Frank Trigg
 | This article is written like a story. (February 2010) |
| Frank Trigg | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Dewey Franklin Trigg III May 7, 1972 Rochester, New York, United States |
| Other names | Twinkle Toes |
| Nationality |  Bonerville |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st) |
| Division | Welterweight Middleweight |
| Reach | 71 in (180 cm) |
| Style | Boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Wrestling |
| Stance | Southpaw |
| Fighting out of | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States |
| Team | Xtreme Couture |
| Rank | purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu 2nd degree black belt in Judo NCAA Division I Wrestling |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 29 |
| Wins | 21 |
| By knockout | 10 |
| By submission | 6 |
| By decision | 5 |
| Losses | 8 |
| By knockout | 4 |
| By submission | 4 |
| Other information | |
| University | University of Oklahoma |
| Spouse | Nicole |
| Notable school(s) | East Ridge JR-SR High School |
| Website | http://franktrigg.com/ |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Last updated on: September 14, 2009 | |
Dewey Franklin Trigg III (born May 7, 1972) is an American mixed martial artist, color commentator, pro wrestler and co-host of MMAWeekly radio show and TAGG radio show.[1] He was released from the Ultimate Fighting Championship February 10, 2010. As a fighter, Trigg is a veteran of the UFC, Pride Fighting Championships, Rumble on the Rock, Icon Sport, BAMMA, World Fighting Alliance, and has even made a few professional wrestling appearances in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
Biography
Born in Kendall, New York, a small town outside of Rochester, New York, Trigg was one of seven children raised by an African-American father and a Italian-American mother, Trigg's early years were not always easy. Growing up in a home with seven brothers, money was tight. That's how Trigg discovered grappling. Naturally, with so many boys in the household, sibling rivalry was rampant, particularly when it came to athletics. Excelling in sports was a highly revered goal, and Trigg's natural athleticism made people take notice.
Trigg developed an early interest in martial arts. However, the sport’s requisite discipline and sacrifices were intense on the grade schooler, and he lost interest until he discovered he had a gift for wrestling at the age of 12. It was then that he resumed his martial arts studies seriously. [citation needed]
It was not long before Trigg caught the eye of athletic scouts like legendary wrestling coach Jack Spates. Recruited by Spates to wrestle at the University of Oklahoma, Trigg’s speed, agility and heart, distinguished him from teammates. Spates’s tutelage went beyond wrestling moves. He educated Trigg about the business world and the intricacies of corporate America, lessons that would serve the budding entrepreneur well.
Mixed martial arts career
In 1995, Trigg simultaneously began studying judo under famed Sensei and former Olympian, Patrick Burris. It was while training with Burris that Trigg earned his first black belt and was introduced to the world of Mixed Martial Arts.
After receiving his Bachelor's Degree in Public Affairs and Administration in 1997, Trigg took a coaching position at University of Oklahoma while continuing to compete on his own at the amateur and professional levels. In 1999, Trigg fought at Pride 8 in Japan, defeating Fabiano Iha via TKO due to strikes. Less than a year later, in early 2000, Trigg qualified as an Olympic Trials Finalist in wrestling. He is also a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity.
Beating some of the World's best athletes convinced Trigg that a legitimate professional wrestling and mixed martial arts career was the next step. By the end of 2000, Trigg fought the Shooto champion Hayato Sakurai for his title. While Trigg initially controlled the bout, Sakurai staged a comeback and score a KO via knees in the second round, handing Trigg his first career loss.
Trigg joined the World Fighting Alliance from 2001–2002, where he held the WFA welterweight title. Trigg was undefeated in WFA.
After several successful years with the WFA, in 2003, Trigg joined the premier organization in the world for MMA, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Trigg earned an immediate title shot against champion Matt Hughes at UFC 45: Revolution. After a tactical grappling match-up early on, Trigg fell victim to a rear naked choke in the first round.
Trigg rebounded quickly, defeating Dennis Hallman and Renato Verissimo in UFC 48 and UFC 50 to earn another shot at Hughes' Welterweight Championship.
In their second fight at UFC 52, Trigg had Hughes at the brink of defeat after an unintentional knee to the groin went unnoticed by the referee. Hughes went on to reverse position and submit Trigg by rear naked choke later in the first round in what is considered one of the great comebacks in UFC history. After this loss, fans of Frank Trigg affectionately termed the choke the "rear naked Trigg."
Trigg returned at UFC 54 to take on future welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre where he lost by a rear naked choke in the opening round. The loss would be Trigg's final appearance in the UFC until UFC 103, almost 50 events later.
Trigg participated in Rumble on the Rock's 2006 welterweight tournament, winning his first round fight against Ronald Jhun. He was upset in the second round by Carlos Condit.
Trigg remained inactive after that loss, focusing on his broadcasting job with Pride FC.
He won the Icon Sport Middleweight title on December 6, 2006, TKO-ing Jason "Mayhem" Miller.
