BY NISAR KHAN
Over twenty years in, and the UFC has already emerged as the fastest growing sport in the World. Starting as a smalltime company that was criticized, it has vastly expanded over time in a truly remarkable story.
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| 20 years and counting, the Octagon has expanded Worldwide. UFC.COM |
The Octagon took its place on British soil last weekend in the opening fight night to a series that would go across Europe and Asia. A sold-out O2 Arena, that witnessed Alexander Gustafsson knock out Jimi Manuwa, was a real exemplification of the UFC’s global grasp.
Back in November of 1993 is where it all began. 2,300 people were in attendance in Colarado for UFC’s first ever event. At the time, the sport would undergo criticism – for inhumane fighting and its classification as a sport brought it under scrutiny.
Little rules were incorporated with the “MMA” branding early on, and it was really seen as a ruthless spectacle with near to no rules, although this was not entirely exact with things such as groin strikes or biting banned.
UFC 1 was a tournament, where eight fighters would go through three fights maximum to win $50,000. Royce Gracie, an undoubted pioneer in the sport won, with a submission of Gerard Gordeau in the final to win.
All fights were finished on the night that the UFC was established. 86,000 people bought it, but the UFC would soon have to adapt to really be appreciated as a Worldwide sport.
In the early years of the UFC era, there were no weight divisions, and it was highly-believed from martial artists that technique could overcome size in a fight.
It would take eighteen events in the space of four years before the UFC would venture out of US territory. Of course this is logical, as the sport needed to be appreciated back home in the states before heading on outwards.
There was an early reputation of the UFC of extreme violence of which would quickly concern the American authorities.
Senator John McCain opposed the UFC openly and his campaign led to 36 states banning the sport. This would force the UFC to reform, and they did so, working with state athletic commissions and introducing stricter rules.
While the core parts of the sport such as striking, wrestling and grappling were retained, the less favorable elements that gave the sport a nature of violence helped the organization to grow into a sport and that would be key for International success.
Attendance was relatively low at times, but its steady increase was in correlation as criticism dwindled, with the UFC moving towards a more established sport.
In December of 1997, the UFC organization step foot on Japanese soil for UFC Ultimate Japan. With the inclusion of stricter rules, the UFC was able to go forth.
The first seven years leading up to the 21st century were slow for the UFC were criticism was always sounding off and the organization learned many lessons to adapt and become the fastest growing sport in the World.
Many have credited the Fertita Brothers and Dana White for really propelling the UFC. After they bought it for $2 million, they were able to grow the sport like no one could have imagined.
From then on in, it would grow and grow. After setting a record high 150,000 pay-per-view buys at UFC 40, it would be smashed to 300,000 over a year later at UFC 52. The UFC had become mainstream, emerging as a top PPV sport.
Buying other MMA organizations would further enhance the UFC as it began to expand Worldwide.
China, Japan, Germany, Australia, UK, Brazil and others had been gripped by UFC.
Its really astonishing how the UFC went from such a criticized sport on the brink of a collapse to the fastest growing sport in the World, set to take over more with a UFC Fight Night tour spanning the Globe.
Watching UFC in London made many aware of how powerful the UFC has become, and now rivals a sport like boxing.
The Octagon continues to make its esteemed journey around the World, further surging the UFC into a prominent era of success.
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