While the organisers set about creating the tournament - deciding to call it Ultimate Fighting Championship, because War of the Worlds was "too science-fictiony" - Davie stumbled across a loophole in Colorado law that meant bare-knuckle fighting was permitted in the state. Sharks? Alligators? Schwarzenegger? Conan The Barbarian and Mortal Kombat were some of the influences on UFC 1, which was co-founded by Art Davie and Rorion Gracie (top right) "There's a story in this event, there's a hook, there's a drama, there's a danger," said McLaren, in the documentary Fighting for a Generation. Gracie had already enjoyed a taste of on-screen fighting after preparing Mel Gibson for 1987 film Lethal Weapon, but for he and Davie to make the tournament a success they needed to attract a pay-per-view provider.ĭespite HBO and Showtime turning down their pitch for a 'War of the Worlds', the concept hooked Semaphore Entertainment Group (SEG) executive producer Campbell McLaren, who likened it to a real-life version of popular video game Mortal Kombat. A real life 'Mortal Kombat'īorn in Rio de Janiero, Gracie had moved to California in the late 1970s to demonstrate the Brazilian jiu-jitsu taught by his father, and inspired by a travelling Japanese master, was superior to all others, labelling his fight offer the "Gracie Challenge".ĭavie made his pitch, and Gracie was sold. external-linkĭuring his research Davie, a former high school roommate of US President Donald Trump, was made aware of the Playboy article and sought out the man in question - Rorion Gracie. I was simply bringing back the glory of the ancient world," Davie told the 30 for 30 Podcast. "I had history behind me, for 1,041 years it had been in the Olympics. He set about immersing himself in the history of fighting and discovered the Ancient Greek sport of Pankration, which used a mix of boxing and wrestling techniques. Since he was a kid interested in boxing, Davie had been obsessed with wanting to find out who the best fighter in the world was and which style was most effective. Just the kind of guy Davie, a former car dealer who used to star in his own commercials by jumping off buildings and getting set on fire, was looking for. Bringing back ancient history Art Davie was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame earlier this year, and said: "Watching UFC become mainstream and break all these records over the years has been like watching my child go out and conquer the world."Īn article in Playboy Magazine in September 1989 proclaimed its subject to be the "toughest man in the United States", a man who had offered to fight anyone in the country for a winner-takes-it all $100,000 prize. This is the story of UFC 1: The Beginning. On 12 November 1993, Davie and associates hosted "the street fight to end all street fights", as eight fearless competitors from across the world gathered in a Colorado octagon to see who was the toughest.