Just before UFC 1

This is for history buffs.
Need some help with determining what should be correct ranking for quarter just before UFC started.

Ranking should take into consideration just official fights before Oct 1, 1993.
That includes:
- first Pancrase event,
- all Shooto events from 1989-1993
- some Brazilian Vale Tudo (Desafio)
- some fights in Russia (White Dragon)

Let me know if you know of any other event.

Since there were no rules and divisions defined (except in Shooto), this would be a P4P ranking.

 

I know a guy who's been watching since pancakes!

*hint, see my sig*

 

When was this time of pancakes? It sounds magical

 

[FONT=&quot]This is my version of Oct 1, 1993 P4P ranking[/FONT]

1. Kenji Kawaguchi ( 8 - 0 - 4)
2. Noboru Asahi ( 9 - 1 - 3)
3. Yuichi Watanabe ( 6 - 2 - 0)
4. Kazuhiro Sakamoto ( 9 - 4 - 0)
5. Ken Shamrock ( 1 - 0 - 0)
6. Manabu Yamada ( 7 - 4 - 2)
7. Kenichi Tanaka ( 5 - 3 - 2)
8. Yasuto Sekishima ( 7 - 2 - 4)
8. Naoki Sakurada ( 7 - 6 - 2)
10. Satoshi Honma ( 3 - 3 - 2)
11. Kyuhei Ueno ( 2 - 0 - 0)
12. Yoshimasa Ishikawa ( 4 - 5 - 0)
13. Yuji Ito ( 4 - 4 - 3)
14. Erik Paulson ( 1 - 0 - 0)
15. Bas Rutten ( 1 - 0 - 0)
16. Hiroyuki Kanno ( 5 - 4 - 2)
17. Takaku Fuke ( 1 - 0 - 0)

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[FONT=&quot]In brackets are Win-Loss-Draw.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Of course Shooto fighters are at the top because they have the most fights.[/FONT]
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If you're gonna include Shooto events from the 1980's might as well include this promotion.

 

there is not enough Rickson Gracie in your list

 

Fighters were a little soft around the middle. They wore one-piece bathing-suits under wool trousers with gaudy striped stockings.

 

I'll be honest. I've not heard of a lot of those guys. Also, there's a lot of draws for competitively few fights.

 

I wonder if anyone knows what is considered to be the very first MMA fight

 

Just before UFC 1, I was getting a bowl of popcorn ready to watch it.

 

Shooto was like that.
If it is a close fight, then they declare that a draw. There is no split decision.

 

First official fight that I have is Rickson Gracie - Casemiro Nascimento Martins in 1980.

First Shooto fight was in May 1989.

 

there have been MMA fights in brazil for ever, yet sadly it was very rare to keep track of fights and video tape them

 

Generally, it is considered to be Muhammed Ali v Antonio Inoki June 26, 1976.

 

Judo Gene Lebell vs Milo Savage 1963

 

yea this is what I thought of. there's a tape of it around somewhere

 

Impressive font TS has got there.

 

wow

 

wow indeed