His next fight was on at Pride 33, on February 24, 2007, against Middleweight Grand Prix champion Kazuo Misaki. Trigg out wrestled Misaki and maintained control on the ground, winning by a 30–27 unanimous decision.
A month later, on March 31, 2007, Trigg unsuccessfully defended his Icon Sport middleweight title against Robbie Lawler, losing in the fourth round via KO.
On December 17, 2007, Trigg beat Edwin Dewees in the first round by submission at HDNet Fights- Reckless Abandon.[2] On August 24, 2008, Trigg traveled to Japan to compete at Sengoku 4 where he bested 2000 Judo Olympic Gold Medalist Makoto Takimoto via a unanimous decision.On October 3, 2008, Trigg won a unanimous decision over Falaniko Vitale at Strikeforce: Payback in Denver, Colorado. On February 14, 2009, Trigg won a unanimous decision over Danny Babcock (5–2) at XCF: Rumble in Racetown in Daytona, FL.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2008)
In addition to MMA, Frank Trigg was also an analyst and on-screen character in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in 2008, aligning himself with Kurt Angle, who used his passing resemblance to Trigg as part of a storyline. At No Surrender (2008) he faced A.J. Styles in an MMA style match, the match going to a draw due to an "unintentional" low blow by Trigg. The crowd was hostile to both combatants, chanting "This is bullshit", "We want wrestling", and "Fire Russo". After the match, Styles beat down Trigg using a kendo stick and declared that "I'm a wrestler, I don't do this crap!". Trigg has not appeared since the match.
Return to UFC (2009–2010)
On May 27, 2009, Trigg re-signed with the UFC after agreeing a four-fight deal with the company, where he returned to the welterweight division against Ultimate Fighter veteran Josh Koscheck at UFC 103. Koscheck defeated Trigg via first round TKO.
After this disappointing loss, Trigg went on to face the former UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra at UFC 109 and lost for a second time since his return via knockout (punches).
Trigg was released by the UFC following his second straight knockout loss.[2]
After Release by UFC (2010)
After being released by the UFC, Trigg went into a semi-retirement, but returned for the inaugural Israel Fighting Championship on Nov. 9. Trigg easily defeated Roy Neeman by strikes in the first round. After the fight, he said he didn't really know what was next for him.[3] He has fought twice since his time in the UFC once in Israel and more recently at BAMMA 6 in the UK winning by TKO(Doctor Stoppage) against British domestic standout John Phillips. [4]
Personal life
Frank Trigg is married to his third wife, Nicole and has four children.[5] Trigg and his wife welcomed a son named Stone in September 2008.[6] The couple had their second child together, a boy named Lavin, on October 2, 2010.[7]
Mixed martial arts record
| 29 matches | 21 wins | 8 losses |
| By knockout | 10 | 4 |
| By submission | 6 | 4 |
| By decision | 5 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 21-8 |  John Phillips
|
TKO (Doctor Stoppage) | BAMMA 6: Kong vs. Ninja | May 21, 2011 | 1 | 2:41 |  London, England
|
|
| Win | 20–8 |  Roy Neeman
|
TKO (Punches) | Israel FC: Genesis | November 9, 2010 | 1 | 2:36 | Tel Aviv, Israel
|
|
| Loss | 19–8 | Matt Serra
|
KO (Punches) | UFC 109: Relentless | February 6, 2010 | 1 | 2:23 | Las Vegas, Nevada, US
|
|
| Loss | 19–7 | Josh Koscheck
|
TKO (Punches) | UFC 103: Franklin vs. Belfort | September 19, 2009 | 1 | 1:25 | Dallas, Texas, US
|
|
| Win | 19–6 | Danny Babcock
|
Decision (Unanimous) | XCF: Rumble in Racetown | February 14, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Daytona, Florida, US
|
|
| Win | 18–6 | Falaniko Vitale
|
Decision (Unanimous) | Strikeforce: Payback | October 3, 2008 | 3 | 5:00 | Broomfield, Colorado, US
|
|
| Win | 17–6 |  Makoto Takimoto
|
Decision (Unanimous) | Sengoku 4 | August 28, 2008 | 3 | 5:00 | Saitama, Japan
|
|
| Win | 16–6 | Edwin Dewees
|
Submission (Kimura) | HDNet Fights – Reckless Abandon | December 15, 2007 | 1 | 1:40 | Dallas, Texas, US
|
|
| Loss | 15–6 | Robbie Lawler
|
KO (Punches) | Icon Sport – Epic | March 31, 2007 | 4 | 1:40 | Honolulu, Hawaii, US
|
Loses IconSport Middleweight Championship. |
| Win | 15–5 | Kazuo Misaki
|
