10 Crazy Facts About UFC 1
1. Rickson Gracie Wanted $1 Million To Fight
At the time of UFC 1, Rickson Gracie was the true superstar of the legendary Gracie family. Seen as the darling of this iconic fighting family, Rickson was loved by everybody in the fight game and had even begun to make his presence known in the mainstream thanks to an interview with Playboy Magazine.
As mentioned earlier in this piece, Rickson was initially set to represent the Gracie family at UFC 1 – before he had a disagreement with brother Rorion and his UFC co-founder Art Davie. And the main sticking point of that disagreement? The payday that Rickson was demanding for the event.
According to Davie, Rickson Gracie was asking for a whopping $1 million to compete at UFC 1. Today in 2019, that’s still a strong payday for most fighters. But back in 1993? That $1 million fee was absolutely ludicrous.
Given that the majority of fighters involved in UFC 1 made a reported $10,000 - $20,000 for competing, Rickson was asking for an impossible deal that Rorion and Davie simply couldn’t afford. And so, that was why they then brought in the younger, way less glamorous Royce Gracie to represent the Gracie family.
Royce would go on to start his ascension to MMA superstardom by winning UFC 1 – but even his prize money for winning the entire tournament was just $50,000.