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Every Era of the UFC, Explained (1993-2025)
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The UFC, [Applause]
an underground blood sport to a billion
dollar empire. For 30 years, an
evolution defined by those at the top,
The thrill, the agony, and everything in
between. This is every era of the UFC explained.
explained. [Applause]
[Applause] Okay.
Okay. [Applause]
[Applause]
The very first format of the UFC over 30
years ago was naturally nothing like the
sanitized and safe product we know
today. 1993 marked the company's
inception. An idea not based in any
sense of reality nor professionalism.
Instead, directly the opposite. So,
whose idea was it? It was Arts. It was
Art's idea to have a bunch of guys
fight. Absolutely. Now, let me show you
what we're going to do. Said, "It's
pay-per-view. It's a tournament. It's an
eight-man single elimination tournament.
Start selecting the toughest, meanest,
ugliest, heaviest, most qualified people
we could. I said, "You're going to have
one guy from jiu-jitsu." I said, "It'll
be one of the eight." There's always
been questions at the martial arts like,
"What if a karate guy fought a judo guy
or And what the Ultimate Fighting
Championship did is say, let's find
out." They put on this event, the
pay-per-view rivaled boxing and WWE at
the time. That first pay-per-view did so
well, they were like, "Oh, Jesus, we got
to do this again." Freak show event
marketed as such. No weight classes, no
real comprehensive rule set, a moat
filled with alligators instead of an
octagon, even proposed at one point. The
early years of the UFC clearly relied on
the volatile nature of a shock andor
presentation. And whilst its early
novelty led to financial success, that
shine would soon wear off as reality set
in. To the masses, this was a sport
permanently stained with the blood sport
namesake. And that result would soon
have dire consequences thanks to the
actions of one man. Actually, Senator
John McCain stepped in and talked the
cable companies into pulling the plug on
him. And everyone can sit there and say
why John did it. What is Senator
McCain's argument? How did his letters
to 50 governors get this outlawed? There
was no referee. There was nothing. It
was terrible. There was people knocking
them other down, sitting on top of them,
and smashing them in the face. Here my
elbows in number. That's not a sport.
That's that's a throwback to the Roman
coliseum. What it was at the beginning
was human [ __ ] fighting. It was for all
of the problems that John McCain's words
brought. They were a necessary evil.
They defined the dark ages, helping to
stimulate change within a sport that
sorely needed it. Slowly evolving it
from unruly and unsafe to something with
potential. Weight classes, time limits,
and proper regulation. There had been
improvements, but this long-fought
battle for legitimacy would leave the
company in financial ruin come 2001. In
the wake of this collapse, Dana White
and the Fetita brothers would step in as
long-term admirers to become the UFC's
new owners. When most would call them
ignorant or even deranged, they saw the
potential and they had the passion to
save the sport they love and turn its
fortunes around. I'm on a call with Bob
Meer, the owner of the UFC. He flipped
out and said, "You know what? There is
no more [ __ ] money." And I was like,
"Holy [ __ ] this thing's in trouble."
So, when I saw saw this opportunity and
I I thought that uh this thing might be
for sale. So, I called the brothers.
They were in Miami and uh I said, "I
think this thing's in trouble. I think
we could buy the UFC." I don't know how
I don't remember the timeline, but
within the next two months, we ended up
owning the UFC for 2 million bucks. And
all of a sudden, we owned a business
that we knew nothing about. Him and
Frank called me over and they're like,
"We want you to be the president of the
company. We want you to run it." Dana
White, president of the Ultimate
Fighting Championship. Dana,
congratulations on your first show.
That's got to feel good. Basically, what
we want to do is we want to make this
the Super Bowl of mixed martial arts. We
want to make it more fan friendly. We
want to get the crowd involved in it.
and we want to bring back the best
fighters in the world. The Zafa era had
officially begun, personified by
progression yet also growing stability.
