Ultimate Ultimate 1996
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | 1996-12-07 |
| Headquarters | Birmingham, Alabama , United States |
| Products | Mixed martial arts competition |
| Website | www |
UFC: The Ultimate Ultimate 2—also referred to as Ultimate Ultimate 1996, UFC 11.5, or Ultimate Ultimate '96: The Tournament of Champions—was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 7, 1996. Hosted at the Fair Park Arena in Birmingham, Alabama, the event was aired live via pay-per-view across the United States and subsequently distributed on home video.
History
This event showcased an eight-competitor tournament alongside two alternate matches, representing the UFC’s second "Ultimate Ultimate" tournament designed to crown the top fighters among previous victors and runners-up. Notably, this tournament introduced the rule prohibiting "grabbing the fence."
To promote the event, Ken Shamrock made a guest appearance on NBC’s Late Night with Conan O'Brien, marking a pivotal moment for the mainstream visibility of mixed martial arts.
Although Mark Coleman, the reigning champion from UFC 10 and UFC 11, was slated to participate, he withdrew because of illness.
This competition was the final UFC appearance for Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock before his transition to the WWF, with his return to UFC occurring only in 2002 at UFC 40. Similarly, it was the last UFC bout for Don Frye, who later pursued a career in professional wrestling with New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
Controversy emerged when semifinalist Mark Hall accused Frye and his manager Robert DePersia of pressuring him to deliberately lose their semifinal match. This was allegedly intended to preserve Frye’s stamina for the final against Tank Abbott. Hall claimed he consented under implied threats affecting his career prospects. Frye secured victory by submission within twenty seconds. Referee John McCarthy later expressed doubts about the legitimacy of the match, citing Frye’s atypical leg lock finish and noting that both fighters shared management representation.
Results
{{MMAevent bout | N/A | Steve Nelmark | def. | Marcus Bossett | Submission (choke) | | 1:37 |} {{MMAevent bout | N/A | Tai Bowden | def. | Jack Nilson || Submission (headbutts) || 4:46 |}
Ultimate Ultimate 96 bracket
1Ken Shamrock withdrew due to injury and was substituted by alternate Steve Nelmark.
2Due to exhaustion, Kimo Leopoldo pulled out and was replaced by alternate Mark Hall.
Encyclopedia awards
The October 2011 publication UFC Encyclopedia honored these fighters:
- Fight of the Night: Don Frye vs. Tank Abbott
- Knockout of the Night: Kimo Leopoldo def. Paul Varelans
- Submission of the Night: Don Frye def. Mark Hall