Things you like about the first bouts

[Lottatore italiano]

Hi!

What do you like most about the first mma (ufc and others) bouts? What do you find amazing, amusing, funny, interesting... about them? Here are some of my favourite things. If you want, please tell yours.



1. The look on Royce Gracie's face before a fight, especially when facing bigger opponents.

2. Royce Gracie rnc-ing Gerard Gordeau.

3. Harold Howard's outfit: a white A-shirt undershirt and pants with the canadian flag and the KARATE writing.

4. Harold Howard executing his scissor-flip kick.

5. Remco Pardoel's ground working on Alberto Cerro Leon.

6. The fight between Renzo Gracie and Ben Spijkers.

7. Marco Ruas's aggressive fighting style.

8. Marco Ruas demolishing Paul Varelans.

9. The fight between Paul Varelans and Mark Hall (including Mark Hall's movements while the announcer was introducing him).

10. Bas Rutten's palm strikes.

11. Igor Vovchanchyn with his striking and his record.

 

[Buka]

Gerard Gordeau biting Royce in the ear four years before Tyson did it to Holyfield.

Mark Coleman getting round kicked to the face with a shoe. (ouch)

Don Frye vs Yoshiro Takayama in the "who can punch each other in the face more" fight.

When Big John McCarthy started being the Ref.

When Joe Rogan started being the color commentator.

You mentioned the fight between Renzo Gracie and Ben Spijkers, (where Renzo steps on Spijkers head after Spijkers taps.)
I don't know who was working the corner for Spijkers, but he advised him to get Renzo Gracie upset in order to rattle him and take him out of his game plan. So he knocked on Renzo's locker room door and said some really foolish insults. My buddy, Shawn (working a corner for an alternate) was standing right there.
What a bad piece of advice to give a fighter.

Early UFC was truely the wild, wild west. It was really fun to watch. But I like what we have now better.

 

[RTKDCMB]

• Joe Son getting repeatedly punched in the groin (who doesn't like seeing that happen to a future rapist).
• Teila Tuli's tooth flying off.
• Relative lack of rules.
• Art Jimmerson wearing one glove.
• Remco Pardoel's elbows.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

I actually have a hard time going back and watching the early fights any more. The technical skill level among the competitors has come so far since then (as had my own knowledge). At the time I was mystified by much of what was happening on the grappling front. These days when I watch the early matches I have to restrain myself from shouting technical advice at the screen.

That said, there are always the highlight moments.
Gerard Gordeau's TKO of Teila Tuli
Remco Pardoel's KO of Orlando Weit
Gary Goodridge's KO of Paul Herrera
Renzo Gracie's KO of Oleg Taktarov, followed by Oleg not realizing he had been knocked out, refusing to believe he had lost, and refusing to leave the ring, staying in even as they were turning out the lights and interviewing Renzo. Remember kids - concussions are bad for your brain.

 

[Lottatore italiano]

You mentioned the fight between Renzo Gracie and Ben Spijkers, (where Renzo steps on Spijkers head after Spijkers taps.)
I don't know who was working the corner for Spijkers, but he advised him to get Renzo Gracie upset in order to rattle him and take him out of his game plan. So he knocked on Renzo's locker room door and said some really foolish insults. My buddy, Shawn (working a corner for an alternate) was standing right there.
What a bad piece of advice to give a fighter.

So Spijkers was advised to piss Renzo Gracie off before the fight. That was a really stupid suggestion! Maybe that cornerman didn't like Brazilians, or he wanted to cause trouble. Ben actually was not wise following such an advice, or he intended to look like a cocky fighter... who knows? Well, I think if I were Renzo Gracie after being insulted that way I wouldn't have just stepped on his head, maybe I would have stepped on his balls, too!

Early UFC was truely the wild, wild west. It was really fun to watch. But I like what we have now better.

As regards early ufc/mma bouts, I definitely agree with you. I prefere current ones, they are much more “professional”. The first “wild west” styled ones were spectacular in the sense they looked amazing and funny, somehow “choreographed”...in other words they resembled “Bloodsport” and similar movie fights. Also the fighting outfits were various, and that made the show amusing.

 

[Danny T]

What about the many Vale Tudo, Shooto, & Pankration bouts long before UFC?
I agree with Tony as to the UFC fights today are much better than those in the early years. The technical striking and grappling is far superior today. This is not to take away the toughness of the early fighters but today almost every fighter is far better trained in striking and grappling and in much better overall physical condition for sport fighting.

 

[Buka]

I forgot one of my all time fascinating finishes - UFC 34 (2001) Matt Hughes vs Carlos Newton.

Where Newton choked him out with a triangle - and Matt Hughes literally woke up the UFC welterweight champion of the world!

 

[Lottatore italiano]

I read that when Gerard Gordeau kicked Teila Tuli in the face, two of Tuli's teeth penetrated into Gordeau's foot. In order not to cause him an open wound, the UFC doctors decided not to extract them, so Gordeau fought in the other UFC 1 matches with two teeth embedded in his foot.

So when he knocked Kevin Rosier out stomping on his belly he kicked Rosier by Tuli's teeth somehow (!) Later, after coming back to his country he got them extracted at hospital.

That's quite odd...and quite disgusting too, isn't it?

 

[Tony Dismukes]

I read that when Gerard Gordeau kicked Teila Tuli in the face, two of Tuli's teeth penetrated into Gordeau's foot. In order not to cause him an open wound, the UFC doctors decided not to extract them, so Gordeau fought in the other UFC 1 matches with two teeth embedded in his foot.

So when he knocked Kevin Rosier out stomping on his belly he kicked Rosier by Tuli's teeth somehow (!) Later, after coming back to his country he got them extracted at hospital.

That's quite odd...and quite disgusting too, isn't it?

Not to mention one of Tuli's teeth went flying into the audience!

Fortunately, ringside medical care has also improved since then.

 

[drop bear]

I actually have a hard time going back and watching the early fights any more. The technical skill level among the competitors has come so far since then (as had my own knowledge). At the time I was mystified by much of what was happening on the grappling front. These days when I watch the early matches I have to restrain myself from shouting technical advice at the screen.

Yeah and that was just at Royce.