Introducing UFC 1: The Zine
New zine, new merch, no holds barred
When I was a kid, my family would rent movies from this little store called Video Depot, tucked in a shopping center between a Ralph’s supermarket and glass bottle dropoff. I loved that place. I loved taking the empty VHS box up to the counter and trading it in for the tape itself; I loved how they had every single James Bond movie in chronological order on a bottom shelf. Video Depot is where I discovered the Ultimate Fighting Championship. They had the old Pay-Per-Views on tape. Watching them wasn’t that different from watching Bloodsport or Best of the Best or whatever other martial arts movie was on cable. It was just real.
One of the reasons the early UFC videos matched up with those ridiculous movies was because of the characters they had fighting in them. The competitors weren’t the well-trained, professional men and women you see out there today. They were oddballs and dirtbags. They were the kind of people willing to walk into a one-night no holds barred fighting tournament in a dimly lit arena in Colorado just to see what happened.
The latest Sports Stories zine is all about what went down in the novelty shaped ring in that dimly lit arena. We cover the competitors and action of the very first Ultimate Fighting Championship: from the absurdity of Art Jimmerson facing down Royce Gracie wearing a single boxing glove to the mysterious saluting of Dutch savate master Gerard Gordeau.
You’ll also notice something else about this zine: it looks incredible. The founders of UFC have spent years arguing over who gets credit for the octagon-shaped ring. (We are pretty sure the idea came from Hollywood legend John Milius). Either way, the credit for the octagon in this case goes to Adam, who took the time to hand cut these zines into eight-sided beauties. Inside, you’ll find killer drawings of fighting men, fighting animals, and more.
Because of the amount of work that has gone into their construction, the UFC 1 zine will be a limited edition. There will only be 100 of these. So if you want one, now is the time.
In addition to the zine, we’ve got a new shirt available with both long and short sleeves. It’s stylish as hell, and can be worn before, during, and after mixed martial arts training. Buy one for all seasons.
Thank you for reading Sports Stories, and continuing to support this project. We’re excited to bring you physical objects made with great care — and we hope that you enjoy them.