The fight world got its first look at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at UFC 1. The UFC Hall of Famer won all three fights from the top, in an extraordinary display of the basic philosophy of BJJ – close the distance, secure the clinch, take it to the ground, secure position, submit.

By the time UFC 2 rolled around, fighters had a little more exposure to the BJJ game, all the more so for Jason Delucia, who had fought Royce before in a gym challenge match in Torrance, California. Gracie submitted Delucia seriously, but he did so from the Guard.

Winning a fight with strikes while on your back was extremely seldom seen at the time. Kung Fu stylist Tayari Casel tried it with some success in early mixed rules events, but that was with strikes, not submissions.

UFC 2 was on March 11, 1994, and fighters very quickly learned that one way to avoid being defeated by a BJJ trained opponent was to “Pass the Guard” or get by the opponent’s legs, and control his hips.

It has been over 22 years since then, and hundreds of guard passes are not widely taught. But there has never been one like the one that happened on Saturday night.

The fight was at featherweight, between Dzhihad Yunusov and Konstantin Veselkin, at Akhmat Fight Show 23, Sports Hall Coliseum, in Grozny, Russia. Local talent Yunusov executed what many are calling the greatest guard pass ever seen.

Yunusov throws himself 360 degrees through the air, in two planes, and lands in knee on belly.

https://twitter.com/GrabakaHitman/status/741705637793501188

The ground attack was not just for show – Yunusov then finished the fight on the ground, via an incredibly rare Exekiel choke.

https://twitter.com/GrabakaHitman/status/741709730205315072

That’s one for the history books!

H/T Caposa