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Contract dispute stopped UFC contender Chris Weidman from signing with Bellator in 2010

Bloody Elbow - Wed, 05/22/2013 - 23:07

Right now, UFC Middleweight Chris Weidman is on the cusp of the biggest opportunity of his career. After going undefeated in nine professional fights, he's scheduled to face the #1 ranked P4P fighter in the promotion and 185 lb. champion Anderson Silva in July at UFC 162. However, just a couple short years ago, he was broke and anxiously awaiting his big break.

He got that break in 2011 when he stepped in to face Alessio Sakara at UFC On Versus 3. According to a recent article from the New York Post, if not for the wary eye of his uncle though, things could have been much different for Weidman. Just a couple weeks before "The All American" signed with the UFC, he was ready to sit down with his family for a celebratory meal in honor of the multi-fight deal he was about to sign with Bellator. But, when his attorney uncle went to give the contract a final read-through for formality's sake, he saw a clause that could allow the promotion to hold on to him for up to 3-4 years opposed to the agreed-upon 2 years.

After seeing the clause, a disappointed Weidman refused to sign with Bellator. As luck would have it, he got the call from the UFC just 2 weeks later and has capped off his 5-fight win streak with 2 consecutive top-10 wins. Bellator chose not to comment on the situation.

Bellator is currently involved in a legal dispute with their former Lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez over the matching clause in his contract. They've had a history of issues with many fighters including Dave Herman, Roger Hollett, and Tyson Nam.

Categories: StandThemUp.Org MMA Feed

Kountermove brings you a redesigned website, a $500 free tourney & Natasha Wicks (with photos!)

Bloody Elbow - Wed, 05/22/2013 - 23:00

View this gallery here.

Categories: StandThemUp.Org MMA Feed

[PODCAST] 411 Ground and Pound Radio Show 5.19.13: UFC 160 Preview and more!

411 Mania MMA Feed - Wed, 05/22/2013 - 22:00

411's Ground and Pound Radio returns with a preview of Bigfoot Silva's shot at Cain Velasquez and the rest of UFC 160, a review of UFC on F/X 8, what's next for Vitor Belfort, the latest Diaz controversy and more!

Categories: StandThemUp.Org MMA Feed

The Bad Left Hook Pick'em Game: Season 17 - Week 1

Badlefthook.com - Wed, 05/22/2013 - 22:00

**** Please Note: For the first time, we're going to allow 1/2 picks. For example, if you don't feel fully comfortable risking 11 points on Carl Froch, but don't mind risking 5.5, please put (1/2) instead of (1). Your selection would read A. (1/2) - 1 - Froch to win. You can do this for any selection.****

Before we get started, congratulations to our season 16 champion, MmaJunki. Great work and good luck in the quest to repeat!

Topping the bill this week is the much anticipated 168lb rematch between Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler. Along with the pick-the-winner and method-of-victory options, we've also added an Over/Under for this one. The show from London also gives us a couple of undercard bouts, with Tony Bellew taking on Issac Chilemba in a 175lb rematch, and George Groves looking to extend his unbeaten record against Argentinean Noe Gonzalez Alcoba.

A couple of top rated fighters from the lower weight classes are also in action this weekend, with junior-bantamweight Omar Narvaez taking on hard hitting Felipe Orucuta and junior flyweight Roman Gonzalez taking a stay-busy fight with Ronald Barrera.

Rounding out the line-up is this week's FNF main-event featuring veteran junior-middleweights Delvin Rodriguez and Freddy Hernandez.

For those that haven't played before, welcome to the best pick'em game going. Please join right in and start playing (just make sure to check out the rules - we promise they are very simple).

An explanation of how to fill out your selections appears at the bottom of this post - please follow these instructions as it makes it easier for us to tabulate the results quickly each week.

You can check out last season's final standings here.

