What was the date of the first UFC event?

What was the date of the first UFC event? The first UFC event was held on November 12, 1993.

UFC 1 took place at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado. The event was created as an eight-man, one-night tournament designed to compare different martial arts styles under a largely open ruleset.

There were no weight classes, judges, or time limits, and competitors included Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Gerard Gordeau, and Art Jimmerson. Gracie won three bouts that night, submitting Gordeau in the final with a rear-naked choke.

The date is sometimes confused with later anniversary events or with the UFC’s corporate eras. UFC 1 predates the Zuffa ownership period, which began in 2001, and it also came before the modern unified rules, gloves, weight classes, and regulated championship structure. Nevertheless, November 12, 1993 is universally recognized as the beginning of the UFC.