Filed under: Strikeforce
Every once in a while, we need a reminder of where we came from. In the modern mixed martial arts family tree, the deepest roots are those of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the art that spawned the original Ultimate Fighting Championship tournament back on Nov. 12, 1993, that art that was essentially showcased on that night.
Unbeknowst to most of us at the time, the tournament was essentially designed as an infomercial. So confident were the Gracies that BJJ would reign supreme, they chose the smallest of the fighting family, Royce, as their representative. It took him five minutes to win three matches that night. His striking was, shall we say, rudimentary, as he tapped out all three opponents with submissions.
Fabricio Werdum‘s win over Fedor Emelianenko may not have the far-lasting historical ramifications of Gracie conquering of the tournament field — that remains to be seen — but it’s in many ways an homage to the sport’s roots in this: Werdum beat the man most consider the sport’s greatest all-time heavyweight without landing a single strike.