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Frank Trigg

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Frank Trigg
BornDewey Franklin Trigg III
(1972-05-07) May 7, 1972 (age 52)
Kendall, New York, United States
NationalityAmerican
Height5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[1][2]
Weight185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st)[2][1]
Division
Reach71 in (180 cm)
StanceSouthpaw
Fighting out ofLas Vegas, Nevada, United States
TeamXtreme Couture
RankBlack belt in Catch Wrestling under Neil Melanson
Purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
2nd degree black belt in Judo
WrestlingNCAA Division I Wrestling
Years active1997–2011
Mixed martial arts record
Total30
Wins21
By knockout12
By submission4
By decision5
Losses9
By knockout4
By submission4
By decision1
UniversityUniversity of Oklahoma
Notable school(s)East Ridge JR-SR High School
Websitehttp://franktrigg.com/
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Dewey Franklin "Frank" Trigg III (born May 7, 1972) is a retired American mixed martial artist, color commentator, pro wrestler, MMA referee[3] and TV host.[4] Trigg is a veteran of the UFC, Pride Fighting Championships, Rumble on the Rock, Icon Sport-(Icon Sport Middleweight Champion), BAMMA, World Fighting Alliance, and has made professional wrestling appearances in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.[5]

Mixed martial arts career

In 1995, Trigg began studying judo under 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 the 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.

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 world champion Hayato Sakurai for his title. While Trigg initially controlled the bout, Sakurai staged a comeback and brutally knocked Trigg out in the second round due to knees, 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 a 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.

First UFC Release

After not securing another fight in the UFC, 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.

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 KO (punches) in the first round.

Trigg was released by the UFC following his loss to Serra.[6]

Late career

Trigg returned for the inaugural Israel Fighting Championship on November 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.[7]

At BAMMA 6, Trigg defeated British standout John Phillips by TKO (doctor stoppage) in round 1.[8]

Trigg was scheduled to be the main event at BAMMA 7 against Tom Watson for the Middleweight title.[9] However, on August 9, it was announced that Watson had to pull out due to a back injury and would be replaced by Jim Wallhead in a non-title fight.[10] Trigg lost the fight via split decision.

On July 11, 2015 Trigg was inducted into the newly restructured UFC Hall of Fame in the fights wing along with Matt Hughes for their second fight at UFC 52.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

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 on 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.

MMA Refereeing

On December 9, 2017, Trigg made his debut as a referee, officiating a match-up between Alexis Davis and Liz Carmouche at UFC Fight Night 123.

Personal life

Frank Trigg has four children; Frankie, Kiara, Stone, and Lavin.[11] Trigg welcomed his son Stone in September 2008.[12] On October 2, 2010, Trigg welcomed his son Lavin.

In 2006, he appeared in the episode "Fight Schlub" on the sitcom The King of Queens. Frank is also a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, initiated in 1997 at the Xi Delta chapter at the University of Oklahoma

