Scarecrow_Junkie - I was wondering if besides Royce if there was a grappling based martial artist in that tournament? Or since it was supposed to be a showcase for Jiu Jitsu, if Royce was the only one?
I would count Frank Shamrock as a grappler with submission experience in UFC 1.
(Although not a Judo player)
Polonista -
Even now top judokas in their prime are completely not interested in MMA - Lombard, Rousey and Fedor switching to MMA are the only exeptions.
12SixElbow -facepalm.jpgScarecrow_Junkie - I was wondering if besides Royce if there was a grappling based martial artist in that tournament? Or since it was supposed to be a showcase for Jiu Jitsu, if Royce was the only one?
I would count Frank Shamrock as a grappler with submission experience in UFC 1.
(Although not a Judo player)
Chris Dolman who was multi time Sambo world champ, european judo, greeco & power lifting champion plus 260 lbs tried to enter UFC 1 and was denied. Freek Hamaker was his student.
So you saying the mma world would be praising judo as the best overall art and not bjj? 
Bloodstorm - So you saying the mma world would be praising judo as the best overall art and not bjj?I think itd get spotlight yes, but wouldnt the winners style have been increased anyway?
graciesrule - Chris Dolman who was multi time Sambo world champ, european judo, greeco & power lifting champion plus 260 lbs tried to enter UFC 1 and was denied. Freek Hamaker was his student.
so was Hammaker any good?
It wasnt ufc 1 but harold howard was always working to bring the karte aspect back into jiu jitsu.
So he was looking forward to test me. Gracie on the mat.
Karate*
Mr. Gracie*
Without a doubt the Gracies had their own agenda, but from a promoter's POV, how much sense would it have made to have a BJJ guy, a Judo guy and a Sambo guy, all wearing a Gi (maybe a JJJ guy in there too) and to try to explain to the audience what the difference was, considering we all argue about that to this day, and most of us train?
It was supposed to look like Bloodsport. If they could have found a monkey guy I'm sure they would have. And it would have made more sense.
CharlesLewis - Without a doubt the Gracies had their own agenda, but from a promoter's POV, how much sense would it have made to have a BJJ guy, a Judo guy and a Sambo guy, all wearing a Gi (maybe a JJJ guy in there too) and to try to explain to the audience what the difference was, considering we all argue about that to this day, and most of us train?
It was supposed to look like Bloodsport. If they could have found a monkey guy I'm sure they would have. And it would have made more sense.
They did have a monkey guy, if I remember correctly. He lost to Teila Tuli by bearhug.
He's lucky he didn't have to fight Frank Shamrock, apparently.
12SixElbow -Scarecrow_Junkie - I was wondering if besides Royce if there was a grappling based martial artist in that tournament? Or since it was supposed to be a showcase for Jiu Jitsu, if Royce was the only one? <img border="0" style="vertical-align:middle;" alt="Phone Post" src="/images/phone/apple.png" />
I would count Frank Shamrock as a grappler with submission experience in UFC 1.
(Although not a Judo player)
There is a lot of debate regarding grappling based arts that is way more meta than the thought process of general public circa UFC 1.
UFC 1 didn't prove the superiority of BJJ. It proved the superiority of grappling.
That's not to say the Gracies didn't claim it was all about BJJ. But the truth is, it was about the superiority of grappling. And martial arts that train in an 'alive' fashion.
Scarecrow_Junkie -Moke - Since there's a theme this week of comparing who would have done well against Royce/BJJ in the early UFCs's, let's be honest and remember that Royce was nowhere near the best representative.This is very true. If there was More elite grapplers, then Royce would not of been in there possibly <img src="/images/phone/apple.png" alt="Phone Post" border="0" style="vertical-align:middle;"/>
If you want to go in hindsight and wonder how various Olympic judokas etc., would have done against BJJ, then you should be wondering how they would have done if Rickson or someone else was picked to represent in the UFC instead of Royce.
Even then, Royce did go on to beat Remco Pardoel...though not an Olyimpian, he was 260 pounds and no daisy.
Mario Sperry was a far better bjj guy than Royce and he lost in Extreme Fighting (1995) to the judoka, Igor Zinoviev (sp?). In fairness to Sperry, I think he would have beaten Igor 8 times out of ten.
ttt
kumikata -12SixElbow -Scarecrow_Junkie - I was wondering if besides Royce if there was a grappling based martial artist in that tournament? Or since it was supposed to be a showcase for Jiu Jitsu, if Royce was the only one? <img border="0" style="vertical-align:middle;" alt="Phone Post" src="/images/phone/apple.png" />
I would count Frank Shamrock as a grappler with submission experience in UFC 1.
(Although not a Judo player)
I think you mean Ken. I don't think Frank started training until 1994, after UFC 1.
wiggum - There is a lot of debate regarding grappling based arts that is way more meta than the thought process of general public circa UFC 1.This is the opinion I have always had upon hearing about UFC 1 after I got into BJJ and Freestlyle wrestling. Which is why I questioned if there was a judoka in the tournament
UFC 1 didn't prove the superiority of BJJ. It proved the superiority of grappling.
That's not to say the Gracies didn't claim it was all about BJJ. But the truth is, it was about the superiority of grappling. And martial arts that train in an 'alive' fashion.
Chris Dolman who was multi time Sambo world champ, european judo, greeco & power lifting champion plus 260 lbs tried to enter UFC 1 and was denied. Freek Hamaker was his student.Source? The story I have read is that they couldn't meet his cash demands. The only people who seem to have plausible stories about being turned down from the early UFC's were Gracie Academy students. They even invited Tyson and Karelin, who predictably refused for the same reason a host of other Olympic quality grapplers didn't show up, because as far as they were concerned it was some seedy pro-wrestling, PPV freak-show that didn't pay very well.