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COLUMN: The History of African-Americans in MMA - part two on Jim Brown's influence on the rise of MMA
Feb 13, 2010 - 12:04:27 PM COLUMN: The History of African-Americans in MMA - part two on Jim Brown's influence on the rise of MMA

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By Anwar Perez, MMATorch Columnist

This is part two of a month-long series of articles during Black History Month

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Many sports fans know the name of Jim Brown. Considered to be the greatest running-back in the NFL, Brown has held (or still currently holds) many rushing records and is considered by some to be the greatest football player of all time (and one heck of a lacrosse player with numerous school records). He retired early at the age of 29 and parlayed his success into an acting career, with star turning roles in "The Dirty Dozen" and other movies.

Few may know that he was one of the first supporters of the UFC and a commentator for them from UFC 1 to UFC 6.

At the time, no one had a clue as to what mixed martial arts was, and for the UFC to succeed on any sort of level, not only did they need the fighters, they also needed a name that people could recognize and if anything, give this sport an ambassador that could verify the legitimate "toughness" of these fighters.

Enter Jim Brown.

During the first UFC Brown was quoted as saying, "I've been around the toughest fighters in the world. I've been around guys like Muhammed Ali, Mike Tyson and Joe Frazier, but I will tell you this, they wouldn't last in this sport." He was a fan, and it's obvious from his first few UFC's, he knew nothing of what (if any) technique was being used and usually was one-sided on fighters he liked, especially Royce Gracie.

Though it is easy to critique his commentating style and choice of words prior to the first UFC of "someone is going to die," it's also hardly a valid thing to criticize. No one knew what MMA was at the time and any attempt on it was going to feel very new, but yet awkward. Brown just went in and said what he saw on a very basic level. He had the common man view to his partners fight knowledge. He called it literally as he saw it. During the Kimo Leopold and Royce Gracie fight in which Royce was in full mount, he said, "I think if Kimo had his legs on the outside he'd be in a better position," which is also known as full mount vs. full guard, so he knew what would work, just not the jargon for what it was known as.

He was the only big name associated with not only the organization, but also the sport. It still wasn't even a sport yet, being associated with the human-cockfighting tag that John McCain imposed onto it. Before the Michael Clarke Duncans, the Kevin James, the Adam Sandlers, and the Shaqs of the world were fans and came out in droves, Jim Brown was there first. He was a fan first and foremost and gave it an interesting wrinkle adding his "badass" legacy to the sport.

Jim Brown will always first be remembered as the great football player, but for some, he was one of the first of few supporters that MMA had and helped the UFC reach heights it has never reached before. He was there in the beginning when no one else was and supported it afterward.

[Jim Brown image courtesy of the NFL Hall of Fame]