Decision (Unanimous) | Pride 33: Second Coming | February 24, 2007 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, US
|
|
| Win | 14–5 | Jason Miller
|
TKO (Soccer Kicks And Punches) | Icon Sport | December 2, 2006 | 2 | 2:53 | Honolulu, Hawaii, US
|
Wins IconSport Middleweight Championship |
| Loss | 13–5 | Carlos Condit
|
Submission (Triangle Armbar) | Rumble on the Rock 9 | April 21, 2006 | 1 | 1:22 | Honolulu, Hawaii, US
|
ROTR WW Tournament Second Round |
| Win | 13–4 | Ronald Jhun
|
Decision (Unanimous) | Rumble on the Rock 8 | January 20, 2006 | 3 | 5:00 | Honolulu, Hawaii, US
|
ROTR WW Tournament Opening Round |
| Loss | 12–4 |  Georges St. Pierre
|
Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) | UFC 54: Boiling Point | August 20, 2005 | 1 | 4:09 | Las Vegas, Nevada, US
|
|
| Loss | 12–3 | Matt Hughes
|
Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) | UFC 52: Couture vs. Liddell 2 | April 16, 2005 | 1 | 4:05 | Las Vegas, Nevada, US
|
For UFC Welterweight Championship |
| Win | 12–2 |  Renato Verissimo
|
TKO (Elbows) | UFC 50: The War of '04 | October 22, 2004 | 2 | 2:11 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, US
|
|
| Win | 11–2 | Dennis Hallman
|
TKO (Punches) | UFC 48: Payback | June 19, 2004 | 1 | 4:15 | Las Vegas, Nevada, US
|
|
| Loss | 10–2 | Matt Hughes
|
Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) | UFC 45: Revolution | November 21, 2003 | 1 | 3:54 | Uncasville, Connecticut, US
|
For UFC Welterweight Championship |
| Win | 10–1 | Dennis Hallman
|
TKO (Injury) | WFA 3: Level 3 | November 23, 2002 | 1 | 4:15 | Las Vegas, Nevada, US
|
Wins WFA Welterweight Championship |
| Win | 9–1 | Jason Medina
|
Submission (Elbow Strikes) | WFA 2: Level 2 | July 5, 2002 | 1 | 3:43 | Las Vegas, Nevada, US
|
|
| Win | 8–1 | Laverne Clark
|
Submission (Punches and Elbows) | World Fighting Alliance 1 | November 3, 2001 | 3 | 2:15 | Las Vegas, Nevada, US
|
|
| Loss | 7–1 | Hayato Sakurai
|
TKO (Knees) | Shooto R.E.A.D. Final | December 17, 2000 | 2 | 2:25 | Chiba, Japan
|
|
| Win | 7–0 | Ray Cooper
|
Submission (Forearm Choke) | World Extreme Fighting – New Blood Conflict | August 26, 2000 | 2 | 3:05 | USA
|
|
| Win | 6–0 | Fabiano Iha
|
TKO (Punches) | Pride 8 | November 21, 1999 | 1 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan
|
|
| Win | 5–0 | Jean Jacques Machado
|
TKO (Corner Stoppage) | Vale Tudo Japan 1998 | October 25, 1998 | 3 | 0:20 | Tokyo, Japan
|
|
| Win | 4–0 | Marcelo Aguiar
|
TKO (Punches) | Shooto – Las Grandes Viajes 3 | May 13, 1998 | 2 | 3:08 | Tokyo, Japan
|
|
| Win | 3–0 | Dan Hilbert
|
Submission (Forearm Choke) | Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 7 | October 18, 1997 | 1 | 2:45 | Texas, US
|
|
| Win | 2–0 | Javier Buentello
|
Submission (Rear Naked Choke) | Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 7 | October 18, 1997 | 1 | 2:35 | Texas, US
|
|
| Win | 1–0 |  Ali Elias
|
KO (Knee) | Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 7 | October 18, 1997 | 1 | 10:36 | Texas, US
|
See also
References
- ^ TAGG radio, which Trigg is a co-host of.
- ^ http://mmajunkie.com/news/17900/frank-trigg-confirms-ufc-termination-undecided-on-future-plans.mma
- ^ "Former UFC Champion Ricco Rodriguez Sets Up Bout With Jeff Monson". MMAWeekly.com. November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
- ^ http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Watson-Blasts-Ninja-Retains-Title-at-BAMMA-6-32528
- ^ The Frank Trigg Story – Triggonomics Urban Athletic Gear for the Gym, Club and Street
- ^ "Frank Trigg – Unfinished Business". UFC.com. September 16, 2009. Retrieved September 16, 2009.
- ^ "Lavin Thomas Austin Trigg". FRANKTRIGG.TUMBLR.com. October 2, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
External links
- Use mdy dates from September 2010
- 1972 births
- People from Rochester, New York
- Living people
- American mixed martial artists
- Welterweight mixed martial artists
- Middleweight mixed martial artists
- Mixed martial artists from New York
- American practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- American judoka
- American sport wrestlers
- American professional wrestlers
- Mixed martial arts broadcasters
- Participants in American reality television series
- African-American mixed martial artists
- American mixed martial artists of Italian descent