UFC 1

Last updated
UFC 1: The Beginning
UFC1vhs.jpg
VHS Box art for UFC 1
Information
Promotion Ultimate Fighting Championship
DateNovember 12, 1993
Venue McNichols Sports Arena
City Denver, Colorado, United States
Attendance7,800 [1]
Buyrate86,000 [2]
Event chronology
UFC 1: The Beginning UFC 2: No Way Out

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (later renamed UFC 1: The Beginning) was the first mixed martial arts event by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), held at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado, United States, on November 12, 1993. The event was broadcast live on pay-per-view and later released on home video. [3] [4]

Contents

Although the event was the lowest profile by the contemporary standards (the venue was less than half-packed, the grand prize of the tournament was as big as a regular sparring partner biannual salary, major martial arts observers and columnists did not bother to show up, the press in general neglected the event, Black Belt first mentioned it only several months later, big-name fighters turned down the offers to participate or to make a guest appearance in the audience), [5] it pioneered the interstylistic match-ups between the practitioners of different martial arts, and set the pattern for the future sporting events of the kind, [6] and introduced the octagon.

Background

UFC 1 was co-created by Rorion Gracie and the Torrance-based UFC promoter Art Davie, who decided to take locally famous Gracie Garage Challenge fights versus California's martial artists to a new level, televised nationally, with the opponents picked internationally. [6]

They did not come up with a 16-man tournament, as the big-name martial artists, mainly kickboxers, namely Dennis Alexio, Benny Urquidez, Jean-Yves Thériault, Rick Roufus, Stan Longinidis, Maurice Smith, Bart Vale, Hee Il Cho, George Dillman, Gene LeBell, Rob Kaman, Peter Aerts, Ernesto Hoost, Masaaki Satake, were among the others "publicly invited" by Art Davie, [7] but had shown no interest in participating. [5] Davie placed advertisements in martial arts magazines to recruit fighters. He found less than a dozen who answered the call. [6] The promoters came up with an eight-man tournament format, with the winner receiving $50,000. [8]

They wanted it to look brutal on television, so John Milius, one of Rorion Gracie's students and a Hollywood veteran who had directed Conan the Barbarian , decided the fights should take place in an octagonal cage fenced with chain link. Campbell McLaren, a SEG executive, wanted people to consider the championship a live, televised version of Mortal Kombat , a popular fighting video game, in which victorious fighters got to "finish" their opponents through moves such as ripping their spines out of their bodies. That one and the Davie's idea to top the cage with razor wire were rejected. [6] UFC promoters initially pitched the event as a real-life fighting video game tournament similar to Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter . [9]

General regulations agreed upon were:

McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, at an elevation above mean sea level of approximately one mile (1.6 km), had been chosen because Colorado had no athletic commission and thus no governing body from which they would need to get approval for bare-knuckle fighting. [6] The arena had hosted only two fight cards in its history, both of minor significance, occurring earlier in 1993. [12]

The major accomplishment though for the promoters was to gather a celebrity commentary team for the event. The commentary team for the pay-per-view was Bill Wallace, Jim Brown, and Kathy Long, with additional analysis from Rod Machado and post-fight interviews by Brian Kilmeade. The ring announcer was Rich Goins.

Jason DeLucia was an alternate for the event, having defeated Trent Jenkins in the alternate bout. However, as no fighter pulled out during the tournament, he was not called upon.

History

The tournament featured fights with no weight classes, rounds, or judges. The three rules – no biting, no eye gouging, and no groin shots – were to be enforced only by a $1,500 fine. The match only ended by submission, knockout, or the fighter's corner throwing in the towel, although the referee stopped the first fight at 26 seconds. Gloves were allowed, as Art Jimmerson showed in his quarterfinal bout against Royce Gracie, which he fought with one boxing glove.

Royce Gracie won the tournament by defeating Gerard Gordeau via submission due to a rear naked choke. [13] The referees for UFC 1 were João Alberto Barreto and Hélio Vigio, two veteran vale tudo referees from Brazil.

