"Renzo Gracie is handsome, he has my girlfriend's eyes. Tomorrow I'm going to do with him in the ring what I usually do with her in bed." 
 
The statement, given by Dutch judoka Ben Spijkers, was followed by scornful laughter. It was the press conference of the WORLD COMBAT CHAMPIONSHIP, an international tournament held in North Carolina (USA) in October 1995. 
 
The tournament, a no-holds-barred event, was created by Christopher Peters, son of famous film producer Jon Peters. With the ambition to be the biggest MMA championship in the world, it consisted of two parallel lines of fights: in one of them grapplers would face off; in another, strikers. In the final, the winners of each of the brackets would finally meet in the ring, defining the superiority of a style: the best grappler against the best striker. 
 
The first match of the night in the grappling segment would be between Renzo Gracie and Ben Spijkers. 
 
Spijkers was a pride of his country. He had been world champion in judo and represented the Netherlands at the Seoul Olympics in South Korea in 1988, winning the bronze medal.
 
His provocations did not end with grotesque statements to the press: during the night before the fight, Spijkers called Renzo's hotel room several times, preventing him from sleeping. In addition, he asked room service to bring weird food orders for Renzo at dawn. 
 
This provocation strategy (known as trash talk), which sought to cause disorientation, emotional imbalance and psychological destabilization in the opponent, had the opposite effect on Renzo: a level of absolute focus on combat, fuel for an engine turned on in destruction mode. 
 
It is evident that fighting is a sport and, as such, it does not imply being angry with the opponent in order to beat him. But men are sensitive animals, and in every field of human endeavor, anger has always proved to be an explosive fuel, propelling those who feel it with the indomitable force of a rocket. Spijkers' tenacity would be air friction and gravity acting together – but, on that October 17th, nothing would stop the bolide-Gracie from tearing through the atmosphere and reaching its orbit in the heights of space. 
 
During the entrance and presentation of the fighters, Renzo barely moved, feet planted on the ground, eyes fixed on Spijkers. It wasn't a look of intimidation, although it's clear from the Dutchman's expression that that side effect was hit. 
 
It was more like a bullfighter's gaze. 
 
And at the judge's signal, as a bull Spijkers attacked, a cornered animal that predicts his bloody fate and seeks to escape in desperation. His superior physical strength (just like in the case of bulls and bullfighters...) allowed him to lift Renzo's body into the air and throw him to the ground. Renzo clung to him like an octopus on its sea victim, the suction cups firmly fixed, making escape impossible. Spijkers remained in a superior position for about 1 minute, without, however, achieving the effectiveness of any punch or submission. Then Renzo broke free, stood up, reversed the battle's axis, and grabbed Spijkers from behind. On the ground, he landed a series of elbows against the Dutchman's skull, crushing the judoka's head against the floor. After punishing him, Renzo hanged him from behind in a perfectly executed lapel choke. 
 
Ben Spijkers, in panic, gave up in about 2 minutes of the fight.

(to be continued)