Who won the tournament at UFC 1?

Royce Gracie won the tournament at UFC 1. He defeated Art Jimmerson, Ken Shamrock, and Gerard Gordeau in succession to become the event’s first tournament champion.

UFC 1 took place on November 12, 1993, as an eight-man, single-elimination openweight contest. Fighters represented different disciplines, including boxing, kickboxing, sumo, karate, shootfighting, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Gracie entered as a relatively small competitor wearing his family’s traditional gi, while several opponents had major size or striking advantages.

His victories demonstrated the effectiveness of Brazilian jiu-jitsu in mixed-style combat. Gracie submitted Jimmerson in the quarterfinals, defeated Shamrock by choke in the semifinal, and submitted Gordeau with a rear-naked choke in the final. The victory helped establish submission grappling as a central part of modern mixed martial arts.

A common mix-up is confusing the UFC 1 tournament winner with later UFC champions. UFC 1 had no weight classes, judges’ decisions, or championship belts; Gracie won a one-night tournament and received $50,000.