The debate is over and the Ultimate Fighting Championship has won. For as long as it has existed, fans of mixed martial arts have heard from detractors who say it's not a legitimate sport. But UFC, the most popular mixed martial arts league, is on the cover of this week's Sports Illustrated, just weeks after its light heavyweight champion, Chuck Liddell, was on the cover of ESPN Magazine. That means it has entered the mainstream.L. Jon Wertheim's cover story focuses on just that: the fact that UFC is incredibly popular, especially among, in Wertheim's words, "dudes old enough to vote but too young to be president."
This weekend's UFC 71 event (which I'll be live blogging here at FanHouse) has gotten an enormous amount of free publicity from SI, ESPN and other media outlets that just a year or two ago wouldn't have touched UFC with a 10-foot pole. The Chuck Liddell-Rampage Jackson main event won't get the kind of attention that the Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather fight got, but UFC is starting to enter that territory. That's an incredible accomplishment for a sport that just a few years ago appeared to be on the verge of extinction.
Previously at FanHouse:
UFC 71: Odds Moving in Quinton Jackson's Direction
Chuck Liddell Graces ESPN Magazine Cover
Tommy Morrison Wants to Try UFC, Fight Chuck Liddell
Chuck Liddell Paints His Nails
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-23-2007 @ 3:06PM
Adam said...
Nice article, I am glad the UFC and MMA is finally getting much deserved credit and respect. The only thing I am not sure about is at the end you mention the sport was on a "verge of extinction." The UFC has been growing each year and just recently has rocketed mainstream.
Reply
5-23-2007 @ 3:44PM
allrampage said...
ITS GOOD TO SEE SI AND ESPN TAKING MMA SERIOUSLY.
http://www.allrampage.com
Reply
5-23-2007 @ 3:45PM
allrampage said...
ITS GOOD TO SEE SI AND ESPN TAKING MMA SERIOUSLY.
http://www.allrampage.com
Reply
5-23-2007 @ 4:31PM
atlantic city said...
Sportsbooks are finally starting to take action on these fights too. That makes it real to me.
Reply
5-23-2007 @ 5:43PM
Mike said...
He was talking about the time before Dana & the Fertitas bought UFC and brought in the modern rules. Before then mma was illegal in most states and the sport was about to go under in this country.
Reply
5-24-2007 @ 12:08AM
LD said...
UFC is not a sport.
MMA is a sport.
Mixed Martial Artists, not Ultimate Fighters.
When they fight, it is not Ultimate Fighting. It is primarily a mix of grappling, clinching, and striking.
Just trying to get the words out.
Reply
5-24-2007 @ 11:51AM
Miss Gossip said...
MMA is actually kinda interesting, and I'm not one who usually likes "fighting" type stuff like boxing and wrestling. But I do prefer the IFL over the UFC -- IFL is a little less "barbaric."
Reply