The Ultimate Fighting Championship (later rename UFC 1: The Beginning) was the first mixed martial arts (MMA) event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), occurring at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado on November 12, 1993. The event was broadcast live on pay-per-view, and later released on home video. UFC 1 used an eight-man tournament format, with the winner receiving $50,000. The tournament had no weight classes or weight limits. The matches had 5 minute time limits with unlimited rounds; therefore no judges were necessary. Competitors only won by submission, knockout, or throwing in the towel. Despite being billed as having "no rules" there were limitations on what the fighters could do, including no biting or eye gouging. Royce Gracie won the tournament by defeating Gerard Gordeau via submission due to a rear naked choke. The referees for UFC 1 were Joao Alberto Barreto and Helio Vigio, two veteran vale tudo referees from Brazil.