The Future of the UFC

UFC President Dana White
Image courtesy Josh Hedges
© Ultimate Fighting Championship
UFC President Dana White
In March 2007, the Fertitta brothers announced that they had purchased Pride Fighting Championship, a competing mixed martial arts organization based out of Japan. Fans of mixed martial arts have talked about dream matches between the best fighters of Pride and the best from the UFC. According to Dana White, that can now become a reality. While plans are still in the very early stages, fight fans may soon get to see who really is the best fighter in each weight class.

While the UFC has its headquarters in Nevada, the company has recently begun a campaign to hold fights in other states as well as internationally. UFC events can already be seen on television in 170 countries. Dana White's goal is to bring live events to these countries to help build a grass roots fan base and build word of mouth support. He says, "When you take the live event somewhere and you get 15,000 or 20,000 people to show up to the event and those people leave the event and go to work the next day, they talk to their relatives. They talk to their friends. It starts to spread...that whole word of mouth thing happens, and it's imperative for the growth of the business and to take it global." UFC events are planned for Europe, Japan, Canada and Mexico.

Today, fans can see UFC bouts on pay-per-view (about once a month), on "The Ultimate Fighter" and special "Fight Night" events on Spike TV, on DVD and at live events. Unfortunately, UFC events 23 through 29 are still not available commercially.

For lots more information on the Ultimate Fighting Championship and related topics, check out the links on the next section.

Best Fight Ever?
Former Welterweight champion Matt Hughes
Image courtesy Josh Hedges
© Ultimate Fighting Championship
Former Welterweight champion Matt Hughes

When asked about his favorite fight, Dana White recommends the second fight between Matt Hughes (welterweight champion at the time) and Frank Trigg at UFC 52. Two years earlier in their first fight, Matt Hughes defeated Trigg in the first round with a rear naked choke. When they met for their rematch, it looked like Trigg was going to avenge his loss. Early in the fight, Trigg threw a kick that hit Hughes in the groin. The referee did not see the foul and the fight continued. As Hughes tried to recover, Trigg capitalized on the situation and pressed the attack.

As Mr. White describes it, "Frank Trigg gets on top of him, gets top position, and starts dropping punches down on Hughes. It looks like the fight is over - like he could have knocked Hughes out. Hughes tries to turn over, and Frank Trigg gets his back and starts choking him out the same way Matt choked him out in the first fight. Unbelievably, Matt Hughes gets out of the choke, scoops Frank Trigg up onto his shoulder, and runs him the entire length of the Octagon and slams him down on the ground. I'm not kidding you, the roof exploded off this building."

Four minutes and five seconds into round one, Hughes managed to catch Trigg in a rear naked choke and submit him for the victory, retaining his title.