Let’s get to the week 1 line-up…

**** Remember you do not need to make a selection on every fight. If you are unfamiliar with any of the fighters, and don't want to risk points, you are free to PASS on any pick. You must make at least one selection to receive the 10 point participation bonus****

A. Pick the winner - Carl Froch vs Mikkel Kessler (Saturday, May 18)

1. Froch to win – risk 11 points to win 5
2. Kessler to win – risk 5 points to win 11.

B. Pick the winner / Method of victory - Carl Froch vs Mikkel Kessler (technical decision counts as decision, DQ counts as stoppage - Saturday, May 18)

1. Froch by stoppage – risk 3 to win 8.
2. Froch by decision – risk 4.5 to win 6.5.
3. Kessler by stoppage – risk 1.5 to win 9.5.
4. Kessler by decision – risk 2 to win 9.

C. *Over/Under - Carl Froch vs Mikkel Kessler (Saturday, April 18)

1. Over 8 1/2 – risk 7 points to win 3.
2. Over 11 1/2 – risk 5.5 points to win 4.5.
3. Under 8 1/2 – risk 3 points to win 7.
4. Under 11 1/2 – risk 4.5 points to win 5.5.

*Over 8 1/2 = 8 full rounds completed, plus 1/2 round - fight must go past the 1:30 mark of Round 9.

D. Pick the winner - Tony Bellew vs Isaac Chilemba (Saturday, May 18)

1. Bellew to win – risk 7.5 points to win 4.5.
2. Chilemba to win – risk 4.5 points to win 7.5.

E. Pick the winner / Method of victory - George Groves vs Noe Gonzalez Alcoba (technical decision counts as decision, DQ counts as stoppage - Saturday, May 25)

1. Groves to win – risk 9.5 to win 0.5.
2. Groves to win by stoppage – risk 6.5 to win 3.5.
3. Groves by decision – risk 3 to win 7.
4. Alcoba (any method) – risk 0.5 to win 9.5.

F. Pick the winner / Method of victory - Omar Narvaez vs Felipe Orucuta (technical decision counts as decision, DQ counts as stoppage - Saturday, May 25)

1. Narvaez to win – risk 9.5 to win 2.5.
2. Narvaez to win by stoppage – risk 2.5 to win 9.5.
3. Narvaez by decision – risk 7 to win 5.
4. Orucuta (any method) – risk 2.5 to win 9.5.

G. *Over/Under - Roman Gonzalez vs Ronald Barrera (Saturday, May 25)

1. Over 4 1/2 – risk 4.5 points to win 4.5.
2. Over 6 1/2 – risk 3 points to win 6.
3. Under 4 1/2 – risk 4.5 points to win 4.5.
4. Under 6 1/2 – risk 6 points to win 3.

*Over 4 1/2 = 5 full rounds completed, plus 1/2 round - fight must go past the 1:30 mark of Round 5.

H. Pick the winner / Method of victory - Delvin Rodriguez vs Freddy Hernandez (technical decision counts as decision, DQ counts as stoppage - Saturday, May 25)

1. Rodriguez to win – risk 8.5 to win 2.5.
2. Rodriguez to win by stoppage – risk 2.5 to win 8.5.
3. Rodriguez by decision – risk 6 to win 5.
4. Hernandez (any method) – risk 2.5 to win 8.5.

Please fill out your selections as follows:

Enter the LETTER of the fight first, then whether it’s a single (1), double (2) or triple (3) followed by the NUMBER of your pick and the NAME of the FIGHTER and METHOD of victory (where applicable).

**** You have 10 doubles and 5 triples to use over the 10 week season ****

For Selection A, if you want to use one of your doubles on Froch to win...

A. (2) – 1 – Froch to win

For Selection B, if you want to pick on Froch by decision without using a double or triple...

B. (1) – 2 - Froch by decision

For Selection C, if you want to use one of triples on the Over 11 1/2..

C. (3) – 2 - Over 11 1/2

For Selection D, if you wish to pass...

