UFC Flashback - UFC 1: The Beginning

The world of mixed martial arts continues to grow in popularity. With their recent buyout of PRIDE FC and rumors of a major television deal in the works, the UFC is perched to surpass boxing and pro wrestling in popularity. In fact, based on pay-per-view numbers, it could easily be argued that it already has.

Tomorrow night, the UFC will hold their 70th major event, entitled UFC 70: Nations Collide. It promises to be one of their best cards to date, with the Croation Sensation, Mirko Cro Cop, looking to position himself for a shot at the Heavyweight title held by Randy Couture. This is exciting stuff, folks.

But what if you’re new to the world of MMA? Surely a knowledge of the history of the organization would lend to your appreciation of the sport. But who can afford to go out and rent dozens upon dozens of DVDs?

That’s why I’ve decided to start a recap of all the UFC events. I’m going to begin with their history-making first show and work right up until the present day. Along the way, you’ll be witness to all the feuds, controversies and octagon action which have made the Ultimate Fighting Championship what it is today.

So sit back and strap yourself in, the UFC Flashback is about to begin!

UFC 1: THE BEGINNING

The first-ever UFC event took place on November 12th, 1993 at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado. Seen live on pay-per-view, the contest was arranged as an eight-man tournament, and the winner would be guaranteed a prize of $50,000. There were no weight classes, no judges, and biting and eye gouging were the only prohibited moves.

Commentators for the fight were Bill Wallace, Kathy Long and NFL legend, Jim Brown. Additional analysis was provided by Rod Machado, and Brian Kilmeade did the backstage interviews.

QUARTERFINAL BOUTS

Teila Tuli vs. Gerard Gordeau - Tuli was a massive sumo wrestler from Samoa. Unfortunately for him, Gordeau could kick like a mule. After dropping the bigger man to his knees, Gordeau kicking him in the face and knocked out one of his teeth. He then delivered a punch to the face and cut his opponent. The doctors checked out the battered Samoan and stopped the fight after only 30 seconds. The tone had been set for the rest of the night! Gordeau would move on to the semifinal round.

Kevin Rosier vs. Zane Frazier - This bout featured a kickboxer against a practitioner of karate. Both men stayed on their feet throughout the fight, but Rosier finally managed to back his opponent up against the cage, catch his with a series of punches, and then finish him off with some stomps to the head. Frazier’s corner threw in the towel, and the fight was stopped at the 4:18 mark.

Royce Gracie vs. Art Jimmerson - Gracie came from a family legendary for their Brazilian Jiu Jitsu prowess. Jimmerson was a boxer and ever wore a boxing glove on his left hand. Gracie landed a series of low kicks and then took his opponent to the ground. Royce mounted his opponent, and Jimmerson tapped out when he realized that he was helpless on his back. The contest lasted only 2 minutes and 18 seconds.

Ken Shamrock vs. Patrick Smith - Shamrock was a champion in the Japanese Pancrase organization, so he was more experienced in the MMA style of fighting than almost anyone else in the tournament. He quickly took Smith down and locked in a heel hook. With a look of agony on his face, Smith submitted at 1:51. He continued to mouth at Shamrock after the fight was over.

SEMIFINAL BOUTS

Gerard Gordeau vs. Kevin Rosier - Gordeau trapped Rosier against the octagon fence and pounded on him without mercy. His corner wisely threw in the towel at the 1:03 mark, and Gerard Gordeau advanced to the finals.

Royce Gracie vs. Ken Shamrock - Only 57 seconds into the fight, Gracie locked in a rear naked choke and forced Shamrock to submit. The referee did not see Shamrock tap, so there was some initial confusion. Fortunately, Shamrock did the honorable thing and admitted that he had submitted. This allowed Gracie to move on to the finals.

FINAL BOUT

Gerard Gordeau vs. Royce Gracie - Early in the fight, Gordeau bit Gracie. Shortly thereafter, Gracie locked in a rear naked choke and dispatched his opponent. After Gordeau tapped, Gracie continued to hold the choke for a few seconds longer. Whether this was done in retaliation for the bite or to ensure that the referee saw the tap out is unknown. What is known is that Gracie defeated Gordeau at 1:41 and became the first-ever UFC champion.

And that’s how it happened. If you get a chance, rent the event and watch it for yourself. It’s always interesting to see how few rules existed in the early days of the sport.

That’s all for this edition of UFC Flashback. Join us next time for a recap of UFC 2: No Way Out. If you enjoyed this article, you might also want to check out the following:

Bodog Odds for UFC 70

UFC Buys PRIDE

UFC Flashback - UFC 1: The Beginning