UFC on verge of explosion
Mar 4th, 2006 | by CousinPaulie | Posted in personal, press, sports | Comments Off
As reported on FoxSports.com
Once branded as human cockfighting and plagued by its own blood-soaked marketing, the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the sport of mixed martial arts almost collapsed before it ever really got started.
The sport, a unique blend of wrestling, jiu-jitsu, boxing and kickboxing, was banned in much of the country in the late 1990s.
But through a combination of aggressive new ownership, sanctioning in pivotal states, and a hot cable television product featuring charismatic stars, UFC is undergoing a successful image remodel.
“We’re not for everyone, and we don’t try to be,” UFC president Dana White said. “If you don’t like fighting sports, great, this is America, that’s your right. All we ask is that people understand what we are.”