D. Pass

Good luck!

Categories: StandThemUp.Org MMA Feed

John Cholish Posts Messages Concerning Pay From UFC

FightLine.com MMA News - Wed, 05/22/2013 - 21:24

John Cholish Posts Messages Concerning Pay From UFC

Categories: StandThemUp.Org MMA Feed

Mark Hunt Work Visa Issues Resolved, Appears to be Set for UFC 160

411 Mania MMA Feed - Wed, 05/22/2013 - 21:00

Looks like Hunt has the all clear now...

Categories: StandThemUp.Org MMA Feed

Lucas Martins Speaks on Fight of the Night Performance at UFC on FX 8

411 Mania MMA Feed - Wed, 05/22/2013 - 21:00

Martins defeated Jeremy Larsen...

Categories: StandThemUp.Org MMA Feed

[VIDEO] UFC on FX 8 Post-Fight Press Conference

411 Mania MMA Feed - Wed, 05/22/2013 - 21:00

Vitor Belfort blows up about TRT...

Categories: StandThemUp.Org MMA Feed

UFC 160 Predictions Offered Up By UFC Tonight Hosts Chael Sonnen, Kenny Florian

FightLine.com MMA News - Wed, 05/22/2013 - 20:18

UFC 160 Predictions Offered Up By UFC Tonight Hosts Chael Sonnen, Kenny Florian

Categories: StandThemUp.Org MMA Feed

Luke Rockhold Responds To Talk Of "Fix" In Vitor Belfort Fight

FightLine.com MMA News - Wed, 05/22/2013 - 19:12

Luke Rockhold Responds To Talk Of "Fix" In Vitor Belfort Fight

Categories: StandThemUp.Org MMA Feed

Jacob Volkmann Upset About Poor UFC Healthcare Plan

FightLine.com MMA News - Wed, 05/22/2013 - 19:04

Jacob Volkmann Upset About Poor UFC Healthcare Plan

Categories: StandThemUp.Org MMA Feed

Boxing: Froch vs. Kessler 2 live online full fight coverage, preview, discussion, results for May 25

Bloody Elbow - Wed, 05/22/2013 - 19:01

Join Bloody Elbow for full fight coverage of HBO Boxing Froch vs. Kessler II as Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler square off once again, live Saturday May 25. Here, get all the info including preview, fight time, fight card, results, videos, and more.

Saturday May 25, Bloody Elbow presents live fight coverage of Carl Froch vs. Mikkel Kessler II, live on HBO. HBO World Championship Boxing: Froch vs. Kessler 2 airs this Saturday, May 25 live on HBO. As the fight takes places in London, it has a fight time of 6:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. PT, and will air on HBO live at that time. HBO will also show a replay that evening at 10:00 p.m. ET. Bloody Elbow will have live fight coverage, including results and discussion, for the live bout at 6, plus spoiler-free discussion for those of you watching at 10.

On April 24, 2010, these two first met inside a boxing ring. Froch was, at the time, undefeated, while Kessler was coming in off a loss to Andre Ward. That meeting resulted in a great battle, a clash that saw both men fight at the height of their abilities in a back and forth war. When the dust settled, it was Kessler walking away with a unanimous decision victory. The fight was too close to call the decision a robbery, though some of the scorecards seemed a bit Kessler-heavy - a fact that was compounded by the fight taking place in Kessler's homeland of Denmark. Now, they fight again, only this time, it's in front of Froch's hometown fans in England.

More Froch vs. Kessler coverage:
Bloody Elbow | Bad Left Hook

Since that first fight, the two men have seen their careers go in different directions. Froch has gone 4-1, with his lone loss coming against pound for pound great Andre Ward. He's also seen his star consistently on the rise. Meanwhile, Kessler found himself unable to capitalize on his win over Froch, as he sat out over a year due to an eye injury. He's fought only 3 times since that first fight, and while all 3 have been KO wins, none have come against a true contender.

