UFC 4: Revenge of the Warriors

Before UFC 4, martial artists around the world began receiving what became known as “Royce Gracie letters,” direct challenges to fight Royce Gracie in the UFC as no-rules competition gained attention. Mike Tyson received one while in prison and initially accepted before his team shut it down. UFC 4 delivered the clearest answer to that challenge culture, with Gracie submitting Dan Severn, despite giving up roughly 80 pounds, to win his third tournament and reinforce Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s early dominance.