I am going to write about my absolute favorite sport today. It all started when I was 12 years old. I read an article about a BYU wrestling coach that got in trouble for participating in an Ultimate Fighting match. I was intrigued, what was ultimate fighting? I soon found out it was a "no holds barred" fight in which the fighters employed a number of fighting styles. Well, I went on about my business for the next 10 years and once in a while I'd catch wind of Ultimate Fighting news. When I was 22 I watched my first Pay per View UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). I was instantly hooked and couldn't get enough of this sport. I started watching amateur fights, I rented previous UFC's, I was an Ultimate Fighting addict! I went to Las Vegas a few years later and watched my first UFC live. It was awesome! Even though my friends and I watched our favorite fighter (Jeremy Horn) and coach lose to Chuck Liddell, it was a great experience. ( I was training at Jeremy's gym in Salt Lake at the time) I have not really missed a Pay Per View of the UFC since then and went to another one in Las Vegas.
Here's a brief overview of the UFC. It started around the early 90's, there were no weight classes, no time limits, hardly any rules, and virtually no fan base. It was near bankruptcy and was purchased by the Zuffa brothers, and Dana White became the president of the UFC. The UFC sponsored a reality tv show called the Ultimate Fighter and aired it on Spike TV. It was an instant success, and the fan base for the UFC is bigger than ever. It went from near bankruptcy to success in no time.
The rules are simple, no biting, no small joint manipulation, no knees when the opponent is down, no punching in the back of the head, no groin shots, other than that anything goes. There are now weight classes, and the sport is much more disciplined than it used to be.
Anyway, I am really crazy about this sport, I guess some people call it "too violent", or "too brutal", but I think it's a noble and impressive sport. Two competitors step into the ring or cage and battle each other until one of them is knocked out, taps out, or they go the distance and the judges decide who wins. They are tough, determined, and strong athletes. They are in incredible shape and truly are Modern Day Gladiators. I look forward to the next UFC in April, and the Ultimate Fighter Season 5 too.