So signs point to a Froch win then, right? Not so fast. These two men know each other well, and they are both coming in with something to prove. For Kessler, it's about justifying the first win and showing that he is still a contender. For Froch, it's to show that he truly is the better man and that he is ready for even bigger things.

Of course, only one man can make those dreams come true. Saturday, we'll find out which one it is.

Join us here at Bloody Elbow for HBO World Championship Boxing Froch vs. Kessler II results, discussion, and live fight coverage this Saturday May 25.

FROCH VS. KESSLER FIGHT CARD:

Carl Froch (30-2; 22 KOs) vs.
Mikkel Kessler (46-2; 35 KOs)

FROCH VS. KESSLER RESULTS:

• MMA Fighters on the Hot Seat (BR)
• 15 Worst Ways to Lose an MMA Fight (BR)
• 20 Fighters UFC Should Build Around (BR)
• Survival Guide for Facing UFC Champions (BR)
• Unknown Legendary MMA Fighters (BR)
• Best Chins by UFC Division (BR)
• 20 Dream Fights to Be Made (BR)
• Latest MMA Rumors (SI)

Categories: StandThemUp.Org MMA Feed

Boxing: Froch vs. Kessler 2 preview, discussion, live fight coverage May 25

Bloody Elbow - Wed, 05/22/2013 - 19:00

Saturday May 25, Bloody Elbow presents live fight coverage of Carl Froch vs. Mikkel Kessler II, live on HBO. HBO World Championship Boxing: Froch vs. Kessler 2 airs this Saturday, May 25 live on HBO. As the fight takes places in London, it has a fight time of 6:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. PT, and will air on HBO live at that time. HBO will also show a replay that evening at 10:00 p.m. ET. Bloody Elbow will have live fight coverage, including results and discussion, for the live bout at 6, plus spoiler-free discussion for those of you watching at 10.

On April 24, 2010, these two first met inside a boxing ring. Froch was, at the time, undefeated, while Kessler was coming in off a loss to Andre Ward. That meeting resulted in a great battle, a clash that saw both men fight at the height of their abilities in a back and forth war. When the dust settled, it was Kessler walking away with a unanimous decision victory. The fight was too close to call the decision a robbery, though some of the scorecards seemed a bit Kessler-heavy - a fact that was compounded by the fight taking place in Kessler's homeland of Denmark. Now, they fight again, only this time, it's in front of Froch's hometown fans in England.

More Froch vs. Kessler coverage:
Bloody Elbow | Bad Left Hook

Since that first fight, the two men have seen their careers go in different directions. Froch has gone 4-1, with his lone loss coming against pound for pound great Andre Ward. He's also seen his star consistently on the rise. Meanwhile, Kessler found himself unable to capitalize on his win over Froch, as he sat out over a year due to an eye injury. He's fought only 3 times since that first fight, and while all 3 have been KO wins, none have come against a true contender.

So signs point to a Froch win then, right? Not so fast. These two men know each other well, and they are both coming in with something to prove. For Kessler, it's about justifying the first win and showing that he is still a contender. For Froch, it's to show that he truly is the better man and that he is ready for even bigger things.

Of course, only one man can make those dreams come true. Saturday, we'll find out which one it is.

Join us here at Bloody Elbow for HBO World Championship Boxing Froch vs. Kessler II results, discussion, and live fight coverage this Saturday May 25.