Efforts to both steady the ship and
eradicate any misconceptions around MMA
from the masses. Left with nothing but a
wooden octagon, a dozen or so fighter
contracts, and those sacred three
letters, the new owners had a mountain
to climb. So, so our philosophy was we
think if we do this the right way, build
this like a real sport and these are
real athletes, we think this thing could
really be big someday. The the marketing
for this thing was, you know, two men
out of the cage, one man leaves and and
you know, the most brutal, bloody,
violent sport in the world. It was
basically old marketing by the old
owners just to make it sound crazy. You
can do whatever you want anymore. No,
it's not exactly that way. you know the
image you know fighting in a cage
everybody goes what are you crazy the
human cockf fighting comment from John
McCain it's like once you get that
stigma once you get get that name
associated with you it's all anybody
associated with with the brand or with
the business we bought a company that
wasn't allowed on
pay-per-view is on pay-per-view on top
of the rule set additions the whole
perception of the company would have to
be shifted from a freak show sporting
niche to one that showcased the highest
precipice of fighting structured events
experienced fighters and a raised
production value all added. To even get
these newly bolstered events sanctioned
was half of the battle. But slowly and
surely the US had begun to open its
doors to the world of mixed martial
arts. Pioneered by Nevada, MMA was
finally broadcasted on television and by
2004 had established a beach head across
the country through a return to cable
pay-per-view. Aided by a legendary
rivalry between Chuck Liddell and Tito
Ortiz that caught the eye of many, there
was cause for some optimism. But for the
owners, that inner belief in their
product and the investment behind it
could only take them so far. Soon, both
were faltering, and the UFC was on the
brink of collapse once again. They were
calling Dane up, going, "Look for a
buyer. Let's find a buyer. We got to get
out of this." Like, cuz every single
show we did, uh, we were losing money
on. We're $44 million in the hole in
this cage fighting [ __ ] Obviously, this
is too brutal for America. They're not
really into it. Literally calls me the
next morning, 7:00 in the morning, and
says, "Fuck it. I'm not ready to tap
out. I'm not ready to give in. I we got
to figure out a way to make this work.
In coliseums years ago, it was an art
form admired, then lost to the ages. The
UFC had to bring that same feeling back
in a modern society, one that was now
alien to the art of war. To do so, they
needed something unorthodox, a left
field pivot, a Hail Mary. And in a time
where reality television thrived, the
unthinkable was conceived. So, we're $44
million in the hole. We start working
really hard on trying to figure out how
to get on [ __ ] television. We went
out, we pitched to every network you
could imagine. Yeah. I mean, I had to
fly to places and literally had to wait
outside people's offices for them to
come out and grab them. No, nobody wants
it. They're terrified to put this thing
on. This was something that was banned
and marketed as the brutal most violent
sport in the world. We end up getting to
a point where Spike TV, the men's
network. We meet with these guys and we
pitch them on the idea for the Ultimate
Fighter. All these guys live in a house.
They train together, but at the end of
every episode, there's a live fight.
They don't like it. I mean, we had
already pitched them two or three times
and they looked at us like, "This isn't
going to work. This is crazy. You know,
young males don't like this." And we're
like, "Gosh, we think you're wrong." We
called them back a few days later and
said, "How about if we pay pay for it
and give it to you for free?" Oh, they
like that idea a lot better. So, we paid
$10 million for the first season of The
Ultimate Fighter. The first episode
pulled 1.3 million viewers. The Ultimate Fighter.
You have to understand at that time the
pressure and the stress that we're
under. This is the last shot. If if this
thing doesn't work, the UFC is done.
Much like the UFC as a whole to begin
with, the Ultimate Fighter was out of
place, unorthodox, and with little
support outside of its creators. But
they had an inn. A small window, yes,
but that was all they needed. All the
more impressive was The Ultimate
Fighter's rapid viral success in a world
that wasn't even equipped for it. In the
mid200s, the seeds of social media had
only just begun to sprout, meaning the
show's explosive rise was built solely
off of word of mouth. Though impressive,
scoring good ratings and finally
cracking the mainstream, even if only a
little, the higherups of Spike TV, those
who would essentially decide the UFC's
fate, remained radio silent. And as the
maiden season's finale loomed, a duel
between two warriors shown live to the
masses for the very first time. The hope
and optimism was dwindling. Dana needed
something special to put not just the
broadcaster on notice, but the millions
at home. And two men would finally grant
him that wish. We're sweating it the
whole [ __ ] season right up to the
finale. It's unbelievably successful and
we honestly didn't know if we were going
to have a second season. We go into the
finale then Forest and Stephan Bonner.
Woof. Yes.
Anticipating a slugfest. And here we go.
