Art Jimmerson, a pioneer in the UFC’s history passed away on Wednesday. Jimmerson is notable for being a part of the first-ever UFC event in 1993, back when the concept of MMA or mixed martial arts was still in its infancy. The combat sports world was left shaken at the news of his demise and UFC CEO Dana White also took the time to share his condolences on social media.

Jimmerson competed in 3-weight divisions as a professional boxer and had an accomplished amateur career where he was the 1983 National Golden Gloves Middleweight champion. On November 12th, 1993, Jimmerson faced off against the legendary Royce Gracie as the opening fight of the one-night UFC 1 tournament. The professional boxer decided to walk into the cage with just one boxing glove on his left hand, leaving an impression that has endured till now. While he could not secure a win on the night, and became the first man to tap out in the UFC, his peculiar choice of a single glove secured his spot in the tale of the origin of modern mixed martial arts.

The UFC released an official statement in light of his passing where it stated, “The UFC family sends its sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Art Jimmerson at this difficult time” and UFC boss Dana White also joined in by sharing a personal message on his Instagram story that simply read, “RIP”

It is unclear at the time of writing what the cause of death was as the information hasn’t been publicly disclosed. Nevertheless, his passing has sent a shockwave through the MMA community as Jimmerson had become an ambassador for the sport in later years and was even a boxing coach at a UFC Gym in California. While his iconic image of squaring up against Royce Gracie with a single boxing glove remains an indelible part of MMA’s history, the story behind his decision to take part in UFC 1 and choosing to wear a glove on only his left hand is remarkably intriguing!

Jimmerson wore a single glove to protect his opponents at UFC 1

Ahead of his UFC 1 fight against Gracie, Art Jimmerson was on a 15-fight win streak and was preparing for a fight against the legendary boxer, Tommy Hearns. As such, in a past interview with Full Mount MMA, Jimmerson had stated, “I had an upcoming fight with Tommy Hearns the six weight world champion and I figured “you know what? I’m a skilled guy and I don’t want to break my hands and kill them” as the reason why he decided to walk into the cage with a single glove.

However, Gracie opened the fight by keeping his distance via front kicks before he shot in on the boxer’s legs, took him down, and smothered him on the ground. As Gracie landed what appeared to be a head-butt on the ground, Jimmerson immediately tapped out, marking the end of the fight and his MMA career.

Nevertheless, there is no denying his importance in the story of the UFC and MMA, as veteran referee John McCarthy once told ESPN, “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.”

In conclusion, Art Jimmerson’s impact on MMA transcends his time in the Octagon. His decision to participate in UFC 1 and his unconventional choice of gear symbolizes the spirit of courage and adventure that defines the sport of mixed martial arts, and his legacy will live on in the history books for generations to come.