Filed under: Featured Videos , UFC , Videos Twenty years ago, the sport of MMA was still very much in its infancy. Maurice Smith is the man widely recognized for proving the value of high-level striking in the cage. In July 1997, at UFC 14, Smith made his UFC debut in Birmingham, Ala. Standing on the opposite side of the cage was undefeated wrestling standout Mark Coleman, who had submitted Dan Severn earlier in the year to claim the inaugural UFC heavyweight title.