And these two crazy [ __ ] are beating
the [ __ ] out of each other. And here we
go. Wow, big right hands. What a war
between these two guys. During the
fight, people are stomping their feet
and people are cheering and going crazy
and people at home were watching the
fight start to call their friends and
the number just starts to grow and grow
and grow and grow. This is just an
unbelievable battle of attrition here.
Nice exchange. Good purchase by B inside
for get the tie clinch toe to toe. Knock
down drag him out.
What a finish.
What a finish. Hooray.
We ended up giving both guys a UFC
contract that night, which made the
place even go crazier. And we're going
to offer Stephan Bonner a six figure
There are fights across the realms of
Deserving of their spot in the hallowed
halls of fame. They didn't know it yet,
but Bonner and Griffin had not just made
history, but saved the company from
total extinction. They had shown the
world what the sport could become and
what being a fighter truly meant. Not
spitting harsh words on press conference
microphones, nor dawning a mask persona.
It was about staring down adversity,
physical and mental. Fighting down on
the gum shield and leaving a part of
yourself in the octagon once the final
bell is rung. Finally, now those other
than the athletes and the company who
shepherded them had seen the appeal, the
thrill of the fight. And it was there
moments after history was unknowingly
made in the cage that it would be made
out of it, too. Spike pulled us aside,
said, "Hey, we want to do a new deal. We
want to reup you for another season of
the Ultimate Fighter." The next deal for
Spike was literally cut in the alley out
where all the trucks are in the back of
the parking lot after that fight on a
napkin that night. That's how close we
were to not making it. A resounding
success for the UFC and its owners,
saving it from the brink of failure. But
the Ultimate Fighter spoke to something
more sinister in the future, for it was
the first clear sign that entertainment
and storylines were valued more than the
octagon's jewels. In many ways, the
debacle was ironic. In initially doing
away with the theatrics and unorthodoxy
that the old owners prided themselves
on, White and the Fatitas's last gas
play was a thematic return to the days
of old. But the problems that would
bring were yet to come to the four. The
Ultimate Fighting Championship was here
to stay.
Like we said, second to none. Oh,
he kicked him to the face. Take a chance
and risk getting knocked out. Oh my god.
Oh, half the way is out. Dark shot kick.
The golden age represents a time, a
period of utopian nature. And following
the explosive success of the Ultimate
Fighter, the UFC had finally evolved
from an investment gambit to assure fire
success on the financial front. With
help of the merged roster from an
acquisition of Pride, the UFC had
cultivated a healthy list of stars.
George St. Pierre, Anderson Silva at his
fighting best, and the arrival of a
young Jon Jones. For some of those
parts, a blockbuster event at UFC 100,
which to many marked the start of this
new era. So July of 2009, I'll never
forget it. It felt like the biggest
sporting event of my lifetime. It felt
like a Super Bowl. There was certainly
something seminal about UFC 100. It was
a gigantic, spectacular card filled with
highlevel fighters.
That's it.
1.6 6 million pay-per-view buys. A
number that would have been unheard of
years prior, but now representative of
where the UFC was heading. A complete
merger with the WEC would see lighter
weight classes now represented under the
UFC's banner, meaning the company could
operate as a full cohesive unit with
talent in every weight plus. 2011 marked
the end of the company's partnership
with broadcaster Spike TV in favor of
another. Spike was regarded as the men's
network, its programs trashy, wild, and
in line with the UFC's general aesthetic
years prior. Achieving a deal with Fox
Sports was not just a step in the
opposite direction, but one expected by
Dana, though its introduction could have
gone smoother. Also joining us today
from the UFC are former UFC champion Rashad
Rashad
Evans, UFC Hall of Famer Chuck
Liddell, UFC lightweight champion Frankie
Frankie
Edgar, and UFC welterweight champion
We got that one. The first thing
everybody started saying to me when we
signed the Fox deal is, "You did it.
you're mainstream now. We're not
mainstream, man. Don't start patting us
on the back yet. We've been given the
opportunity to go mainstream. Now's the
time that we got to dig in and work
harder than we ever did. You know, we we
got to deliver now. There's been a lot
of big milestones that we've had over
the last 10 years in in building this
this company and and growing this sport.
But I have to be totally honest when I
say that this is this was it for me.
