In terms of outward admission of inferiority, nothing in mixed martial arts compares to the submission.
The tapout became synonymous with the sport right from the beginning. It all started with Royce Gracie, a lanky and unassuming jiu-jitsu practitioner who changed how the world thought about hand-to-hand combat at UFC 1. Gracie submitted all three of his opponents to win the open weight tournament on Nov. 12, 1993 inside McNichols Sports Arena in Denver. Art Jimmerson was first to experience the Brazilian’s unique set of skills, as he succumbed to a smother choke -- in actuality, he panicked when Gracie mounted him -- 2:18 into the first round of their quarterfinal pairing; next, Ken…