Results

Final
Weight classMethodRoundTimeNotes
N/A Royce Gracie def. Gerard Gordeau Submission (rear-naked choke)1:44
Semi-finals
N/A Royce Gracie def. Ken Shamrock Submission (rear-naked choke)0:57
N/A Gerard Gordeau def. Kevin Rosier TKO (corner stoppage)0:59
Quarter-finals
N/A Ken Shamrock def. Patrick Smith Submission (heel hook)1:49
N/A Royce Gracie def. Art Jimmerson Submission (smother choke)2:18
N/A Kevin Rosier def. Zane Frazier TKO (punches)4:20
N/A Gerard Gordeau def. Teila Tuli TKO (head kick)0:26
Alternate bout
N/A Jason DeLucia def. Trent Jenkins Submission (rear-naked choke)0:52

    UFC 1 bracket

     
    		Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
     
    		          
     
    		 
     
     
    		 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Gerard Gordeau
    (Savate)     		TKO
     
    		 
     
    		 Flag of the United States.svg Teila Tuli
    (Sumo)     		0:26
     
    		 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Gerard Gordeau TKO
     
    		 
     
    		 Flag of the United States.svg Kevin Rosier 0:59
     
    		 Flag of the United States.svg Kevin Rosier
    (Kickboxing)     		TKO
     
    		 
     
    		 Flag of the United States.svg Zane Frazier
    (Kenpo)    		4:20
     
    		 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Gerard Gordeau 1:40
     
    		 
     
    		 Flag of Brazil.svg Royce Gracie SUB
     
    		 Flag of Brazil.svg Royce Gracie
    (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu)     		SUB
     
    		 
     
    		 Flag of the United States.svg Art Jimmerson
    (Boxing)     		2:18
     
    		 Flag of Brazil.svg Royce Gracie SUB
     
    		 
     
    		 Flag of the United States.svg Ken Shamrock 0:57
     
    		 Flag of the United States.svg Ken Shamrock
    (Shootfighting)     		SUB
     
     
    		 Flag of the United States.svg Patrick Smith
    (Taekwondo)     		1:49
     

    Cultural significance

    The event and its outcome catapulted Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (also known as Brazilian jiu-jitsu) to new heights in the United States and worldwide. Its gate and pay-per-view buys ensured that there would be more UFCs in the near future, which proved to be the case. [6] The event sold nearly 90,000 live pay-per-view buys, in addition to drawing new audiences through video rental stores such as Blockbuster Video. [14]

    See also

    Related Research Articles

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultimate Fighting Championship</span> American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company

    The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA promotion in the world as of 2023. It produces events worldwide that showcase 11 weight divisions and abides by the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. As of 2022, it had held over 600 events. Dana White has been its president since 2001 and CEO since 2023. Under White's stewardship, it has grown into a global multi-billion-dollar enterprise.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Vale Tudo</span> Brazilian unarmed, full-contact combat sport

    Vale Tudo or vale-tudo, also known as No Holds Barred (NHB) in the United States, is an unarmed, full-contact combat sport with relatively few rules. It became popular in Brazil during the 20th century and would eventually evolve into modern mixed martial arts (MMA). For years, "Vale Tudo" was used as a synonym for MMA in Brazil, but the term fell into disuse due to the emergence of stricter rules and the influence of the media to have a more "civilized" name. It is now used to refer to an early, more rules-free stage of the modern sport.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Shamrock</span> American professional wrestler and mixed martial arts fighter

    Ken Shamrock is an American retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. He is best known for his time in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and other combat sports. An inaugural inductee into the UFC Hall of Fame, Shamrock is widely regarded as an icon and pioneer of the sport. He has headlined over 15 main events and co-main events in the UFC and Pride FC and set numerous MMA pay-per-view records. In the early part of his UFC career, Shamrock was named "The World's Most Dangerous Man" by ABC News in a special called "The World's Most Dangerous Things". The moniker has stuck as his nickname.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Royce Gracie</span> Brazilian mixed martial artist

