UFC pioneer ‘One Glove’ Jimmerson dies at 61

UFC pioneer Art “One Glove” Jimmerson died Wednesday at age 61, his daughter said.

Jimmerson fought at UFC 1 as boxing’s representative. He’d been a successful pro boxer in three different divisions and represented his discipline at UFC 1 on Nov. 12, 1993. He famously wore only one glove into the cage, believing he could jab with that hand and use his power hand, his right, to knock out opponents.

But that night, he ran into eventual UFC 1 winner and future MMA legend Royce Gracie. Gracie took Jimmerson down before he could land a punch, and Jimmerson tapped out in 2:18. It was the first submission in UFC history.

In later years, Jimmerson trained fighters, ranging from pros to beginners, in the Los Angeles area.

“People can say whatever they want about Art Jimmerson,” iconic former UFC ref John McCarthy said. “But Art Jimmerson was a man who practiced an art — the art of boxing — and became incredibly successful with it. He was brave enough to take that art and test it against something he had no knowledge of.”