• UFC 118

The good old days return with Couture v Toney

Randy Couture has been around since UFC 13 © Getty Images

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Saturday night at UFC 118, two legends of combat sports will come together to form one of the most intriguing clashes of styles since the inception of the UFC. Former IBF boxing world champion James "Lights Out" Toney makes his MMA debut against one of the most decorated fighters in the history of MMA, Randy "The Natural" Couture.

Boston, Massachusetts will provide the stage as one of the greatest age-old questions finally gets an answer: Can a strict boxer really cut it in top-level mixed martial arts?

As Toney swaps his usual gloves for a pair of four-ounce mitts, having previously competed in over 80 professional boxing matches without ever being stopped - it is clear his boxing legacy will remain intact; but when faced with an Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler in the form of Randy Couture, it is fair to say that Toney is facing the most daunting task of his career.

The differences between their fighting styles are exactly what this entire sport was built on. The boxer v the wrestler, jiu-jitsu v shoot-fighting and kickboxing v sumo wrestling. These were just some of the great style match-ups that launched the UFC back in 1993.

With such a clash of styles in Saturday night's co-main event, it seems appropriate to look back to where it all began and relive five of the best match-ups from the night that saw history made. On November 12 1993, fighters from all walks of life came together in Denver with one common goal: to win The Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Gerard Gordeau (Kick-Boxing) vs. Teila Tuli (Sumo Wrestling)
The first ever UFC fight was between Dutch savate champion Gerard Gordeau and sumo wrestler Teila Tuli as the eight-man tournament started with a bang. An aggressive-looking Tuli stalked Gordeau, looking to impose his significant weight advantage, but as the 400lb Tuli charged Gordeau to the cage he stumbled to the floor.

Gordeau then moved in and caught Tuli with a devastating round-house kick to the face, sending several of the Sumo star's teeth spiralling into the crowd. A follow-up strike saw the referee step in and call time-out. Tuli clearly wanted the fight to continue, but after the time-out and several minutes of confusion in Tuli's corner, the referee confirmed that the fight was over and that Gordeau would now advance.

Zane Frasier (karate) vs. Kevin Rosier (kickboxing)
Standing at 6'6", Zane Frasier, the four-time international karate champion, drew three-time kickboxing world champion Kevin Rosier in the second fight of the tournament. Rosier started well, catching Frasier with an over-hand right before the fight worked its way into the clinch. A low blow turned the tide in favour of Frasier, who landed some very heavy uppercuts against the cage. Rosier absorbed all of the shots his opponent could throw, and once Frasier looked to have punched himself out the kickboxing champion came back with a combination that dropped the exhausted Frasier.

A brutal stomp to Frasier's head landed perfectly, and as several more came in, so did the white towel, as Frasier's corner decided that they had seen enough. Although this fight contained very little karate, or kickboxing for that matter, it was a very exciting showdown which ended up being more like a back-yard brawl, with Rosier advancing to the semi-finals.

Royce Gracie (jiu-jitsu) vs. Art Jimmerson (boxing)
The memory of Art Jimmerson competing at UFC 1, while wearing a single boxing glove, is one of the most iconic images of early UFC. Jimmerson, a former amateur National Golden Gloves champion, competed only one time in the UFC, and it was this fight with Royce Gracie in the first round of the eight-man tournament. As far as contrasting styles go this is about as far apart as two fighters could be, with the Brazilian bringing his family's "Gracie Jiu-Jitsu," while Jimmerson brought his boxing pedigree.

Wearing just one glove to protect his leading left hand, Jimmerson looked like a fish out of water as he was taken down by Gracie with relative ease. Once Gracie moved to a more dominant position the boxer tapped the mat repeatedly until the referee stopped the fight. Jimmerson was in no pain, that was evident, but he was in a place he had never been before. Pinned to the mat, struggling to breathe, Jimmerson was being smothered by Gracie. As soon as the realisation of where he was set in, fear flooded the boxer's mind and he took the easy way out, handing Gracie a clear path to the semi-finals.

Ken Shamrock (shoot-fighting) vs. Royce Gracie (jiu-jitsu)
As Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie met in the next round of the tournament, many had hoped this fight would provide the final as Gracie matched up with the former King of Pancrase. In an absolute whirlwind of a fight, Gracie immediately shot for the takedown, which was stuffed by Shamrock. Gracie persisted and the fight inevitably hit the ground, where he landed a series of hard heel strikes to the kidney of Shamrock.

As Shamrock went for a leg to snap on his famous leg lock, Gracie transitioned to a position where he could lock on a choke that left Shamrock repeatedly tapping the mat. The referee initially didn't see Shamrock's gesture so Gracie released the hold. And like the true sportsman that Shamrock is, he held his hands up and admitted he had submitted. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu had now overcome both boxing and shoot-fighting within the hour, and now a 6'5" kickboxer was waiting for the Brazilian in the tournament final.

Royce Gracie (Jiu-Jitsu) vs. Gerard Gordeau (Kick-Boxing)
The final of the first Ultimate Fighting Championship came down to Dutch kickboxer Gerard Gordeau and Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert Royce Gracie as the battle for the $50,000 prize came to its climax. Gracie immediately shot and tied Gordeau up, clinching against the cage. The Brazilian's persistence paid off as he managed to get his much larger opponent to the ground and take the full mount position.

Gracie softened the Dutchman up with forearms and headbutts, and as Gordeau tried to escape he gave up his back and Gracie pounced. Sinking in a deep choke, Gordeau tapped and continued to do so while Gracie gripped and held on for several seconds after the referee called the fight off. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu had been victorious as the very first Ultimate Fighting Championship came to its conclusion, and now 17 years on, Royce will watch fellow Hall-of-Famer Randy Couture attempt to reiterate the importance of grappling against James Toney.

Chris Park is mmatorch.com's UK specialist. To visit mmatorch.com, click here.

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