Goodridge made an immediate impression on MMA competition, debuting at UFC 8 against Paul Herrera, whom Goodridge outweighed by nearly 80 lbs. After Herrera attempted a fireman's carry, Goodridge trapped both of his arms in a crucifix hold and proceeded to deliver multiple elbow blows to the helpless Herrera's head, ending the bout in 13 seconds. The second elbow strike knocked Herrera unconscious, but the fight was not stopped until after Goodridge landed six more strikes. Goodridge would reach the final match of the UFC 8 tournament against Don Frye in a losing effort.

Goodridge returned to competition for the next three UFC tournaments, losing his final UFC match to Don Frye at Ultimate Ultimate 96. After the second loss to Frye, Goodridge began competing in Japan'sPRIDE promotion, only to leave the promotion due to alleged personal issues. He soon signed with K-1 and their MMA affiliate HERO'S, where he still competes today.

Ron Sparks is a hungry super heavyweight champion with few opponents willing to fight him. An MMA fighter with a 5-0 record who has been forced to compete in Kick Boxing matches internationally to keep his skills up, Ron Sparks is a monster who has challenged the likes of Kimbo Slice, Hong Man Choi and others with nobody answering the call. Why? Well, Gary Goodridge is wanting to find out and on January 9th, 2010 the Belterra Casino will be packed full of spectators wanting to see what all the fuss is about.