UFC 11.5: The Ultimate Ultimate 96 - Official Event Program (1996)

Vintage Ultimate fighting Championship Official event Program

UFC 11.5: The Ultimate ultimate 96

Featuring Legends and Pioneers such as Tank Abbott, Kimo Leopoldo, Don Frye, Mark Hall, Paul Varelans, Gary Goodridge, Ken Shamrock & more

Great Condition for  its age - See photos for exact condition

  UFC: The Ultimate Ultimate 2 (also known as Ultimate Ultimate 1996, UFC 11.5 or Ultimate Ultimate '96: The Tournament of Champions) 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.

The card featured an eight-man tournament 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.

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. Mark Hall, who Frye defeated in the semifinals, would later claim that Don Frye and manager Robert DePersia came into his dressing room during the tournament and convinced him to throw the two fighters' upcoming semi-final match. Hall says that since Tank Abbott had already advanced to the final after two relatively easy wins, Frye – who'd logged eleven minutes of cage time already that night – wanted to save his energy for the championship match. Because he'd already suffered two defeats to Frye earlier in his career (and therefore probably wasn't going to win anyway) and DePersia implied that saying no would have a disastrous impact on his future, Hall says he reluctantly agreed to go along with the plot. Frye won by Achilles lock submission in twenty seconds. Referee John McCarthy later wrote in his autobiography Let's Get It On!:

"Unfortunately, this night was the second time I felt I was refereeing a fixed bout. In the semifinals, Don Frye and Mark Hall met in a rematch of their UFC 10 bout. In their first encounter Frye had beaten the piss out of Hall, who'd refused to give up. Here, though, Frye ankle-locked Hall to advance to the finals without breaking a sweat. The fight struck me as odd. Frye, a bread-and-butter wrestler and swing-for-the-fences puncher, had never won a fight by leg lock, and Hall practically fell into the submission. I also knew both fighters were managed by the same guy."

Results:
Finals
Don Frye    def.    Tank Abbott    Submission (rear-naked choke)  
Semifinals
Tank Abbott    def.    Steve Nelmark    KO (punch)
Don Frye    def.    Mark Hall    Submission (achilles lock)   
Quarterfinals
Ken Shamrock    def.    Brian Johnston    Submission (forearm choke)     
Tank Abbott    def.    Cal Worsham    Submission (punches)        2:51    
Don Frye    def.    Gary Goodridge    Submission (fatigue)        11:19    
Kimo Leopoldo    def.    Paul Varelans    TKO (corner stoppage)  
Alternate bouts
Mark Hall    def.    Felix Mitchell    TKO (punches)    
Steve Nelmark    def.    Marcus Bossett    Submission (choke)      
Tai Bowden    def.    Jack Nilson    Submission (headbutts)