This is what I always wanted. With a new
expanded reach and financial boons
thanks to Fox, the UFC would purchase
Strike Force in 2011 as well, absorbing
all of its top warriors, including
Daniel DC Cormier and Luke Rockold.
Fighters aside, this acquisition
represented something larger, global
sporting domination. But to fully
achieve that, sporting integrity had to
be maintained. The biggest barrier to
achieving it was the rampant steroid
epidemic, one that had plagued the
company since its inception. Where other
sports and promotions were strict in
prevention, here the UFC lacked sorely
behind. I've never Did you think
Hendrickx was on something?
You're telling me that you don't believe
that Yo Romero ever took a steroid in
his life?
When testosterone replacement therapy
became a thing. So without naming names,
you know who you are. Shame on you. I'm
a white boy and I'm jacked. Deal with
it. Pray to the MMA gods. Vtor Bellfor
does not enter that [ __ ] thing. Juice
to the gills. He was at a level with his
testosterone that no human ever reaches.
You don't get there. It's not real. When
he was on TRT, he was a different kind
of human being. He was just completely
different than he is in any other
circumstance. I mean, it would start
with your delta. It would go to your
nipples, then then it would be the the
the upper abs or the three big tails.
But yes, of course, I had more juice
than Tropicana, and he pushed me around
like a like a Mac truck. As he's pushing
me backwards before he was this big
spinning elbow, I remember thinking, I
know your secret. There's still guys
like overe there's there's not a chance
in hell that guy was natural. It was he
was not natural at all. There's no way.
Then one day I saw him. I'm like, "God
damn, what the [ __ ] are you doing?" He's
at horse meat.
I like, "Okay, buddy." Eventually,
action would be taken. USADA's
introduction in 2014 would see a drastic
shift in the landscape of every
division. With testosterone replacement
therapy banned, fighters who once seem
immortal in the octagon were now
crumbling and withering away. A brutal
culling, but a necessary one to help
legitimize the fight game in this golden
era. a welcome addition to the company.
But on the cultural side, there was
still work to be done. Whilst this
golden age of the sport was
characterized by a period of great
transition, global expansion, and new
safety rules implemented, there was
still a key component of the sport
missing. Uh, when are we going to see
women in the UFC, man? Never. Never. All
right. Have a good night, man. For the
longest time, this stance was a firm
one. But to see change anywhere requires
a catalyst, someone or something to
stimulate change. And for the UFC, that
evolution came through one individual
who, although still maintaining
detractors today, helped carve a path
I'm going to make it official right now,
the first ever. UFC Women's Champion
Ronda Rousey.
There are few more fitting for the term
pioneer than Ronda Rousey. For a sport
that was and still is characterized as
largely conservative and stagnant,
Rousey broke down doors to become one of
the sport's first true mega stars. Right
by Ronda and big throw down. Ronda
Rousey remains the UFC bantamweight
champion. Ronda Rousey. Yep. Greatest
athlete I've ever worked with. Wow. What
did she mean for the UFC? She was huge
at at the at the right time in the right
place. and women's fighting is where it
Just like when you walked around the
cage after you knocked her out. That was
the the closest I've ever come to crying
while I was I might cry now. When I was
interviewing somebody cuz it was just it
was so intense. And it was also like I
really knew that I was like seeing
history. And while she was doing what
she was doing, building the sport and
the UFC and women, all these other women
were training to be her. Rousey's rise
held great significance, not just for
this golden age, but for the future,
too. It was her personality that was the
selling point just as much as her
fighting style. Brash, confident, yet
authentic. With every word backed up
when the chips were down, a model we see
replicated in the present day by Top
Warriors, her path would change the
stigma around the fight game entirely.
Dana and co over the years had done a
good job of professionalizing the art of
war and ensuring safety. But until
Rousey's arrival, fighters and
individuals were mostly characterized as
bloodthirsty and unruly. Her path saw
media cameos become commonplace as well
as talk show appearances on late night
TV. They also call you and I'm going to
say I don't want to look at you when I
say this, but they call you the arm
collector because you almost snap
people's arms in half. Yeah. And it
doesn't take a lot of pressure. You just
pushy. Yeah. Rampy. What? What? Wait,
Okay. And you that would just go right
across my face and then I would die.
