9. Royce Gracie def. The Field
UFC 1 “The Beginning”
Nov. 12, 1993 | Denver
Royce Gracie -- a young, skinny Brazilian kid in a white gi -- stood no chance of surviving against the vicious animals that littered the first UFC card. Virtually nobody in America knew about Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and for those who were around to watch the unveiling of arguably the greatest sport ever invented, Royce Gracie became an overnight sensation.

Competing amongst grapplers, boxers, sumo wrestlers, karate masters and street brawlers, Gracie barely broke a sweat as he choked out three men in about five minutes combined, easily becoming the inaugural UFC champion. Granted, by today’s standards, the field of fighters that night in Denver was suspect at best. But, back then, nobody knew. All we understood was that karate guys were the best, the sumo dudes were too big, and this thin Brazilian in the “Karate Kid” suit stood no chance. Oops.

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