10 Most Surreal Moments In UFC History
3. Royce Gracie Returning To The UFC In 2006
Though the early UFC's were promoted on the concept of battles between different martial arts to determine the most effective in a real no-rules situation, the sport would have never taken off without fans having a favourite athlete to root for.
In the early years of the UFC, this was Royce Gracie.
Gracie was the perpetual underdog, weighing in as the smallest fighter in the first UFC event, Royce demonstrated the brutal effectiveness of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, dragging his opponents to the mat before locking in a submission for the victory.
Royce earned wins over giants such as Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, and Kimo Leopoldo over 12 undefeated fights in the company, becoming the first fighter in the history of the UFC to ascend to legendary status.
After continuing his fighting career in Japan, Gracie announced a shock return to the UFC for a non-title bout with Matt Hughes in 2006, over ten years after his last appearance in the organisation.
In that time, mixed martial arts as a sport had made huge leaps forward, with the standard of fighters rising exponentially, and Hughes would prove to be a challenge unlike any that Gracie had previously faced.
Once famed for his ostensibly unstoppable grappling prowess, Gracie was completely dominated by Hughes in their fight, with the American coming close to winning via armbar before finishing the fight via strikes in the first round.