Listen, I can't jump that. I don't play
basketball for a reason. I can't jump
high enough to knee you in the head. You
I would kick in the head. It is truly
difficult to define her influence, but
the numbers can quantify it. at her peak
where she would go on to finally taste
loss. The sellout main event show in
Australia set a still standing record of
56,000 people there to watch live. I
feel like she's going to try and like
keep distance and keep far away from me
and get me frustrated until a point I'll
make a mistake and she can try and kick
me in the head, but it's not going to go
like that. In
trouble looking to finish
out is the new champion of the world.
Though Rousey's handling of her loss and
decline was far from perfect, her impact
on the sport was representative of the
UFC's rapid rise. A company at its
biggest and most influential, but a
certain Irishman soon after would take
it to another level. The one, the only, the
the notorious
notorious
It is telling of Conor McGregor's star
power that there is a fighting era
dubbed after him. The Irishman, for all
of his faults and transgressions in the
latter stages of his career, wants to
find a fighting generation. For then and
still now, his actions have influenced
everyone fighting under the UFC's
banner. Gentlemen, if you don't mind,
just if you wouldn't mind counting to
10. N can only count to five.
I'm cool with all the gods. Gods
recognize gods. We're the ring girls.
That's right. That's a good point. You
should walk around with a car and shake
that big sim.
I run New York City. I'm a [ __ ] pimp.
Rocky duty mink and without me his whole
[ __ ] ship sink. Though not the first
to spit verbal venom on press conference
microphones. He was the man who brought
the showman act to the mainstream trash
talkinging his adversaries all the while
stating his claims and backing them up
with ruthless intent. People are always
saying about the talk and I talk and I
talk and I talk. But guess [ __ ] what?
I back it up. I back it up. I sit back,
smile, go in and put them away in one
round and we will talk again on Saturday night.
night.
looking to finish the time. His rise to
the top was unprecedented. Whilst Ronda
Rousey had paved the way for women in
the mainstream, Connor had smashed down
the door for everyone. A perfect storm,
a tale fit for a Hollywood script. The
act three climax, a knockout for the
ages. Connor looks extremely loose and
Aldo looks like he's feeling the
pressure of this moment. Connor relax
and smiling.
slapped him like that. Tiger McGregor is
the new UFC featherweight champion of
the world.
I did say it would be over in one round.
It was a lot earlier than I did say, but
I did predict the shot because I did say
the right hand would get him in trouble.
He'd overextend on the right hand. He'd
have that force, that power, that ah,
and I would just whoop and bang. I
actually did say I would slip and bang
the left hand. Um, I'm sure that will
surface that I did say that exact shot.
That's what I see the fight player now.
I feel him overreacting, overextending,
and then being KO'ed unconscious. A
title shot granted off of merit and an
opportunity seized with that left hand.
But McGregor's next major outing would
have deep significance for this era and
the UFC going forward. Granted an
undeserved chance at the lightweight
throne and simultaneous double champ
status by the UFC. For the first time on
a stage as big as this, money had
prevailed over principle. Beginning of
the year, he tapped like chicken. End of
the year, he fight for the title. This
is number one [ __ ] I remember being
on my butt and I was like, "Wow, that
was quick." Whatever that was, it was
fast. Oh, wow. Look at this. Really? One
guy like looked like he was from Mars.
The other guy looked like he's just a
normal dude trying to figure it out.
Alvarez getting loose, getting better
here in this round, though. Oh, man. Oh,
he's done. He's done. It is all over.
History has been made. Conor McGregor.
It was a victory over Eddie Alvarez that
had signified something far greater. In
combination with branding efforts to
create a more professional appeal,
McGregor's ascendancy had elevated the
entire company into becoming a global
superpower. Always recognized, but now
truly respected as a sporting pillar.
That same year in 2016, the UFC would be
sold to new owners, eager to jump on the
company's surging success and the hype
trainer had brought with Dana remaining
as president and new financial
possibilities. The UFC's grand influence
was expanding exponentially on an
individual level. Connor<unk>'s
ascendancy to the featherweight and
eventual lightweight throne had seen him
catapulted not just to the top of the
food chain, but breaking the bonds of
the UFC to go one step beyond. The reigning
reigning
defending 155 lb champion of the UFC, the
the
I want this entire arena to scream the Mayweather.
Mayweather.
One, two, three. The Mayweather. So,
what's the point of this fight? Just for
pro for money. The same thing if you
wanted to see a figure skater play
hockey against Wayne Gretzky.
