Dominick Cruz (R) attempts to punch T.J. Dillashaw in their bantamweight bout during UFC Fight Night 81 at TD Banknorth Garden on January 17, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Over the past decade, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has found itself blossom into the largest mixed martial arts promotion company and carry a roster with the highest-level fighters available.
What once was a lowly paper-per-view based event that filled in casinos’ empty weekends has become a sport that garners attention around the world. Fighters have climbed out of poverty, given up on other dreams, and almost all have dedicated their lives to the sport. UFC president Dana White became a household name like the commissioners of the MLB, NFL, and NBA. And even the current president, Donald Trump, was involved in the rise of the sport.
Rather than just focusing on the fight itself, UFC was able to turn weigh-ins, rivalries, and finales into spectacles. Constant content was being created. Their innovative use of reality TV led to fighters appearing on the covers of Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine. UFC promotions began to average over a million viewers per show and a Women’s MMA expansion, international broadcasting and more came.
30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW
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Connor McGregor and Ronda Rousey became admired athletes in the same veins as LeBron James or Lindsey Vonn. While the UFC is only 26 years old, it’s quickly built a legacy. Anderson Silva, one of the most popular middleweight UFC champions, will go down in history as holding the longest title streak in the company’s history, as well as most finishes, most consecutive title defensives. The lore is incomplete without Jon Jones, who became the youngest lightweight champ when he held the UFC title for 242 consecutive days at age 23.
And due to the touring nature of UFC, it’s easy to get to a show.
On Saturday, April 13, UFC 236 will take place in Atlanta at the State Farm Arena. Tickets begin at only $105. Two weeks later, on the 23 of April, UFC Fight Night will take place. Yoel Romero and Jacare Souza have a rematch of their bout in 2015. Romero walked away with a controversial split-decision victory. Tickets for that bout range from $109 to $599.
As the spectacle of UFC continues to grow, make sure you get the chance to see history happen. All prices are from StubHub.com.
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