FROCH VS. KESSLER FIGHT CARD:

Carl Froch (30-2; 22 KOs) vs.
Mikkel Kessler (46-2; 35 KOs)

FROCH VS. KESSLER RESULTS:

• MMA Fighters on the Hot Seat (BR)
• 15 Worst Ways to Lose an MMA Fight (BR)
• 20 Fighters UFC Should Build Around (BR)
• Survival Guide for Facing UFC Champions (BR)
• Unknown Legendary MMA Fighters (BR)
• Best Chins by UFC Division (BR)
• 20 Dream Fights to Be Made (BR)
• Latest MMA Rumors (SI)

Categories: StandThemUp.Org MMA Feed

Bellator Signs Three New Fighters, Including Former UFC Name

FightLine.com MMA News - Wed, 05/22/2013 - 18:47

Bellator Signs Three New Fighters, Including Former UFC Name

Categories: StandThemUp.Org MMA Feed

IMMAF Working With WADA

FightLine.com MMA News - Wed, 05/22/2013 - 18:44

IMMAF Working With WADA

Categories: StandThemUp.Org MMA Feed

Legacy FC 20 Finalized: Welterweight Action Headlines

FightLine.com MMA News - Wed, 05/22/2013 - 18:40

Legacy FC 20 Finalized: Welterweight Action Headlines

Categories: StandThemUp.Org MMA Feed

Daily MMA 5/22: Countdown to UFC 160, Octagon girls UFC 360 bikini shoot,

Bloody Elbow - Wed, 05/22/2013 - 18:35

Kid Nate and Zombie Prophet present a round up of the best MMA and UFC videos on YouTube. Today's list features: Countdown to UFC 160, UFC Octagon girls sexy bikini bash, Mark Hunt, Cain Velasquez, Bigfoot Silva, Junior dos Santos and more.

Categories: StandThemUp.Org MMA Feed

Dereck Chisora return, Gavin vs Vassell postponed until July 20

Badlefthook.com - Wed, 05/22/2013 - 18:02

Dereck Chisora won't make his return on June 15, and he certainly won't be facing Deontay Wilder, as the card has been pushed back until July 20 while promoter Frank Warren tries to find an opponent for the controversial heavyweight. That means that the British and Commonwealth welterweight title unification bout between Frankie Gavin and Denton Vassell has also been postponed.

Warren says in a statement that he had been assured by his matchmaker Dean Powell and Golden Boy matchmaker Eric Gomez that Wilder was good to go for a Chisora fight, which is why he made the announcement in the first place. He says that Wilder's recent arrest in Las Vegas is the reason the fight isn't happening:

It was only after the press conference that we received an email from Mr Gomez saying: "I got a call from Deontay's attorney, there is [sic] some legal issues with travelling to the UK because of the arrest for battery. This is going to be a problem." We do not know when the attorney called Eric Gomez and, if before the press conference, why he did not tell us about this sooner.

I have therefore had to cancel the fight and postpone the show scheduled for 15 June. However, despite Mr Wilder's allegations, this is solely because Mr Wilder has been arrested and cannot now meet his commitment to fight Dereck Chisora.

There have been a number of websites which have reported Mr Wilder's comments and my lawyers will be raising complaints with them separately. However, I wish to make it clear at this stage, so that it is beyond doubt, that it was only after the announcement for the fight that Mr Wilder's representatives informed me that he could not travel to London to fight Dereck Chisora.

There were no indications publicly from Golden Boy that Chisora-Wilder was actually happening, and CEO Richard Schaefer outright denied that the fight would be taking place. This is a he-said, they-said situation for everyone except the handful of people who actually know: Warren, Powell, Gomez, Wilder's team, Schaefer, etc.

Terence Dooley reports that Warren has three names in mind to face Chisora on July 20: Tyson Fury, Manuel Charr, and Fres Oquendo, those names getting less interesting by the step. Fury beat Chisora soundly in 2010, but a rematch wouldn't be the worst thing for the big guy, and their press conferences now might be utter chaos. Actually, Chisora-Charr could have some remarkable trash talk, too. Oquendo is a veteran fighter who would be the major underdog, might actually wind up deserving a decision, and wouldn't get it, because he never does.

