UFC: Celebrating 17 Years of Struggle and Success
Remember when you were 17 years old? You didn't have much going on but high school. Maybe you were a nerd, or a jock, or just a little bit of both. Perhaps you were behind the wheel of a car, but of course, you were still too young to vote.
Do you remember all the years leading up to turning 17? Puberty, realizing that your parents are kind of annoying, etc, etc. It's a bit of a rocky road getting up to this point, and often times you would like to forget it.
Now what does this have to do with the UFC you ask? Well, over the past 17 years the world's leading MMA promotion has also faced the same types of struggles and hardship just to earn a little bit of respect in this world, and it sure has paid off.
Through persistence and great leadership, the UFC turned 17 years old yesterday, and we here at the Bleacher Report find it fitting to honor the sports organization responsible for our love affair with the Mixed Martial Arts.
UFC 1: The Beginning
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In an attempt to show that their martial art was the best and most efficient, the Gracie family along with businessman Art Davie worked to put together a pay-per-view show that would feature a mix of different martial artists in an eight-man tournament.
Lo and behold, Royce Gracie practiced the mantra of "Veni, Vidi, Vici" and set the world of martial arts on fire.
An Early Enemy Forces the Company to Go Underground
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In the early days of the sport, the UFC touted themselves an extreme no holds barred competition. This, of course, drew the attention of one future presidential candidate, Arizona Senator John McCain (R).
McCain was the clever guy that coined the phrase "Human Cockfighting" when it came to the UFC, and thus more and more pay-per-view providers began steering clear of the fledgling company.
Thankfully for us, this wouldn't last.
Under New Management
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By 2001 the UFC was on its last legs financially and needed help if it were to survive. Enter Zuffa, the company that is owned by Las Vegas casino owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta who bought the company for $ 2 million.
Their goal was to create a company that can show the world top-of-the-line fighters, but of course, that proved to be a challenge due to the bad press they had received.
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Enter Dana White
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Dana White started out as a manager for both Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. Once Zuffa, purchased the company in 2001, the Fertitta brothers appointed their friend Dana to run things.
His imagination, intelligence and drive are the heart of the promotion and MMA as a whole.
Mainstream Breakthrough
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After regulation, which allowed for the institution of weight classes and other safe guarding rules, Zuffa took a gamble and participated in funding a reality show that would feature a few consistent displays of MMA.
The TUF Season 1 was a ground-breaking show that allowed the sport to finally gain mainstream exposure.
The Mainstream Success
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With the UFC gaining steam in popularity and John McCain deciding to drop the charges that the MMA is a dangerous sport, the UFC saw mainstream success.
2011 and Beyond
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The company is constantly growing and with the recent acquisition of the WEC, there are no signs of slowing down.
It will be quite interesting to see what the sport will look like in another 17 years.
Follow Will Anderson on Twitter!
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Will Anderson is growing into a juggernaut on the MMA media scene.
While his articles are both thought provoking and entertaining, it's his drive to share his passion of the sport with others by creating a platform for other aspiring writers to display their work.
Will is a featured MMA columnist on the Bleacher Report and The Lead MMA Columnist for Real Sports Net.com; in addition, he has also made guest appearances on The Sprawl N Brawl Internet Radio Show
( http://www.blogtalkradio.com/sprawlnbrawl ), as well as creating the fast growing Facebook group: The MMA Writer's Block.
On top of all that, he still finds time to study Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Eduardo Santos of Lotus Club.
To keep up with this rising star, follow him on Twitter:
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