Connect with us

MMA

Analyzing the Long Road to UFC 200

November 12, 1993. That day marked a new era for mixed martial arts, as UFC’s annual special debuted. This July will be a monumental moment for the company, as they celebrate the highly anticipated UFC 200.

httpss://twitter.com/ufc/status/679444256042307585

Since UFC 1, Dana White’s company has come a long way. Its first special was a tournament, with the winner receiving $50,000. From there, the events have evolved into a global spectacle, worth much more than the $50,000 those fighters clashed for.

After the first event, more and more unforgettable moments were created thanks to The Ultimate Fighting Championship. Moments like UFC 40, with Tito Ortiz and veteran Ken Shamrock engaging in a war for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. After a confrontation on The Best Damn Sports Show Period, these fighters helped give mainstream attention to the UFC, and gave the company a huge boost in profit.

httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-SRdqQ_fyg

UFC 66 saw a rematch between the hottest stars at the time, Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. After their encounter at UFC 47, in which Liddell became the first person to knock Ortiz out, this match was a long time coming. The Iceman beat Ortiz to retain the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, but that wasn’t all. This was the first UFC PPV to generate over 1,000,000 buys, marking this off as a complete success.

Another fight to remember is the rematch between Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir at UFC 100. This Unified Heavyweight Title fight was highly anticipated after Lesnar’s debut loss to the Las Vegas native at UFC 81. At this time, the 100th event is the most bought UFC pay-per-view of all time with a buyrate of 1.6 million.

httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPuT0rgx97s

Rumored to be on the UFC 200 card is the highly touted rematch between Ronda Rousey and Holly Holm. The Preachers Daughter beat The Rowdy One at UFC 193 to become the new Bantamweight Champion. While the fight would be a long time away, media attention would most likely go through the roof, anxiously waiting for these warriors to do battle. I previously wrote how the UFC should capitalize on this, and it looks like they have listened. A lot can happen during the waiting time the fighters and viewers have, but one will assume it will all be worth it.

httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwYj1q1i4Mc

 

What else can we expect at this monumental PPV? Will Jon “Bones” Jones or Conor McGregor be involved? Regardless of what other big names will be there, Dana White knows what he is doing. The UFC has reached the big one, and will be looking to continue their success. One thing is for sure: The UFC will look to pull out all of the stops for this. It will truly be a moment worth waiting for.

httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irFtTYP-H6I

The following two tabs change content below.
Baseball Editor, Misc. Sports Editor. Covers all things combat sports (MMA, Pro Wrestling and Boxing). When he's not writing, Daniel hosts a podcast, The Main Event.
2 Comments

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

More in MMA