RIP ART
Art ‘One Glove’ Jimmerson dead at 60: UFC legend who fought on first ever card passes away
UFC pioneer fought Royce Gracie on the promotion's first ever card
UFC legend Art Jimmerson, who fought at the first ever UFC event, has died aged 60.
His daughter confirmed the death of the boxing specialist who competed at UFC 1 in 1993.
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Known as "One Glove", he earned his nickname by fighting Royce Gracie at UFC 1 in Denver, Colorado while wearing only a single boxing glove.
Jimmerson was boxing's representative on the card, which sought to determine the best fighting discipline, but was stopped by jiu-jitsu specialist Gracie in two minutes and 18 seconds.
He wore a glove on his left hand in order to jab opponents, with his right left bare-knuckle to go for the knockout.
At UFC 1, however, the St Louis-born boxer became the first UFC star to ever be submitted.
Former UFC referee and current Bellator commentator John McCarthy, 61, paid tribute, saying: "People can say whatever they want about Art Jimmerson.
"But Art Jimmerson was a man who practiced an art -- the art of boxing -- and became incredibly successful with it.
"He was brave enough to take that art and test it against something he had no knowledge of."
Jimmerson returned to professional boxing following his appearance at UFC 1.
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He finished with a 33-18 pro record, having primarily competed in his home town of St Louis.
Three times he fought for NABF gold, once at light heavyweight and twice at cruiserweight, but he was unable to win either title.
Jimmerson fought professionally for the final time in 2002, being defeated by Rydell Booker in Danville, Virginia.
In his latter years he went on to become head boxing coach at the UFC Gym in Torrance, California.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani in 2011, Jimmerson admitted that he could never have expected to the UFC to grow as it did.
He said: "I am totally shocked. In the beginning it was just eight fighters.
"I never thought it would be this big, never. So to be part of it, I'm just so excited."
As a ranked light heavyweight, Jimmerson's participation was a major coup for the inaugural UFC event - so much so that they made him an incredible proposition.
He added to Helwani: "I was even offered a percentage of the UFC, because they really had no money starting off.
"We had a couple of the things on the plate that they offered me but I never thought it would get this big."
Quizzed if he accepted the offer, he admitted "No, I didn't" - before adding that his manager at the time told him to "take the money and run, because this thing's only going to last a couple of years and then blow out".
As for Gracie, he went on to beat Ken Shamrock and Gerard Gordeau to triumph in the tournament format at UFC 1.
The Brazilian, now 57, would fight in the UFC until 2006, and even rematched Shamrock at Bellator 149 in 2016.
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Last year, Jimmerson and Gracie reunited 30 years on from their fight at UFC 1.
The duo affectionately laughed and hugged as they caught up alongside fellow UFC 1 legends Gordeau, Zane Frazier, Shamrock and Teila Tuli.
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