He is the second retired UFC fighter to return as a UFC referee, with the first being Dan Severn.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
30 matches 21 wins 9 losses
By knockout 12 4
By submission 4 4
By decision 5 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 21–9 Jim Wallhead Decision (split) BAMMA 7: Trigg vs. Wallhead September 10, 2011 3 5:00 Birmingham, England
Win 21–8 John Phillips TKO (punches) BAMMA 6: Watson vs. Rua 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 February 6, 2010 1 2:23 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 19–7 Josh Koscheck TKO (punches) UFC 103 September 19, 2009 1 1:25 Dallas, Texas, United States
Win 19–6 Danny Babcock Decision (unanimous) XCF: Rumble in Racetown 1 February 14, 2009 3 5:00 Daytona, Florida, United States
Win 18–6 Falaniko Vitale Decision (unanimous) Strikeforce: Payback October 3, 2008 3 5:00 Broomfield, Colorado, United States
Win 17–6 Makoto Takimoto Decision (unanimous) World Victory Road Presents: Sengoku 4 September 24, 2008 3 5:00 Saitama, Saitama, Japan
Win 16–6 Edwin Dewees Submission (kimura) HDNet Fights: Reckless Abandon December 15, 2007 1 1:40 Dallas, Texas, United States
Loss 15–6 Robbie Lawler KO (punches) Icon Sport: Epic March 31, 2007 4 1:40 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States Lost the Icon Sport Middleweight Championship.
Win 15–5 Kazuo Misaki Decision (unanimous) Pride 33 February 24, 2007 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 14–5 Jason Miller TKO (soccer kicks) Icon Sport - Mayhem vs. Trigg December 1, 2006 2 2:53 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States Won the Icon Sport Middleweight Championship.
Loss 13–5 Carlos Condit Submission (triangle armbar) Rumble on the Rock 9 April 21, 2006 1 1:22 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States ROTR Welterweight Tournament Second Round.
Win 13–4 Ronald Jhun Decision (unanimous) Rumble on the Rock 8 January 20, 2006 3 5:00 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States ROTR Welterweight Tournament Opening Round.
Loss 12–4 Georges St-Pierre Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC 54 August 20, 2005 1 4:09 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 12–3 Matt Hughes Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC 52 April 16, 2005 1 4:05 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States For the UFC Welterweight Championship.
Win 12–2 Renato Verissimo TKO (elbows) UFC 50 October 22, 2004 2 2:11 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Win 11–2 Dennis Hallman TKO (punches) UFC 48 June 19, 2004 1 4:15 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 10–2 Matt Hughes Submission (standing rear-naked choke) UFC 45 November 21, 2003 1 3:54 Uncasville, Connecticut, United States For the UFC Welterweight Championship.
Win 10–1 Dennis Hallman TKO (punches) WFA 3: Level 3 November 23, 2002 1 3:50 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Won the WFA Welterweight Championship.
Win 9–1 Jason Medina TKO (submission to elbows) WFA 2: Level 2 July 5, 2002 1 3:43 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 8–1 Laverne Clark TKO (submission to punches and elbows) World Fighting Alliance 1 November 3, 2001 3 2:15 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 7–1 Hayato Sakurai TKO (knees) Shooto: R.E.A.D. Final December 17, 2000 2 2:25 Chiba, Chiba, Japan
Win 7–0 Ray Cooper Submission (forearm choke) WEF: New Blood Conflict August 26, 2000 2 3:05 N/A
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 Gilbert Submission (forearm choke) Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 7 October 18, 1997 1 2:45 Texas, United States
Win 2–0 Javier Buentello Submission (rear-naked choke) Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 7 October 18, 1997 1 2:35 Texas, United States
Win 1–0 Ali Elias KO (knee) Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation 7 October 18, 1997 1 10:36 Texas, United States

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Frank Trigg". UFC.com. 2011-06-09. Retrieved 2015-03-03.
  2. ^ a b "Frank "Twinkle Toes" Trigg MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2015-03-03.
  3. ^ "Frank Trigg Talks Life After MMA; Refereeing, UFC Bidding War on MMA Meltdown | Fight Network". Retrieved 2017-12-10.
  4. ^ TAGGradio.com (2009-07-13). "TAGG com". Retrieved 2015-03-03.
  5. ^ "Frank Trigg, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Felice Herrig \u0026 Comedian Greg Wilson as bizarro Conor McGregor by MMA Roasted - Hear the world's sounds". Soundcloud.com. 2015-02-26. Retrieved 2015-03-03.
  6. ^ [1] Archived February 12, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ "Former UFC Champion Ricco Rodriguez Sets Up Bout With Jeff Monson". MMAWeekly.com. November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
  8. ^ Bower, Mick (2011-05-21). "Watson Blasts 'Ninja,' Retains Title at BAMMA 6". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2015-03-03.
  9. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20110711131546/http://mmajunkie.com/news/24311/trigg-vs-watson-title-fight-villasenor-vs-mills-co-headline-bamma-7-on-sept-10.mma. Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved June 15, 2011. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ^ "Champ Watson out, Wallhead in against Trigg in BAMMA 7 headliner". mmajunkie.com. 9 August 2011.
  11. ^ [2] Archived May 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ "Frank Trigg – Unfinished Business". UFC.com. September 16, 2009. Retrieved September 16, 2009.
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