Categories: StandThemUp.Org MMA Feed

Former UFC fighter Waylon Lowe sues sex shop after penis gel 'permanently disfigures' his genitals

Bloody Elbow - Wed, 05/22/2013 - 17:15

A few months ago we told you about former TUF fighter Ray Elbe's fractured penis in what was considered a "sex accident". I'm sure that many of you have been wondering "when is the next genital story" coming out? Well folks, today is your lucky day. Former UFC fighter and current WSOF lightweight Waylon Lowe (14-4) has sued a Philadelphia sex shop over a "penis gel" which burned, scarred, and permanently disfigured his genitals. Philly.com has the details:

But a famous fighter says the Kama Sutra Pleasure Balm Prolonging Gel was far from pleasurable, and instead burned and scarred his genitals so badly last fall that he remains permanently disfigured and dysfunctional.

Michael Waylon Lowe, 32, of Southwest Center City, a mixed-martial-artist who competes internationally, has sued the South Street sex shop where he says he bought the gel, and the product's California-based creator, seeking more than $50,000 in damages, according to a lawsuit filed in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court.

I would hardly describe Waylon Lowe as "famous", but he did compete four times in the UFC, defeating Steve Lopez and Willamy Freire and losing to Nik Lentz and Melvin Guillard. Lowe recently won his WSOF debut against Cameron Dollar by KO on March 23rd to extend his post-UFC win streak to 4.

The article later describes the recently filed lawsuit and details the night Lowe's use of the gel took a horribly painful turn for the worse. You can stop reading after this sentence if you're too squeamish:

In the complaint, filed May 14, Lowe claims he had used the desensitizing gel previously without problem. And when he applied it last Sept. 1, he and his fiancée began lovemaking without incident. But when their 3-year-old daughter awoke, the fiancée interrupted their intercourse to attend to her, according to the lawsuit.

Before she returned, Lowe "began to experience excruciating pain and pressure in his penis," the lawsuit states. "He removed the condom and his penis swelled significantly. He sought emergency medical treatment and follow-up care thereafter."

It claims that Lowe suffered "catastrophic and permanent damage," including penile scarring, loss of sensation and function; nerve and tissue damage; humiliation, embarrassment and mental anguish; lost wages and earning capacity; and loss of life's pleasures.

The sex shop has since taken the product off of their shelves. According to the Kama Sutra company president Marla Lee, this is the first time they've heard of such an incident with this particular gel, which they've sold for more than 40 years.

• MMA Fighters on the Hot Seat (BR)
• 15 Worst Ways to Lose an MMA Fight (BR)
• 20 Fighters UFC Should Build Around (BR)
• Survival Guide for Facing UFC Champions (BR)
• Unknown Legendary MMA Fighters (BR)
• Best Chins by UFC Division (BR)
• 20 Dream Fights to Be Made (BR)
• Latest MMA Rumors (SI)

Categories: StandThemUp.Org MMA Feed

UFC 1: The fighter redux

Bloody Elbow - Wed, 05/22/2013 - 17:00

Recently I've been doing some work on the SBNation MMA Database. It's a rather cumbersome task that suits itself to my desire for neatness and order, and has the potential to turn into a great resource long term. At the moment I'm working on building profiles of old UFC and Pride events and their fighters. This has lead to a great deal of rummaging around through story backlogs, and forums and personal websites for little tidbits of information.

Many of us who came to MMA late, remember those early days and early fights as matches between overwhelmed Karate instructors, suddenly out of their depth in a real fight. And while there is, occasionally, some truth to that notion, there's also a lot more there than meets the eye. That said, as I make my journey through MMA history, I will do these articles on the fighters that graced the first events of MMA. Who were they, what got them there, what's happened to them?

