10 Crazy Facts About UFC 1

2. Alligators, Sharks, Barbed Wire, And Electric Fencing

Alligator Drags Toddler
Lynne Sladky/AP

Over the years, we’ve all heard so many urban myths and online scuttlebutt that couldn’t possibly be true, yet sometimes, amazingly, they are. One such tall tale that turns out to be 100% genuine is the fact that the initial plans for UFC 1 had the fighters surrounded by some of the most dangerous predators on the planet.

Straight from the mouth of UFC co-founder Rorion Gracie, rather than the Octagon that has now become a staple of the UFC, the original idea for that first UFC event was to have a moat around the area where the fighters were due to throw down.

Not just a moat, mind, for some genius thought it would be wise to fill said moat with alligators and/or sharks. Deciding that the risk of a fighter being nudged to their likely death wasn’t one worth taking, the next school of thought was to instead enclose the fighters behind an electric fence that was topped off with barbed wire.

Thankfully, the ultimate call saw the Octagon setup deemed a more sensible approach for UFC 1 – and the structure has since become one of the go-to staples of what fight fans know and love.

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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.