Gary Goodridge Biography, Wiki, Net Worth, Height, Record, UFC Career

Gary Goodridge Biography: Gary Henry Goodridge, sometimes known as “Big Daddy,” is a Trinidadian-Canadian former heavyweight kickboxer and MMA fighter based in Barrie, Ontario. Before taking up kickboxing and MMA, he was a significant competitor in professional arm wrestling.

Gary Goodridge Biography

Gary Goodridge Biography: Gary Goodridge was born in Saint James, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on January 17, 1966, before moving to Barrie, Ontario, Canada. He was a welder at the Honda factory in Alliston, Ontario, before his career in combat sports. He was a world champion in arm wrestling, defeating legends such as Sharon Remez and John Brzenk in 1991 and 1994. He was also Canada’s super heavyweight amateur boxing champion.

Gary Goodridge Wiki

What is Gary Goodridge’s Net Worth?

According to Wikipedia, Forbes, & Business Insider, Gary Goodridge’s net worth is $5 million.

Also Read: Kazuyuki Fujita Biography, Wiki, Net Worth, Height, Weight, MMA Career

Gary Goodridge MMA Career

Goodridge first applied to the Ultimate Fighting Championship at the advice of friends after watching the fight between Remco Pardoel and Orlando Wiet in UFC 2. He began training at a Kuk Sool Won school to add martial arts credentials to his boxing title, only later finding that the school was already preparing a fighter for the UFC. Gary had to fight him, and he won effectively, so he was soon awarded a 4th-degree black belt and a free dobok offered. He represented the school at the event. He competed in UFC 8 with less than a month of experience.

Gary Goodridge UFC Career

Goodridge made his UFC debut in 1996, competing in an eight-man tournament at UFC 8: David vs. Goliath in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He began by wrestling amateur wrestler Paul Herrera, whom Goodridge outweighed by 73 pounds. Friends had convinced Goodridge that Herrera and their colleague Tank Abbott were white racists to motivate him to fight. What followed would be a spectacular knockout, as Herrera attempted a fireman’s carry only to be trapped in a crucifix position by Goodridge, who then delivered repeated elbow punches to the defenseless Herrera’s head, ending the fight in 13 seconds.

The initial elbow punch landed on Herrera’s head, knocking him unconscious, but the fight did not end until Goodridge addressed seven more strikes, causing a concussion and breaking Herrera’s cheekbone. According to Goodridge, he and his cornermen created the hold when they overheard Herrera thoroughly utilizing his fireman’s carry takeovers. However, they originally planned to set up a wrist lock rather than strikes.

Goodridge fought Olympic wrestler Mark Schultz in a non-tournament bout at UFC 9: Motor City Madness. The wrestler controlled the fight by bringing Gary down and grinding him with short jabs, eventually overcoming an array of attacks from the mount as time expired. Instead of proceeding to overtime, the referee stopped the fight because Schultz had intentionally deepened injuries on Goodridge’s face by rubbing them.

On July 12, 1996, Goodridge competed in his second UFC tournament at UFC 10: The Tournament. After defeating wrestler John Campetella with left strikes from the mount after reversing a takedown, he advanced to face wrestling champion and eventual victor Mark Coleman. Goodridge was repeatedly knocked to the ground, ravaged with elbows and headbutts, and ultimately submitted by resulting up his back.

On December 7, 1996, at Ultimate Ultimate 1996, he competed in a rematch against Don Frye. After passing on punches in the clinch, Goodridge secured a takedown and started to apply headbutts to Frye. However, Frye attempted two armbars but was able to escape and perform his takedown. Goodridge then tapped out due to effort, just as he did in the first fight.