IF YOU’RE wondering who started fight fans’ global fascination with the Ultimate Fighting Championships or mixed-martial arts fights for that matter, then you best haul your butt today to the CJRS Gym located on top of The Loft Bar and Lounge at I.T. Park today at 10 a.m, or later at 1 p.m. at Bistro Ecila at the Ayala Terraces.

And if you finally come face to face with the unlikely culprit—living legend Royce Gracie himself—better shut your trap and do not make any threatening and sudden movements, or else… (just kidding).

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TRIVIA. In 1993, his brother Rorion teamed up with businessman Art Davie in putting up a one of a kind mixed-martial arts tournament with a view to showcasing Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) to the entire world.

Handpicked to fight for family honor and represent BJJ was Royce who weighed a scrappy 180 pounds.
He proceeded to handily defeat three opponents in one night (some of whom outweighed him by at least 50 pounds) to win UFC 1.

A few months later, he disposed of four more opponents to win UFC 2 and a legend was born.

MARK. At present, BJJ has definitely carved an important niche in mixed-martial arts competitions. No fighter worth his salt would dare step into the ring or cage without some background on grappling and jiu jitsu.

Some of the more successful BJJ fighters in MMA history include Antonio Nogueira, Vitor Belfort and BJ Penn.

And they owe it all to Royce Gracie.

DAVID VS. GOLIATH. Speaking of being outweighed, 98 pounds is how much weight separates 7’ Nikolay Valuev and upstart challenger David Haye in their heavyweight battle today.

Interestingly, the sage-like Freddie Roach picks the smaller fighter Haye to swarm all over Valuev and score a knockout.

Man-mountain Valuev looks like you couldn’t knock him down with a 12-gauge shotgun, while Haye was campaigning at cruiserweight just two fights ago.

Improbable, you say?

HISTORY. This brings to mind one of the more memorable weight-challenged match-ups in heavyweight history when Jack Dempsey met Jess Willard in 1919.

The 187-pound Dempsey came out like a rocket in the very first round and knocked down the “Pottawatomie Giant” for the first time in his career with a crisp left hook.

He would then proceed to brutalize Willard, who stood at 6’6” and weighed 245 pounds, over the course of the next three rounds.

There were rumors and speculation that Dempsey’s gloves were loaded, but these were never proven.

In boxing, it has indubitably been proven time and again that size is not all that matters. Skills, conditioning and heart are equally important factors.

David Haye should take a cue from Dempsey and start out like a house on fire. The lumbering Valuev presents a huge target and Haye couldn’t miss him with his eyes closed.

The problem is that Valuev has poles for arms and Haye has been knocked down and stopped before.

I’m giving “Hayemaker” a puncher’s chance on this one to score a stoppage before the fifth round, but if it goes the distance, Valuev’s going to win an ugly decision (pun intended).

QUOTED. “Yeah a lot of things. It makes like a Superman, Spiderman, you know.”--Manny Pacquiao during the Jimmy Kimmel show when asked about his superhero character.

LAST ROUND. It’s on boxing fan and top-notch cardiologist Dr. Walter Calvo Acuzar. Cheers!

(jingo_quijano@yahoo.com)