WATCH: Royce Gracie Try to Break Arm After Tap on UFC 2
WATCH this high intensity scramble on UFC 2 between Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legend Royce Gracie and American MMA fighter – Jason Delucia. DeLucia practiced the Five Animals style of Kung Fu, Taekwondo, Aikido, and Judo. He is remembered by UFC enthusiasts for being in the very first fight (and the very first win) in UFC history. In UFC 2: No Way Out, DeLucia fought Royce Gracie and lost via armbar submission. After DeLucia tapped out, Gracie did not let go of the armbar and the commentator claimed his elbow had popped (“popped a capsule”). However, DeLucia denied this in a Sherdog.com forum, saying it was just badly bent.
This Wasn’t Delucia’s First Bout With Royce Gracie
This wasn’t the first time Delucia had faced Royce though, several years before they fought in UFC 2, DeLucia and Gracie went up against each other in a ‘Gracie Challenge’ match at Royce’s brother Rorion Gracie’s jiu-jitsu school. The match can be seen on Youtube and in the “Gracie in Action 2” DVD.
In Brazil, Gracie’s family had created and popularized the ground-fighting style Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) . DeLucia fought and lost to Royce Gracie at the Gracie gym in an encounter documented and distributed on videotape. It revealed to DeLucia the effectiveness of ground-fighting, and he later credited the Gracie’s for their contribution to martial arts.
DeLucia sought a rematch with Royce, and Rorion informed him about the upcoming first event by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). During UFC 1: The Beginning (1993), DeLucia fought Trent Jenkins for an alternate spot in the tournament, winning with an RNC: getting the first ever win in the UFC. DeLucia then got the opportunity to fight Royce Gracie again at UFC 2: No Way Out (1994). The match was a quick one with Gracie transitioning to an arm-bar on DeLucia’s right arm; DeLucia stood up to escape but the hold was secured and he repeatedly tapped in submission with his left hand. DeLucia fell on his stomach and continued to tap until referee John McCarthy got in position to see the submission, intervened, and stopped the fight in just over a minute.
The 1990s – what a time to be alive!