Dead cheddar. In Dancing with Floyd
Money Mayweather, the result was
entirely irrelevant for such an event
was a total victory both financially and
culturally. McGregor had become bigger
than those three letters charted a
legacy greater than any man or woman
before him. But it had set a dangerous
precedent. For with that level of
influence, that level of power, McGregor
was able to do as he wished under the
UFC's banner, even if it had affected
the warriors around him. For amidst his
feray into the squared circle, he
remained the king of two realms, holding
up the divisions and their inhabitants
for well over a year. With Connor going
in over to the boxing room, it's not
making our pockets any more money. It's
not doing our division or our company
anything more. If you don't hold that
belt for a certain amount of time, you
got to let it go, son. You want to go
make your money, that's fine. The rest
of us, we like to work. We like to do
our [ __ ] Less talk or walk. For
McGregor's story, I'm sure you know the
rest. A decline as the high life
beckoned. Drink and drugs siphoning any
fighting prowess or motivation left.
Stand your base. Stand your base. It's
your the space is your space. Yeah,
but his actions had left their mark. For
although Connor may not rest as one of
the fighting parades, he would always be
the notorious one, inspiring the
warriors of the future more than even
the company's most esteemed. And it was
only soon after his antics on the mic
that we would see his acolytes come to
the four, for better or worse. That I'm
younger, I'm faster, I'm more talented,
more technical, and there's a reason why
I'm hyped as one of the best prospecting
sports ever seen. You're a idiot.
Literally, what's your level of
education? I'd love to know. Did you
graduate elementary school? You think
your dad beat the [ __ ] out of you? You
You Your dad doesn't have [ __ ] on me. In
the wake of McGregor's gradual exit, the
entertainment era had begun. A roster of
warriors with many no longer chasing the
belt. Instead, the financial boounds
that came with superstardom. And it was
a mindset that had infected the UFC
bigwigs, too. But when it came down to
brass tax at matchmaking, no longer were
title shots granted off of principle nor
hard work. The bottom line was now
money. Whoever could shout the loudest
draw the most eyes would be the one
prioritized. a greater focus on pressers
and viral moments that came with the UFC
was changing arguably for the worse. But
profits were rising, numbers up, and the
UFC through McGregor's influence would
strike a deal in 2019 with ESPN,
America's biggest sports broadcaster. I
say it all the time, everything in life
is about timing, and the timing couldn't
be better for us to be with ESPN. You
know, these guys came in, kicked the
tires, looked under the hood, they liked
what they saw, and now we're going to go
with them with everything. Conor's
impact will always be double-edged. For
without him, the UFC and MMA as a sport
would likely never reach the grand
heights now. But it also sent the
company down the wrong path, an
irreversible one. Greed and monetary
hunger, where the lines of morality had
long blurred. One of the gravest
consequences of which, a fighting
division not held up, but nearly erased
entirely. At the time, they're trying to
get rid of, they were in talks about
getting rid of the fight with division.
You're saying that we don't bring
excitement to the UFC. Our division's
not making money. I I like to disagree.
I think our vision is making money and
people are excited to see our division.
And they wanted us to fight too though
Shaw and I said we'll fight them for a
million dollars. They said no we're not
doing that. I was like okay then then
what's going to happen and that's when
like okay we're going to close the
division and close the [ __ ]
division then. There was never a threat
to him. Oh we're going to get rid of the
division. That was complete [ __ ]
And 90% of what he came out and said was
complete [ __ ] Mighty Mouse Johnson
represented the last bastion of a dying
breed. a fighter knowing his worth,
refusing to bend the knee to this new
entertainment era. He was on the right
side of history then, and I'd say he
still is today. Make sure you guys leave
a like for Leo Cooper MMA. DJ's feud
with White saved the weight loss, but
something on the horizon loomed that
threatened everything and defined an era
in the process. China has identified the
cause of the mysterious new virus,
Corona virus. Corona virus. covid-19 can
be characterized as a pandemic. We will
be suspending all travel from Europe to
the United States for the next 30 days.
