoshiaki Yatsu again. His last fight of the year was a special match that ended in a draw.

Last PRIDE Matches

In 2002, Gary won against Achmed Labasanov by decision. At PRIDE Shockwave 2002, he quickly defeated Lloyd van Dams with takedowns and punches.

After a break, Gary fought Fedor Emelianenko, who won quickly. Gary returned to PRIDE to fight Dan Bobish. Gary knocked him out with punches.

Gary Goodridge had his official retirement fight at PRIDE Shockwave 2003. It was a third match against his old UFC rival Don Frye. Both fighters were older and had fought many times. Gary won the fight by knocking out Frye with a kick to the head. The crowd gave Gary a big cheer as he celebrated his retirement.

Even though he retired from PRIDE, Gary continued to fight in other organizations like K-1 and Hero's.

HERO'S Fights

In 2004, Gary started fighting for the K-1 promotion's HERO'S series. He knocked out Sylvester Terkay in the first round. In 2005, he won against Alan Karaev by submission.

After this, he lost to Heath Herring in 2006. At HERO'S 8 in 2007, Gary beat Jan "The Giant" Nortje. This was his last professional victory, though he continued to compete for three more years.

Kickboxing Career

Gary Goodridge started his kickboxing career in 1999. His first win in K-1 was against Mike Bernardo in 2002. Later that year, he lost to Jérôme Le Banner.

In 2005, Gary competed in two K-1 World Grand Prix tournaments in the United States. In Las Vegas, he knocked out two opponents to reach the finals, where he lost. Three months later, in Honolulu, Hawaii, he won three fights by knockout to become the champion of the K-1 World Grand Prix 2005 in Hawaii. He later lost to Jérôme Le Banner again.

In 2006, he returned to the K-1 World Grand Prix 2006 in Las Vegas. He won two fights but lost in the final.

Personal Life

Gary Goodridge became a Muslim in 2018. In 2011, he published a book called Gatekeeper: The Fighting Life of Gary "Big Daddy" Goodridge. The book shares details about his fighting career and personal life. As a result of his long career in combat sports, Gary has been diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain condition.

Gary once shared that he was offered money to lose a fight in 1999, but he refused the offer and fought his best.

Championships and Accomplishments

Professional Armwrestling

• Most gold medals earned from WAF worlds from any Canadian Armwrestler.

See also

In Spanish: Gary Goodridge para niños

• List of male kickboxers
• List of K-1 events
• List of UFC events
• List of Canadian UFC fighters