And now, the fighters of UFC 1:

Gerard Gordeau - One of the first fighters to appear in the UFC, Gordeau was a world champion Savateur and multi-time black belt and champion Karateka (under Harry Couzijn Shihan) as well as Jiu Jitsu black belt from the Netherlands. Among his many claimed accomplishments are 1979 karate victories over Andy Hug and Dolf Lundgren, as well as the 1988 Savate World Championship. Despite his short MMA career (although he did have a largely unrecorded career in Shooto and Rings in Japan in the late 80s/early 90s) he is known for one particular incident, in which he ended up blinding Yuki Nakai in one eye, from a gouge, at Vale Tudo Japan in 1995. Gordeau was known as a somewhat "dirty" fighter, and many feel the gouge was intentional. Nakai went on to fight two more times that night, but retired from MMA competition after the event.

After his MMA career Gordeau has pursued a pro-wrestling career in Japan appearing for New Japan Pro Wrestling, as well as many smaller promotions. He is also the founder and head instructor of Dojo Kamakura in The Hauge, The Netherlands.

Teila Tuli - Born Taylor Wiley, Teila Tuli was one of the first sumo wrestlers to find tournament success in Japan. He won a championship in the makushida division (sumo's third highest) before retiring from the sport. Tuli competed under the name Takamishu out of the Azumazeki stable and was a mentor to legendary sumo wrestler Akebono Taro, helping Akebono adjust to life in Japan as both were from Hawaii. His MMA career only lasted one fight, in which he lost several teeth and his senses while on the receiving end of a Gordeau head kick.

After his fighting career ended Tuli went on to find success as an actor and currently plays the recurring character Kamekona on the Hawaii Five-0 reboot. Tuli is one of only two professional Sumo wrestler to ever appear in the UFC.

Zane Frazier - A WKF kickboxing champion, and fourth degree Karate black belt, Frazier had a reasonably long (considering that many early fighters fought only a small handful of times in their careers) and notably unsuccessful career, amassing a record of 4-11.

Legend has it (and a 1993 issue of Karate International Magazine) that Frazier secured his entry to the UFC by beating up Frank Dux at the Draka Martial Arts Trade Show in at the Century City Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, California. Art Davie was reportedly on hand to witness the scuffle and was so impressed that he asked Frazier to compete at UFC 1.

Kevin Rosier - A former ISKA, WKKC, and WKA kickboxing champion and professional boxer, Rosier is known more for his late career failures than it's early successes. Despite a 2-6 MMA record, and a 7-17 pro boxing record, he claims a 66-8 record as a professional kick boxer, much of which may be attributed to his point Karate fighting days.

Royce Gracie - This was, of course, the first appearance of Royce Gracie to American audiences. As a blue belt Royce moved to California at the age of 17 along with his brothers to help his older brother Rorion run his quickly growing Jiu Jitsu academy. By the age of 18 Royce had earned his black belt, and by the early 90's, Royce, his brothers, and the Gracie Challenge had a growing reputation in California. Despite being the smallest of the Gracie clan, Royce was picked to be the "enforcer" for the first UFC tournament. It was hoped that his diminutive frame would further the schools reputation when he won the event.

However that was only the beginning. Royce would go on to win multiple UFC tournaments and compete for Pride and K-1. He notably failed a post fight screening for steroids following his last fight, a win over Kazushi Sakuraba, and while he has often talked of returning to MMA since, he has remained out of competition.

Art Jimmerson - Somewhat affectionately (or tauntingly, depending on your view) known as "One Glove," Jimmerson was a promising professional boxer when he entered into MMA. As an Amateur he was the national Gold Gloves middleweight champion. The biggest moment of his professional boxing career came in an upset over hometown favorite Lenny Lapaglia. By the time he entered the octagon, Jimmerson was a respectable journeyman with a 29-5 record.

He was brought in by Rorion Gracie to represent boxing's place in martial arts, and to truly validate the skill of Jiu Jitsu fighters. After agreeing to the competition Jimmerson tried to back out of the deal, but when Davies threatened to sue him, he re-entered negotiations. Rumors have been floated that Jimmerson made as much as $20,000 for his single MMA fight.

