| The UFC was on the verge of its demise with no | | | | legal battles and suffered financially, but now it was a |
| rules, no audience, no cable access and U.S. Senators | | | | legitimate sport. |
| calling for its break-up. It was time to step back and | | | | The time seemed right for new leadership. Two casino |
| re-evaluate the situation. People are interested in the | | | | executives and a boxing promoter placed and won a |
| idea of MMA, but not in seeing the type of fight that | | | | bid to buy the UFC for $2 million in 2001. That same |
| has 2 fighters fighting in pools of their own blood. The | | | | year, the organization successfully secured the |
| first step was to add protective rules. Weight classes | | | | sanctioning of the Nevada State Athletic Commission |
| were introduced - heavy weights, middleweights and | | | | and returned to Pay-per-view. Slowly but surely, |
| lightweights. The number of unacceptable striking | | | | popularity was growing. It gained a spot on Fox Sports |
| areas on the body were increased to include the back | | | | Net, which aired it as the first American mixed martial |
| of the neck, pressure points areas and the back of the | | | | arts match in 2002. |
| head. Protective gloves were mandatory and there | | | | Today. |
| were now 5-minute rounds, all of which helped the | | | | Thanks to better promoting, bigger ticket events and |
| UFC legitimately begin calling itself a sport, rather than | | | | the necessary funding, the UFC aired its own reality |
| an underground cage fight. | | | | TV show on Spike TV called The Ultimate Fighter. It |
| After the organization cleaned up the fights, it was | | | | was slotted just after a large wrestling event and the |
| time to start getting officially recognized by fighting | | | | UFC show quickly rose to the top for the station. Spike |
| associations. The improved image played well with the | | | | TV then began airing promotional half-hour teaser |
| athletic commissions, as did the petitions for sanctioning | | | | shows to promote UFC pay-per-view events. All of |
| made by other clean MMA organizations. It wasnt until | | | | the widespread attention exploded its popularity. In |
| September 30th of 2000 that the International Fighting | | | | 2006, the massively hyped event UFC 61 earned near |
| Championships hosted the first MMA sanctioned event | | | | 775,000 pay-per-view buys, the second highest in US |
| in New Jersey. 2 months later it was the UFCs turn. | | | | history. The UFC, it seems, has officially arrived. |
| Their first sanctioned event also took place in New | | | | So whats next for the growing organization? Theyre |
| Jersey under the State Athletic Control Boards Unified | | | | thinking about expanding internationally. First stop: |
| Rules. The Ultimate Fighting Championships had lost | | | | Mexico. |