    Royce Gracie is a Brazilian retired professional mixed martial artist. Gracie gained fame for his success in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a member of the Gracie jiu-jitsu family, a UFC Hall of Famer, and is considered to be one of the most influential figures in the history of mixed martial arts (MMA). He also competed in PRIDE Fighting Championships, K-1's MMA events, and Bellator.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Kazushi Sakuraba</span> Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial arts fighter

    Kazushi Sakuraba is a Japanese professional wrestler, submission wrestler and former mixed martial artist, currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah, where he was formerly one-half of the former GHC Tag Team Champions with Takashi Sugiura. He has also competed in traditional puroresu for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and shoot-style competition for UWFi and Kingdom Pro Wrestling (KPW). He has fought in MMA competition in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Pride Fighting Championships, Hero's, Dream and most recently Rizin Fighting Federation. He is known as the Gracie Hunter or the Gracie Killer due to his wins over four members of the famed Gracie family: Royler Gracie, Renzo Gracie, Ryan Gracie, and Royce Gracie. Sakuraba is famous for beating 15 champions of different top MMA organizations; opponents who were often many weight-classes above him.

    Kimo Leopoldo, is an American retired mixed martial artist and actor. He made his MMA debut at UFC 3 in 1994, losing to Royce Gracie by submission. A professional from 1994 until 2011, he also competed in the PRIDE Fighting Championships, Cage Rage, and the World Fighting Alliance.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Oleg Taktarov</span> Russian actor and mixed martial arts fighter

    Oleg Nikolaevich Taktarov is a Russian actor and retired mixed martial artist. He was a practitioner of Sambo and Judo and competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Pride Fighting Championships. He won the UFC 6 tournament. He holds notable wins over Marco Ruas, Tank Abbott, Mark Kerr, and Anthony Macias. Taktarov is of mixed Mari and Russian background.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Marco Ruas</span> Brazilian mixed martial artist

    Marco Antônio de Lima Ruas is a Brazilian former mixed martial arts fighter, submission wrestler, kickboxer and instructor. Ruas was the UFC 7 Tournament Champion, and also competed for the World Vale Tudo Championship (WVC), PRIDE Fighting Championships and the International Fight League, where he head-coached the Southern California Condors.

    The Gracie Challenge was an open invitation challenge match issued by members of the Gracie family, representing their self-defense system of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu against challengers of other martial art systems in a vale tudo match, or "anything goes" competition.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Rorion Gracie</span> Brazilian martial artist

    Rorion Gracie is a Brazilian-born Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Grand Master, a prominent member of the Gracie family, writer, publisher, producer, lecturer, lawyer and the co-founder of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the oldest son of Hélio Gracie and one of the few people in the world to hold a 9th degree red belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and is widely recognized as one of the men responsible for introducing Gracie/Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to the United States and the world.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">UFC 3</span> UFC mixed martial arts event in 1994

    The Ultimate Fighting Championship III was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on September 9, 1994, at Grady Cole Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. The event was seen live on pay-per-view in the United States, and was later released on home video.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">UFC 4</span> UFC mixed martial arts event in 1994

    UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors was a mixed martial arts (MMA) event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on December 16, 1994, at the Expo Center Pavilion in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. The event was seen live on pay-per-view, and later released on home video.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">UFC 5</span> UFC mixed martial arts event in 1995

    UFC 5: The Return of the Beast was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 7, 1995, at the Independence Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. The event was seen live on pay per view in the United States, and later released on home video.

