Just to see if anyone here is interested in it. It's basicly my favorite sport now.

War CroCop!

I have been a MMA fan since 1994. I saw my first UFC (8) and I was hooked. It has changed over the years but still very entertaining. I just CANNOT make myself watch a boxing match anymore.

nice, I really got into Pride the last year it was going. Was the best entertainment I've seen and fucking Dana White ruined that...

MMA FTW, Boxing FT Suck.....
I've been hooked since last year, those guys are the reason I got up off the couch and lost 35 lbs....

I know you weren't around for all the potential banning of the UFC venues way back when but what happened is this....

UFC had flown under the radar for a while but was gathering popularity fast. Boxing was quickly becoming second fiddle. Tyson was gone Holyfield was the best they could do for a while.

There was a ton of political pressure calling it human cock-fighting. The pay per view companies were pressured to stop carrying the show , which was the only way they could even break even to put on these events. Well that and the competitors didn't win jack shit for prize money and were fighting 3 and 4 times in one night with no time limits.

Finally concessions were made with the UFC and the boxing commissions. It had to be regulated somehow for boxing to give it their blessing. That is when you started seeing weight classes and rounds and gloves and other things like no kicking to the head when the opponent has three point on the ground.... It used to be simple.

I could go on about the changes in the rules but in a nut sack what happened made the boxing get their cut of the money. They sanction it and all that pressure from politicians went away. How could anyone complain now?

It is strange to see actually betting lines in Vegas on the fights.

Pride was good but the boxing type ring they used didn't work for me.

There have been other companies but the UFC has made MMA mainstream and moved boxing down the ladder. Dana White did all that. I'm going to have to defend him as the face of Zuffa who actually changed the UFC and MMA in the USA so it didn't go away.

That is my take at least.

I remember watching UFC 8 and actually being really nervous. Thinking "damn these guys are about to throw down right here on TV" haha

I have actually went to a few UFC's and met, drank and spoke with many of the earlier fighters. Tank Abbott was one of my favorites out of the ring :)

I almost ran over Frank Shamrock in Mississippi in the hotel parking lot because I was pointing out Maurice Smith to my wife :) He gave me a look then we laughed about it :)