Who is Gerard Gordeau? Everything about the Dutchman's significance in the UFC

Despite not having a lengthy UFC career, Gerard Gordeau was significant to the promotion.

The Dutchman was known for his Savate and karate skills and was a decorated karate champion from his native Netherlands. Due to his accomplishments, he was invited to participate in the inaugural UFC event, which was the sight of a one-night no-holds-barred tournament featuring fighters of different backgrounds to determine which style was the best.

Gerard Gordeau will forever be a part of the UFC's history as he competed in the first-ever televised UFC bout. In the opening round, the Dutchman was matched up against Teila Tuli, who was a Sumo and a much larger fighter.

The weight discrepancy wasn't a factor at all as the karate champion made quick work of Tuli as he dropped him with a punch and then finished him with a head kick and right hook while he was on the mat.

The 26-second TKO win is still one of the most memorable finishes in UFC history and added legitimacy to the inaugural event. The Dutchman's win also silenced any doubts regarding whether the fights were truly no-holds-barred and was a preview of what was to follow.

Gerard Gordeau then advanced to the semifinals, where he earned another first-round TKO win over professional boxer and kickboxer Kevin Rosier. It was impressive as he utilized his calf kicks and finished him with ground strikes in 59 seconds.

In a recent video uploaded to the UFC's YouTube channel, he revealed that he competed with a broken hand and described what it was like to continue fighting, saying:

"I feel it [broken hand] because you could see I start over after two punches with the elbow because I feel my hand, of course. That's the reason why I go with the elbow." [28:26 - 28:35]

The Dutchman fought eventual UFC Hall of Famer Royce Gracie in the final, where he was submitted via rear-naked choke. Despite not winning the UFC 1 tournament, Gerard Gordeau still had a lasting impact on the promotion and will be remembered for his spectacular knockout win over Teila Tuli in the first-ever UFC bout.