SI fetes anniversary of UFC 1 with oral history

Sports Illustrated is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the first-ever Ultimate Fighting Championship card with an intriguing oral history of the now-landmark event.

Reporter Melissa Segura connects with all the major players from UFC 1, including co-creator Art Davie, members of the famed Gracie family and fighter Ken Shamrock. The event, held at McNichols Arena in Denver, kickstarted what has become a multi-million-dollar industry while helping to vault mixed martial arts into the mainstream sports landscape. 

Below, Davie explains how difficult it was to wrangle participants:

We wanted anyone who made sense to fight. I sent out faxes, and, of course, most people ignored me. I wanted Dennis Alexio, the kickboxer who plays Jean Claude Van Damme's brother in Kickboxer, and I offered him $50,000 — but he wouldn't do it. Mike Tyson would have cost us a zillion dollars, and we didn't have that kind of money. We tried to get Leon Spinks, the former heavyweight champ who defeated Muhammad Ali. That failed. We finally got Art (King) Jimmerson, the world's number 10 cruiserweight boxer, who was scheduled to fight Tommy Hearns six weeks after [what would come to be known as UFC 1].

Meanwhile, the UFC's official site has been showcasing the best moments from the company's 20 years of existence all month, including this informative list of fast facts. Among them:

• The UFC has held more than 250 events to date - well over half of which have taken place over the past five years.

• Duane Ludwig owns the fastest knockout in UFC history, ending his welterweight fight with Jonathan Goulet after just six seconds.

• Ron Van Clief remains the oldest man to take part in a UFC fight, losing to Royce Gracie via submission as a 51-year-old at UFC 4 in 1994.

• Gerard Gordeau defeated Teila Tuli by knockout to prevail in the first-ever UFC fight. Gordeau went on to lose to Royce Gracie in the championship bout.