I think people need to realize how
serious this is in the eyes of these
sports leagues. The season may be in
jeopardy. Though spanning just 2 years,
this sport moves quick and such a
seismic global event would see a lasting
impact on the UFC then and still now. As
co 19 ground the world to a halt and
sporting leagues closed shop, Dana White
would apply the same mentalities that
took his company from struggling
business to global empire. The UFC is
apparently building a facility on a
private island that they're calling
fight island. Don't ever tell me we
can't do it. No, it can't be done. Co is
is the uh toughest thing I've ever had
to navigate in the history of this
company. And if you look at where we
came from, that's actually saying
something. Fight Island is real. Fight
Island is a real thing. It's really
happening. The infrastructure is being
built right now. I'm ready to go. My my
attitude and my thought process was this
is America. We we don't quit. We don't
give up. And we definitely don't run and
hide in our houses. So, I figured there
had to be a way. Fight Island was the
key. For the foreseeable future, no
longer were there live crowds 20,000
strong. Here in Abu Dhabi, the arena was
near empty, save for the fighters and
their teams. A unique logistical
challenge on every front that had made a
volatile game all the more hectic. But
as jewels finally took place, every
punch and kick could be heard. A novelty
at first, intimate insight into the
thrill and agony. And with everyone
stuck inside, it was a tactical gamble
that had paid off financially. Record
setting viewing figures, higher selling
pay-per-views aided by the stardom of
gamebread Maz Vidal. And of course, this
legendary moment from the Bast Express.
He's even listened to the commentary
team. The best you see, baby.
Right hand.
Fight Island success gave rise to
millions of new fans and elevated the
company's stock further. But as
America's laws became gradually more
lenient, the UFC would see another
opportunity. Inspired by their own
success in the Middle East, they would
aim to replicate it in home territory.
The crux of that plan, the Apex Center.
Three words that now haunt the mind of
many hardcore fans. The UFC's very own
in-house octagon and broadcasting stage
fit to host events. Co would see its use
go from a convenience to then a
temporary necessity. And its initial use
would see some iconic moments to say the
toughness shown on each side. [Applause]
[Applause]
Removing every logistical hurdle of a
regular event, the Apex Center was
becoming the easy solution. And even as
co became a thing of the past, the Apex
Center remained. Fight night cards
scheduled there with increasing
regularity. That novel act of hearing
fighters in their corners had long worn
off. And thus, amidst fans, the fight
fatigue epidemic had been ignited. I
ain't got nothing else in life but this.
And this all I have in life is MMA. And
this is what they're giving us. And in
order to get the most amount of
guaranteed revenue that they can get,
they're producing an enormous amount of
content. not just shoulder programming
around the live fights that they do, but
the amount of events that they do. We're
doing one pay-per-view a month,
basically. And then we're doing some
fight nights on the road, and then a
third of the entire UFC catalog is
taking place at the Apex, plus you have
Contender Series, plus the Ultimate
Fighter, and then everything else in
between. It's an enormous amount of
content. Please, for the love of God,
MMA gods, TV gods, streaming gods,
whoever you may be, please make this
come to an end. Please, I beg of you.
soulless events in a soulless arena. All
just to meet a broadcaster's lofty
quotota in a drive for quantity over
quality. And that new phase would be
most fitting as the UFC transitioned
into a gradual decline and the start of
era, the new dark age. And regarded as
such for very good reason. More in tune
with the evolving technological
landscape, the company was no longer
about fighting first, nor the stars who
do so. Tapping into the Tik Tok short
form stimulated younger generation, the
UFC and its owners have prioritized the
view count greater than ever before. And
it's fitting that the beginning of this
new time was marked by a change in
ownership. Now partnered with the WWE to
form TKO Holdings, such a move had
cemented what we long knew to be true.
The UFC was entertainment first,
fighting second. The launch of Power
Slap was a signifier of this too. Though
not directly affiliated with the UFC
brand, it had only proven further that
Dana White's ambitions had shifted. If
you guys do some research and start
looking around on Instagram or YouTube
and look at the numbers that this stuff
pulls, I mean, it's perfect for social
media. It is literally the perfect
Couldn't have more perfect product for
social media and uh we believe that
it'll be strong on television, too. Some
of it might be laughing at not with kind
of a deal like bad publicity being, you
know. Do you think I give a [ __ ] That's
I just pulled I just did a deal that's
bigger than the ult than the UFC did
when they went on Spike TV. I don't give
a [ __ ] who's laughing. You know who's
laughing? This guy. There you go. That's
who's laughing. On the MMA side of the
coin, Dana's ethos of quantity of
equality had only become more prevalent,
too. Esteemed fighting talent rarely
signed from rival promotions. The
in-house contender series program hosted
in the, you guessed it, Apex Center was
now the main attraction for upcoming
prospects. A proving ground for
potential stars and a great opportunity.
