10 Crazy Facts About UFC 1

8. The Event Was Nearly Cancelled On The Eve Of The Show

UFC 1 successfully took place on 12 November 1993, but the event was in danger of completely collapsing as of 7pm on 11 November.

It was that time that officials and fighters got together for a pre-event meeting to iron out a few pieces of detail. Despite the event being just a day away, it had still not been fully explained to the fighters just what the rules were and how the tournament was going to be laid out. What's more, the relevant contracts and paperwork hadn’t even been signed.

It was here that UFC co-founders Rorion Gracie and Art Davie explained the bare basics of the rules – no eye gouges, no biting, and no nut shots – but ultimately only succeeded in confusing and angering the fighters.

Feeling that the rules had been designed to favour Royce Gracie and that officials still hadn’t been clear over what equipment could be worn, things began to get heated as the meeting reached boiling point and UFC 1 looked in serious doubt of even happening.

Thankfully, Hawaiian sumo wrestler Teila Tuli was there to calm things down. He explained that he’d come to "party" the following night, and that he hoped his fellow fighters would join him. Unfortunately for Tuli, his party ended with him getting his teeth knocked out by Gerard Gordeau.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer and Presenter, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.