Who won the UFC 1 tournament at the first Ultimate Fighting Championship event?

Royce Gracie won the UFC 1 tournament at the first Ultimate Fighting Championship event.

Gracie defeated Art Jimmerson, Ken Shamrock and Gerard Gordeau during the one-night competition in Denver. He used Brazilian jiu-jitsu techniques, especially positional control and submissions, to overcome opponents from different fighting backgrounds.

His victory helped make Brazilian jiu-jitsu internationally famous and established the Gracie family as one of the most influential groups in early mixed martial arts. Gracie was physically smaller than several opponents, which made the tournament particularly memorable.

People sometimes confuse this result with Royce Gracie’s victories at UFC 2 and UFC 4. He also won those tournaments, but UFC 1 was his first UFC tournament triumph and the one that introduced him to a global audience.