But the sinister bottom line and
motivation lay of course in the
finances. $10,000 to show, $10,000 to
win. In a company where fighters on
average were already paid little, this
was an excuse to pay them even less.
Once upon a time, it was a platform that
But now it's clear to all that this
avenue had led to a lack of true quality
and subpar bouts. Paired with the
everinccreasing costs of pay-per-views,
the UFC was far from its best. On the
premier fighting front though, all hope
was not lost. For in the dark, light
shines the brightest, and the greatest
talent were doing the best to uplift the
promotion and its owners who cared
little for them. The McGregor era long
in the rearview mirror. No longer did
replicating his mannerisms and mentality
see success in the eyes of fans. They
craved authenticity in the bloodshed to
boot, and Alex poet Pereira was one who
[Applause]
Super maintains the throne. A refreshing
change for the company and its fans.
Pereira had proved that for the first
time in a long while cult of personality
could be built without crude words spat
on media microphones. Instead,
practically none at all. What does the
like fight means like [ __ ] yeah means
Alex Pierre said chale son and
no chama Ilia another outlier a man
calming his path through unadulterated
confidence and raw fighting talent.
Whilst on the microphones his words are
harsh they cut deep into an opponent's
psyche. for everything El Matador said
would almost be certain to come to pass.
[Applause]
whilst there was and still is a clear
level of favoritism towards these top
warriors, the lack of promotion in
comparison to Days Gone was clearly no
accident. In the wake of Connor's insane
rise, Dana White had clearly refused to
cater to any fighters. No in-depth
behind the scenes, no pay-per-view
promos. None could be bigger than Dana,
nor those three big letters. And the end
result of that mentality has led to a
drastic decline and to some a complete
erasia any true stars. It's really down
to the actual product, which is the
fights. And I just feel like they
haven't got like if you said to me now,
name me six UFC superstars. I I couldn't
do it. I could give you the ones that
seem to keep losing quite a bit and then
just come back. The numbers in this
regard do not lie. Though they were
never going to compare to those of the
McGregor era nor the peak of COVID,
pay-per-views for even the sports
blockbuster events were now at their
highest price and the lowest sales. Even
with the lack of stars, the aging
veterans of the fight game have charted
new courses, too. For those no longer in
the ascended sea, a new path has opened
up. Podcasts, YouTube channels with
breakdowns, predictions, and everything
in between. I heard Mo cry after the
fight. You know who who else cry? Your
[ __ ] mother when I was laying the
pipe, my friend. He says, "All the best.
All the love from Saudi Mike. I've been
following you throughout your MMA
career. Can you shout out my new ice
cream van? Ice wallow come." Oh, you're
a [ __ ]
Dana, hey, wait. I love the plug, but I
haven't got to talk to you in a while. I
got to tell you a new joke that's going
around. What is six feet tall dashing
and disappears in an instant? What?
Oh, he froze right at the punch line. A
silver lining of sorts for in a game
that is unforgiving and discards you
when you are no longer needed, these
serve as new options to safety UFC's
legends financially and psychologically.
A small positive in a sea of negativity,
but what of the fighting
future? They say time is a flat circle
and that the UFC's time at the top will
come again. It may never be at the level
of the golden age again. The Liddell's
ores, the silvers or coutours, but
things can change. The UFC's evolution
into a powerhouse has given rise to new
talents across the globe. All ready to
capture the hearts and minds of every
fan. Just as Ian Garry was inspired by
McGregor in Dublin, Kabib by George St.
Pierre. So too did the stars of today
become the mentors for tomorrow. And on
the business front, change is near and
hopefully for the better. With ESPN's
deal with the UFC finally nearing its
end, there could be a new course
charted. Rumors of a long-term deal with
Netflix would mean a surefire end to the
pay-per-view model and maybe the
beginnings of something better.
Regardless of the future, this is a
sport to be proud of. The good and bad,
the thrill, agony, and everything in
between. This is mixed martial arts, and
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