Las Vegas has become a huge zone for MMA in recent years
The origins of the city of Las Vegas are well known by this point. What was an uninhabited desert became a place where people could truly pursue their dreams with passion. It’s no wonder that it has evolved into a place with many unique cultures and communities that coexist to create something special.
While Las Vegas made its reputation with exciting and fun games that trespass even to the online casino environment, it has since grown to be an oasis in the Nevada desert for every form of entertainment you can name.
From unique stores and boutiques to motorsports and especially live events, you can find anything to get an adrenaline rush. For boxing and MMA, Las Vegas may be the best place in the world to watch these action-fueled competitions.
How the sport of MMA has come to call Las Vegas its home is fascinating. Competitors in MMA have very different international roots and history, but they were all drawn to this captivating city for similar reasons.
On one side, it’s about the glitz and glamour that Las Vegas is known for, on the other, it’s strictly business. The UFC has become the biggest MMA organization by a mile, and it all started here in Sin City.
The Origins
The story of how Las Vegas came to be the center of the MMA universe involves some of the most important people in the city. In 2001, the Ultimate Fighting Championship or UFC was the biggest organization in a small and tight-knit but growing sport.
Dana White, the president of the UFC, arrived in Las Vegas planning to get into boxing promoting with his longtime friends and casino owners, the Fertitta brothers and also formed an online casino environment. It was through their mutual love for boxing and martial arts that they eventually began to train in another sport, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and met some of the early MMA fighters.
White became a sports agent at first, representing early MMA pioneers Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. Through them, he learned of the UFC’s financial troubles and realized there was a major opportunity here.
He contacted the Fertitta brothers and encouraged them to review this deal with him, ultimately deciding to purchase the UFC for $2million. What followed ultimately changed the course of history in professional sports.
The New Era of the UFC
In the early days, fighting promotions like the UFC had trouble finding a place to host events. Through the regulation and unfair media coverage, the sport of mixed martial arts was labelled as barbaric, grotesque, and too violent to be allowed in most states in the USA.
If not for the city of Las Vegas, the sport would have never found its footing. But through the Fertitta brothers’ connections in the city, they began to convince venues to host their events.
The UFC has fight events all over the world. However, the biggest and most important events are always hosted in Las Vegas. White and the rest of the organization trusts the sports commission here. They also back the judges to host these fights without flaws.
We have seen some odd spectacles over the years as events were hosted in other countries by foreign commissions. Las Vegas is also the home of Zuffa, the UFC’s former parent company, who built the organization up for over 15 years.
The Future of MMA
The UFC is the biggest organization for MMA in the world and is constantly innovating. While Dana White will push into more international markets, Las Vegas will always be the main home of the UFC.
The last five major events have been held here. And history will show that some of the most legendary events were here as well.
Las Vegas was where Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov had their grudge match. Where Daniel Cormier upset Stipe Miocic with a knockout punch and many more.
Some of the most talented athletes across all sports have found their way to the UFC. And we will continue to see some of the highest displays of fighting ability in Las Vegas for the foreseeable future.
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