Jimmerson explained the one glove idea, saying that he knew the dangers of bare knuckle fighting to a boxers hands and wanted to protect his jab hand during the fight. He lasted a full 2 minutes against Royce Gracie in his debut before tapping out. After his foray into mixed martial arts, his career took a turn south. Over the next 8 years he would go 4-13.

Ken Shamrock - When Ken Shamrock entered UFC 1 he already had a history in MMA. In fact he was the only fighter at the event to have recorded professional MMA bouts prior to UFC 1. He played football and wrestled in high school, and would go on to a decent junior college football career, after a wrestling neck injury kept him from offers from larger schools. He played semi-pro football for the Sacramento Bulldogs, but by the time the San Diego Chargers offered him a tryout he was looking to pursue a pro wrestling career. Pro wrestling took him to the tutelage of Buzz Sawyer, but the lure of Japanese mixed martial arts/pro wrestling cross-promotions saw him move to Japan to train with Masakatsu Funaki under Karl Gotch.

The call of pro wrestling and of Japanese promotions has complicated Shamrock's legacy with mixed martial arts and the UFC. As one of the sport's earliest stars he was a UFC Superfight champion, and King of Pancrase, but much of his early success occurred overseas. And his latter day MMA career has been marred by a string of poor performances and a failed drug test for steroids in 2009. After retiring in 2010, Shamrock has recently announced his return to MMA and will face Ian Freeman at UCFC: The Legends, in July.

Patrick Smith - Pat Smith was one of MMA's early striking stars. A Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido, Karate, and Tang Soo Do black belt with a kickboxing record of 66-8, he failed to find consistent success in his MMA career. But as time passed (and his level of competition decreased) he has managed to build a reasonable legacy as a journeyman fighter. After a quick exit at UFC 1 he made it to the finals of UFC 2 (a 16-man one night tournament) where he lost to Royce Gracie.

Smith was arrested in 2008, shortly before his Yamma fight, after leading police on a high speed chase. Despite the arrest he still fought for the promotion. His last fight was a decision loss to Kevin Jordan in 2009.

Jason DeLucia - Jason Delcuia was already familiar with the "Gracie Challenge" when he entered UFC 1 as an alternate. He had lost to Royce Gracie just one year prior to UFC 1 at the Gracie Academy in California. Following the loss he entered the tutelage of Ken Shamrock and the Lions Den to expand upon his 5-Animals Kung Fu background. He didn't make it into the UFC 1 tournament, but it was his first foray into professional mixed martial arts.

After competing for the UFC in it's first two events DeLucia would go on to a long and successful career in Pancrase in Japan. There he would gain victories over Matt Hume, Masakatsu Funaki, Ikuhisa Minowa, and Chris Lytle. He eventually retired from competition in 2006

Trent Jenkins - A Karateka, Jenkins competed sporadically in MMA between 1993 and 2000. Prior to his UFC debut he tried to keep his MMA plan a secret, telling his mother, who was planning to go to a family funeral, not to tell anyone. His mother ended up cancelling the trip out of fear that she would need to take him to the hospital after the event. He claims to have been one of the few fighters at the event who was unsurprised when informed that strikers would not be allowed hand wraps, which many felt unfairly swung the rules in Royce's favor.

Talking about his debut he gave the following quote on his expectations of fighting as an alternate, and the expectations the Gracies had for him and DeLucia:

They said, "You know what, you guys might not end up fighting. We might decrease your pay or whatever." The fights might go two hours, might go two minutes. If we went on, it was because someone got hurt or they needed to fill time. I thought we were going to go friendly because DeLucia said, "I’m not going to get my face messed up." I don’t know if it was a mind game on his part. (via Real Fighter Magazine)

Most recently he was reported to be working at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado.

That's all there is to tell for the fighters of UFC 1 (or at least it's all that will fit comfortably in one article). Be sure to look out for the next installment UFC 2: Who are all these one-off fighters and why should I care, coming soon.

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