Tag: Zane Frazier

The event that started it all: Watch UFC 1 in its entirety – 30 years later

UFC fights looked a lot different at the promotion’s conception in 1993.

UFC 295 marked the 30th anniversary of the promotion.

Over three decades, the UFC – and the sport of MMA as a whole – has evolved tremendously. If evidence is needed, go back and watch the promotion’s first event ever – which is now available in full, for free.

UFC 1 took place Nov. 12, 1993, at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver with a reported 7,800 fans in attendance. The one-night tournament-style fight card filled with openweight matchups featured eight fights. [autotag]Royce Gracie[/autotag] defeated [autotag]Gerard Gordeau[/autotag] to win the tournament championship.

Relive the full fight card in the video above. Tournament participants include Gracie, Gordeau, [autotag]Ken Shamrock[/autotag], [autotag]Kevin Rosier[/autotag], [autotag]Art Jimmerson[/autotag], [autotag]Zane Frazier[/autotag], and [autotag]Teila Tuli[/autotag].

The six living UFC 1 tournament participants recently reunited for dinner and the filming of a segment called Fighters of the Roundtable. Watch that reunion here.

Video: UFC 1 competitors reunite for dinner 30 years later

The six remaining living UFC 1 tournament members reunited for a 30th anniversary dinner to reflect on their pioneering night in 1993.

It was a reunion 30 years in the making.

The UFC celebrates its 30th anniversary Nov. 12 and the promotion recently organized a get-together for the six remaining living tournament participants.

The six pioneers met over dinner at an undisclosed location and shared drinks, food, laughs, and memories. The gathering was recorded and released in a video segment published Saturday entitled “Fighter of the Roundtable.”

On hand were [autotag]Gerard Gordeau[/autotag] and Taylor Wily (known as [autotag]Teila Tuli[/autotag] during his fighting days), the two fighters from the first-ever UFC bout. UFC Hall of Famers [autotag]Ken Shamrock[/autotag] and [autotag]Royce Gracie[/autotag] were also on hand, as were [autotag]Art Jimmerson[/autotag] and [autotag]Zane Frazier[/autotag].

UFC 1 took place Nov. 12, 1993 at McNichols Sports Arena. The tournament-style competition was won by Gracie, who defeated Jimmerson, Shamrock, and Gordeau all the in the same night.

Absent from the meal were the late [autotag]Kevin Rosier[/autotag] and [autotag]Patrick Smith[/autotag], who died in 2015 and 2019 respectively. An in memoriam graphic dedicated to the two deceased pioneers ran prior to the video’s closing credits.

Check out the full 42-minute production of the UFC 1 reunion dinner in the video above.