Let's Get It On!_ The Making of MMA and Its Ultimate Referee - Big John Mccarthy [48]
The Gracie brothers gave Tuli a standing ovation.
All of the remaining fighters followed the soft-spoken Hawaiian’s lead and scribbled their names on their papers before handing them in as well. Nobody wanted to be labeled a coward.
On November 12, 1993, the Ultimate Fighting Championship got off to an auspicious start inside the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado, when announcer Bill “Superfoot” Wallace goofed and welcomed everyone to the “Ultimate Fighting Challenge” preceded by one of the largest burps ever captured on live TV. Wallace, a well-known kickboxing legend who’d retired undefeated, was flanked in the commentary booth by five-time kickboxing champion Kathy Long and NFL rushing legend Jim Brown.
Jim Brown was an especially familiar face for another reason entirely. I’d been called to his Hollywood Hills residence a few times to quiet down loud parties.
By UFC 6, Brown asked, “Did we know each other before this?”
When I told him how we first met, he couldn’t believe it.
Wallace had taken over play-by-play duties at the last minute when Brown had decided he wanted to fill the color commenting role instead. Unprepared, Wallace mercilessly butchered the names of secondary announcing team members Brian Kilmeade and Rod Machado throughout the night. Wallace also repeatedly made a mistake typical of newcomers to the sport, mispronouncing Royce’s name. The “R” is pronounced as an “H” in Portuguese.
Not only were the names unfamiliar to them, but Wallace, Brown, and Long had little knowledge of the action they were calling and describing to the fans shelling out $14.95 to watch at home. They understood Gracie Jiu-Jitsu least of all.
Kathy Long made one of the sharper comments in the pre-fight banter with Wallace. When asked what her strategy would be, she answered, “I think the best thing to do is to go for something as quick as you can.”
The McNichols Sports Arena was a nicely equipped 17,000-seat venue that housed the Denver Nuggets. This night, the UFC was handing out tickets, and about 5,000 spectators attended.
I didn’t get to escort Royce or be in his corner—Gracies alone would be allowed—but as his training partner, I was given two front-row seats and laminated backstage passes for Elaine and myself. Rorion also gave me the important task of babysitting the gold medal to be awarded to the evening’s winner at the tournament’s conclusion. Helio, sharply dressed in a three-piece suit, sat a few seats down from me to survey the fruits of his early labors.
As the lights finally dimmed and the UFC’s rambling guitar riff theme music was unveiled, everyone in the crowd stood. After his display the night before at the rules meeting, it was fitting that Teila Tuli was the first fighter to come walking out the entrance tunnel.
With the traditional Samoan sarong draping his shoulders and waist, former sumo wrestler Tuli climbed the stage’s steps and entered the Octagon. Tuli, at six feet two and 410 pounds, was the largest and most physically striking of the eight participants, which was one reason why Rorion and Art had scheduled him for the first match.
Next to enter was six-feet-five, 216-pound Dutch savate champion Gerard Gordeau. The art of savate relies heavily on foot strikes and is also referred to as French kickboxing or French footfighting. Gordeau did most of his training as a kickboxer in Holland.
Referee João Alberto Barreto, Rorion’s choice because of his experience overseeing vale tudo fights in Brazil, gave a few brief instructions through a translator—yes, the referee had a translator.
The Octagon door swung closed, the bell rang, and Gordeau and Tuli circled each other for only a few seconds. The heavier man charged at his opponent. Gordeau backpedaled quickly, throwing punches at Tuli’s outstretched arms until the Dutchman’s back brushed the fence and Tuli reached down for his legs. Gordeau simply circled out and Tuli fell forward.
Tuli’s face, now level with Gordeau’s prime weapons, was an easy target. The crowd exploded as Gordeau’s foot