The first UFC fights were called by Hall of Fame Cleveland Brown running back Jim Brown instead of Joe Rogan. Back than kicking an opponent in the head while they were down was good strategy unlike today it's an offense worthy of a disqualification. As a matter of fact the only thing illegal in the early days of the Octagon was biting. Despite this in the first championship match Dutchman Gerard Gordeau allegedly bit Royce Gracie the human octopus who was undersized yet stuck to his opponents long enough to wait for them to make a mistake so he could choke them out.
If the first UFC wasn't brutal enough UFC two was much more brutal as the tournament of eight was increased to 16 men enter and only one would come out the victor. Royce Gracie would again be the eventual champion winning all four of his matches in what would be his claim on a Hall of Fame UFC career. Oh and not to mention there were no rounds it was get in the octagon and fight. No time limit, no decision, just fight till someone was knocked out or tapped out. Broken arms, missing teeth, and lots of blood was regular in the matches. These guys were not just warriors they were gladiators that fought almost to the death. As a matter of fact in UFC 6 it was Emmanual Yarborough who smothered his opponent into submission with his 600lb body. At UFC 10 Tank Abbott was knocking the teeth out of a man called the bone crusher who was left convulsing on the mat.
The fight to the death so to speak with no rounds or no time limits finally became an issue at the first super fight in UFC 6 in North Carolina. Future Hall of Famers Ken Shamrock a submission specialist and Royce Gracie fought for 36 minutes with no breaks before it was decided that the match was called a draw.
The UFC would change after UFC 6. Suddenly there was an eighteen minute time limit. Still no rounds but that would evolve. Fighters would eventually have some of their battle plans taken away. Fighters used to be able to hit other fighters below the belt without any repercussions. Fighters who took one in the jewels were expected to continue fighting and they did. Eye gouging would eventually be outlawed. Ultimately kicks to the head when fighters were down, illegal elbows all good strategy to knock an opponent out or submit them was deemed illegal.
Today's fighters are much more talented with multiple weapons. That does not take away from the fighters of the early years. Sure Ken Shamrock in his 40's has never been a match for Tito Ortiz but could Ortiz have endured a 36 minute match with Gracie, could any of the fighters today deal with a match that pitted a fighter against someone twice his weight as there were no weight classes in the early UFC battles. Could Rashard Evans take a punch to the groin and continue like the early gladiators of the sport?
Tomorrow night is UFC 117 a much more popular more evolved technical sport without the brutal savagery. There is no more Jim Brown its now Joe Rogan. The fights are headliners in Las Vegas rather than afterthoughts in Denver. The big fight tomorrow night is Anderson "The Spider" Silva vs. Sonnen. Silva is a future Hall of Fame fighter. He can grapple, he can strike, he can submit and he can move up and down in weight. Silva has not been challenged in a long time and that could be his undoing. But when a fighter comes at Silva at a higher level like former light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin who Silva moved up in weight class to fight The Spider takes his fight level to a greater game.
UFC CEO has threatened to cut the current middleweight champion Silva for his lack of excitement. That is no Silva's problem as he fights to win not to take risks and entertain the crowd. In tomorrow nights fight given the threats made by White I expect Silva to come out more determined than ever and show Sonnen more than he has ever seen on film as many Silva fights don't highlight his awesome skills and arsenal of weapons. This is a much hyped fight but when it is all said and done this one should be a first round knockout by The Spider as he has been waiting for the proper motivation and both White and Sonnen have talked down to the champion and now its time for the most dominant champion of the modern era to take out his fury.
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