    Keith Hackney is a retired American mixed martial arts fighter. He competed in three Ultimate Fighting Championship tournaments.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Wallid Ismail</span> Brazilian mixed martial arts fighter

    Wallid Farid Ismail is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and promoter.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerard Gordeau</span> Dutch karateka, mixed martial artist and professional wrestler

    Gerard Gordeau is a Dutch former Savateur, Karateka, Kickboxer, and mixed martial artist. He is the 1991 World Champion Savate and holder of the Dutch Champion Karate title for eight consecutive years, but foremost known internationally for his fight against Teila Tuli in the first televised Ultimate Fighting Championship bout on 12 November 1993.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Smith (fighter)</span> American kickboxer, martial artist, and mixed martial artist (1963–2019)

    Patrick Smith was an American Kickboxer and mixed martial artist. He started his mixed martial arts career by participating in the first two Ultimate Fighting Championship events.

    Zane Troy Frazier is an American former karateka, kickboxer and mixed martial artist who competed in the heavyweight division. After a successful career in karate during the 1980s in which he won numerous international accolades, Frazier then turned his hand to kickboxing and became a United States and North American Champion. After taking part at the inaugural Ultimate Fighting Championship event in 1993, he would continue his career in MMA until officially retiring in 2010.

    Chris Holdsworth is an American former mixed martial artist who competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He was the winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs. Team Tate.

    The mixed martial arts fight between Kazushi Sakuraba and Royce Gracie was held in 2000 at PRIDE Fighting Championships. Due to its special rules, it lasted 90 minutes before ending with the victory of Sakuraba by TKO. It has been widely considered one of the greatest and most influential MMA fights of all time, as well as a vital part of the rivalry between the Gracie family and Sakuraba, who gained the nickname "Gracie Hunter" after the match. It was followed by a rematch in 2007 in K-1 Dynamite!! USA, where Gracie defeated Sakuraba in controversial fashion and tested positive for steroids after the bout.

    References

    1. ↑ "UFC 1: The Beginning". tapology.com. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
    2. ↑ Walter, Donald F. , Jr. Mixed Martial Arts: Ultimate Sport, or Ultimately Illegal? Grapplearts.com. December 8, 2003. Retrieved June 2, 2006.
    3. ↑ Rosenberg, Howard (November 15, 1993). "Television: Pay-Per-View Battle, Instead of Being Merely Gory and Funny, Gets Interesting After the First Two Bouts". The Los Angeles Times . Retrieved July 1, 2011.
    4. ↑ Sandra E. Kessler (1 April 1994). "Shotokan, Taekwondo, and Kung Fu challenge Jujutsu". Black Belt Magazine . Active Interest Media, Inc. Retrieved 6 September 2017– via Google Books.
    5. 1 2 "Still King of the Hill: Jujutsu Fighter Royce Gracie Tells the World "If You Want Me, Come Get Me!" (An Interview by Sandra E. Kessler)". Black Belt. 32 (8): 48–52. August 1994.
    6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Merlino, Doug (2015). Beast: Blood, Struggle, and Dreams at the Heart of Mixed Martial Arts. ISBN   9781620401569.
    7. ↑ "Promoter Issues Invitation". Black Belt. 30 (11): 6–7. November 1994.
    8. ↑ Rossen (2009-07-14). "Volkanovski vs Topuria | Can the Champ Weather the Storm? UFC 298 Prefight Breakdown" . Retrieved 2011-02-08.
    9. ↑ Snowden, Jonathan (12 November 2018). "UFC 1, 25 Years Later: The Story Behind the Event That Started an Industry". Bleacher Report . Retrieved 5 November 2020.
    10. ↑ "MMA Origins: The UFC's Fight for Survival". 22 December 2012.
    11. ↑ Joe Rogan Experience MMA Show #26 with Big John McCarthy
    12. ↑ McNichols Sports Arena information at the Boxing's Official Record Keeper, BoxRec.com.
    13. ↑ "UFC 1: The Beginning: Playboy, Mortal Kombat and the hunt for an ultimate fighter". BBC Sport. 9 November 2018. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
    14. ↑ Snowden, Jonathan (12 November 2020). "UFC 1, 25 Years Later: The Story Behind the Event That Started an Industry". Bleacher Report . WarnerMedia . Retrieved 5 November 2020.
    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.