The 50 Most Brutal MMA Matches Ever

This past November the UFC celebrated the 24th anniversary of UFC 1: The Beginning, a modest competition that entertained 7,800 fans in a since destroyed Denver arena with a capacity far larger than that. The event, which was broadcast on pay-per-view (duh) and later shipped in a now obsolete technology called "home video," had but two freaking rules for participants to abide by: 1.) No biting and 2.) No eye gouging.

Everything else was fair game, and the eight-person tourney was eventually won by Royce Gracie after he applied a rear naked chokehold to Gerard Gordeau in a final that took less than two minutes to wrap up.

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