While the organization was still very much in its infancy in 1994, one important UFC truth had already been established by the promotion’s third event: Royce Gracie was the man to beat. With seven victories in seven trips to the octagon and two tournament titles to his name, Gracie was no longer the skinny Brazilian kid in the funny pajamas. He was a submission master, a warrior representing his family’s incredible art, which was quickly revolutionizing the art of combat. On Sept. 9, 1994, the UFC went outside of Colorado for the first time, traveling to North Carolina, where Charlotte’s Grady Cole Center played host to “UFC 3: American Dream,” an eight-man, open-weight, single elimination tournament.