Five days before he’s due to induct a man he’s still not speaking to into the UFC Hall of Fame, UFC President Dana White did his best to explain to the media why he thinks Stephan Bonnar is deserving of the honor. “The way I’m looking at it is, I’m inducting Forrest [Griffin], and Stephan goes with him,” White said. “Those two – it wasn’t just Forrest – both of those guys took us to this next level.” In other words, it’s because of that one fight, which we all pretty much already knew. What we don’t seem to appreciate, at least in White’s eyes, is what that one fight truly meant for the UFC, which came into the very first live finale for “The Ultimate Fighter” with an uncertain future, and left with a deal that would at least ensure that it could keep the lights on for a little while longer. You know this chapter of the origin story by now. The UFC, down to the last of the small fortune that the Fertitta family was willing to pump into it, bought its way onto Spike TV with an MMA reality show that White hoped would be the steppingstone to success. A gambler at heart, the UFC president bet everything on that first season
BAD MMA Trending Cloud
UFC • Bellator • Conor Mcgregor • PFL • Jon Jones • Daniel Cormier • Dustin Poirier • Khabib Nurmagomedov • Dana White • Francis Ngannou • Jorge Masvidal • Nate Diaz • Anderson Silva • WSOF • Max Holloway • news • Ronda Rousey • Michael Chandler • Alex Pereira • Michael Bisping • Amanda Nunes • Donald Cerrone • Alexander Volkanovski • Kamaru Usman • Tony Ferguson • islam makhachev • Henry Cejudo • Jake Paul • Demetrious Johnson • Charles Oliveira • Jose Aldo • One Championship • Aljamain Sterling • sean o'malley • Derrick Lewis • Stipe Miocic • sean strickland • Tyron Woodley • Georges St Pierre • Robert Whittaker
- MMA News (114836)
- UFC 314 video: Paddy Pimblett, Colby Covington restrained in backstage altercation
- UFC 314 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Michael Chandler, Paddy Pimblett combine for $12,000
- UFC 314 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Michael Chandler, Paddy Pimblett combine for $12,000
- UFC 314 bonuses: Volkanovski vs. Lopes ends Fight of the Night drought
- Jean Silva UFC 314 Octagon Interview: ‘I don’t think Bryce Mitchell is right in the head’
- Yair Rodriguez UFC 314 Octagon Interview: ‘I was promised title shot with win’
- Bryce Mitchell releases statement following UFC 314 loss: ‘I’ve got to get better’
- Bryce Mitchell releases statement following UFC 314 loss: ‘I’ve got to get better’
- UFC 314 Bonuses: Paddy Pimblett banks a check for dominating performance
- Yair Rodriguez def. Patricio Freire at UFC 314: Best photos