My tone is going to be somewhat playful which by no means should be taken as disrespectful to the fighters in these first UFC's. While many of them were of questionable skill and tactics, they really possessed a degree of the same stuff, call it boldness, guts, or pure blind adventurous nature that imbued European explorers who tackled the Amazon jungle or the first astronauts strapped into combustible misses hurled into space. Thats right, people, I'm comparing Harold Howard to Chuck Yeager.

But really, it is a fair comparison. These are men who went into the unknown. This was no point fighting karate tournament, no boxing (kick or otherwise) match with gloves and rest periods, this wasn't a grappling match with rigid rules, no weight classes, there was only you, a ref, or your corner to save you from a public, potentially dangerous mauling.

The idea for the Ultimate Fighting Championship finds it roots in Greek pankration and Brazil's vale tudo fighting arts. California ad exec Art Davie teamed with Rorian Gracie, who's family had become Ju-Jitsu legends, helping introduce the art and refining it into Braziallian Ju-Jitsu, and pay-per-view promoter SEG to put on a "no holds barred" fighting event. Though the tagline sold it as fighting art versus fighting art in order to prove who was the best, really it was intended as a promotional tool for Gracie Ju-Jitsu. The family had a long history of openly inviting fighters into their dojos for challenges, so the only difference to them was someone's idea to put it on pay per view.

Mixed Martial Arts in large part thanks to the UFC has exploded over the past few years. To those newer fans, I cannot emphasize enough how different, crude, and unrefined these early UFC's are in comparison. Its is really as drastic a difference as turn of the century pugilism is to modern boxing.

It all began on November 12th, 1993 in Denver, Colorado . The build up was actually pretty sensational. With a few exceptions, the format for most of the early UFC's was a tournament. The pay per view ads had everyone thinking it was going to be like a real life Bloodsport. The image in my mind was of a Bolo Yeunglike monster side kicking some third rate boxer before finishing him off with the dim mok. Me and my buddies sat down to watch and there was a definite sense of danger and what-the-hell-is-gonna'-happen in the air.

The opening bout, while maybe not the flesh and blood incarnation of Chuck Norris versus Joe Frasier, was tabloid style, shocking, a freak show that marked the UFC's early appeal. 6'5, 216 pound Savate fighter Gerard Goreau faced 6'2 410 pound Sumo wrestler Teila Tuli. The two couldn't have been more night and day different, a wispy, whiter than white Dutch kickboxer squaring off against a mass of plodding Samoan sumo wrestler.

DING! The fighters briefly circle. Tuli rushes forward. Gordeau pushes Tuli off and sidesteps. Tuli crashes to the mat due his momentum and Gordeau kicks him square in the face. Fight over. Replay shows Tuli's teeth flying, and post fight rumors still persist that Gordeau had to pick a tooth out of his foot backstage. It was a physical contrast that would actually be eclipsed in UFC 3 when 6'8, 600+ pound Sumo wrestler Emmanuel Yarbourough fought 5'11, 200 pound Kenpo Karate practitioner Keith Hackney, a fight that actually had more drama and ended when, yet again, the bulky sumo practitioner stumbled to the deck because of his awkward momentum, rolling there like a quadruple amputated turtle as Hackney hammered 41 (yep, I counted) hammering blows to his head.

In these early UFC's the typical pattern was, striker versus striker usually ended up an ugly brawl. Grappler versus grappler ended up a technical showdown. And, grappler versus striker usually ended up a smothering affair where the grappler awkwardly fought to get his opponent on the ground where the standup fighter was, 9/10 times, totally clueless and worn down into or caught by submission.

Over the course of these first four events, there are established legends. The most successful came from the world of grappling which due to its lack of visual aesthetics never became a hit with action film choreography, thus leaving me and friends clueless why all these guys were slaughtering the boxers, kickboxers, and martial arts experts with ease. Seriously, if someone back in the 80's would have made The Sambo Kid, I wouldn't have been caught nearly as off guard. The biggest name was, of course, Royce Gracie, winner of 3 out of the first four tournaments. From Pancrase, there was submission fighter Ken Shamrock, the leader of The Lion's Den which would become one of the UFC's and MMA early stable of fighters. There was also Greco Roman wrestler and Brawny towel guy double Dan "The Beast" Severn, who paved the way for a wave of wrestling-based converts to fighting like Randy Couture, Marc Coleman, Mark Kerr, and Matt Hughes.

