UFC 1 Pioneer Art Jimmerson Dies at 60

A memorable competitor from the inaugural Ultimate Fighting Championship show has died at the age of 60.

Art Jimmerson represented the sport of boxing at UFC 1 in 1993, famously wearing one glove when facing Royce Gracie. This drew him the nickname of “One Glove,” and despite competing just once in the sport of MMA, it was a memorable appearance. Gracie, around 20 pounds lighter, took Jimmerson down and forced him to submit 2:18 into their bout. The UFC’s broadcast partner of ESPN reported that Jimmerson had died on Wednesday, according to Jimmerson’s daughter. His son also confirmed Jimmerson’s passing on social media.


“It’s funny looking back, I just never knew,” Jimmerson told Sherdog in 2009 about his match with Gracie. “But I said, ‘No problem,’ because it was only going to take me one punch.”

Jimmerson continued, “I won't say I was young and dumb, it’s that I'm always up for a challenge. I don’t want to be perceived as a punk. So, when they offered me the fight I was like, ‘This is going to be a piece of cake. I know how hard I can hit, so what can a guy do to me?’ But he was a whole different level…I’d never heard of Royce Gracie. I didn’t know who he was as a fighter.”


Before and after his time in MMA, Jimmerson served as a boxer and a trainer. The St. Louis native amassed a professional record of 33-18 with 17 knockouts to his credit in the sweet science, in a career that spanned from 1985 to 2002. After leaving active competition, Jimmerson fully devoted himself to coaching. The former Golden Gloves champ eventually took over as the head boxing coach for the UFC Gym in Torrance, California.

Above all, Jimmerson conveyed to Sherdog that he was a man of faith who loved his family and always strove to help people.

“I fear God; I am saved. I try to live by the Bible, I’m a hard-working man, I love to take care of my family, and I love a lot of people.”