Famous for other reasons: Boxer Art Jimmerson, who thought it a good idea to fight with one boxing glove. The crazed eyes and glorious mullet of Harold Howard. Bizarre, evangelical minister/martial artist Joe Son absorbing repeated groin strikes from Keith Hackney. Jeff Foxworthy double, Fred Ettish. The only fighter I had prior knowledge of was Way of the Black Dragon's Ron Van Clief, who at 51 yrs old still holds the record as the oldest participant in the UFC. Steve Jennum, the Nebraskan police officer who holds the distinction of an event win despite only fighting once, in the tournament finals, because he was an alternate. And, finally, Kevin Rossier, who's Humpty Dumpty body typified many early UFC contestants, a fact amplified by his choice of fight apparel, tight white shorts pulled up grandma underwear high.

The DVD: Lionsgate.

The upsetting thing about the DVD releases is that they skimped and just used the edited source that they put out on vhs. The broadcast is awkward enough edited, but for those of us who remember watching it live, there is an added source of comedy they could have capitalized on by presenting the events with all the lags and awkward time killing. Early on, it was a big train wreck. The commentators seemed extremely lost during the fight downtime, any moment where the air had to be filled, and often stumbled over each other.

But, you cannot edit out everything and you still get to see Bill "Superfoot" Wallace and Jim Brown talking down to poor Kathy Long. The parade of unneeded extra commentators. The awesome fight style clip packages and pre-fight fighter interviews. And, don't forget wonderful "What the Hell?" exchanges/quips like,...

During Tuli's opening ring walk- Jim Brown: "I know him from Los Angeles." Bill Wallace: "And we all know what happens in Los Angeles." Brown: "Ohhhh yes."

Wallace: "They are going over the rules now, which there aren't any of...ummm... They are just trying to say, 'Lets make it a good clean fight.'"

At UFC 2, Brian Kilmeade asks co-commentator Hollywood stuntman and feathered hair victim Ben Perry if he'd like to jump in the Octagon for UFC 3, and Perry geekily replies with this bon mot, "No, no, no. I'm subscribing now to a magazine- 'DUH Magazine'- so I'm not gonna' be doing that."

During Kimo Leopoldo's ring walk, in a cape with hood, dragging a huge cross on his back, with an army of people around him, some of whom sported signs with biblical versus. Jim Brown's astute observation, "He's bringin' a lotta' stuff with him."

Picture: Fullscreen. As I just said, they are using the old tape masters for the DVD's so don't expect much. Even for their day and age, the broadcasts quality was subpar, graphics and lightingwise looking like something out of the mid 80's rather than the 90's.

Sound: Dolby Stereo. English Close-Captioned. Again, decent and clear but nothing to really amaze. Workmanlike. Gets the job done.

Extras: UFC 1: Interviews with Royce Gracie (3:55) and Ken Shamrock (5:30). UFC 2: 3 bonus/alternate angle fights (Welt-Lucaretti, Smity-Wizard, & Daugherty-Morris). Royce Gracie Interview (5:11). UFC 3: Interviews with Royce Gracie (2:06) and Sherdog journalist/editor Josh Gross (2:29). UFC 4: Interview with Dan Severn (5:06) and Sherdog journalist/editor Josh Gross (3:45).

Conclusion:In the mid 90's Senator John McCain famously branded early UFC as "human cockfighting" and caused such a stir the ppvs were banned from major cable outlets, only available on satellite, and the organization came very close to going under. He was right, pure and simple and it led the reform that would bring about what we know see today, a safe sport with rules and guidelines that is sanctioned by the major athletic commissions. Anyone who still maintains the opinion that is still too violent, well, that is a personal peeve, not an informed opinion.

The early UFC's finally getting DVD releases has been a long time coming. They keep it simple, using the old edits of the live events, throw on a few extras, and at the very least keep the releases on the cheap, even cheaper if you buy the boxed set.