For young fans of MMA it might be impossible to imagine, but there was a time when MMA and the UFC were pariahs. The sport started underground in the US, having been brought over from Japan and Brazil where this style of fighting has been popular for decades and slowly morphed into a crude and embryonic UFC –a far cry from what you’ll see at the UFC 120 odds event.
On those days there was no selling out stadiums or holding the events overseas as with the UFC 120 betting action in London. In those days the promoters were happy just to have the seats full and even picked smaller-sized venues so that there wouldn’t be empty seats on film.
And in those days –again, a very far cry from the global hype and demand for the UFC 120 odds event- there was no pay per view, no advertising and minimal promotion. If you wanted to see the event you had to purchase or rent the VHS video tape.
Yes, that’s right, no pay-per-view and no DVDs or Spike TV. You had run down to the nearest video rental shop and ask the clerk if they had, or were planning to get, the UFC video tape.
Fighters like Royce Gracie, Dan Severen and others were the original pioneers of the UFC events in what seems like a completely different sport than what we’ll in the UFC 120 odds action. These guys were basically fighting for peanuts and a little pride whereas today’s UFC athletes are millionaires and global superstars.
But there is no doubt that the sport has changed for the better. The fighters are better, there’s more talent in the competition pools and most of all UFC has exploded into a global phenomenon that showcases the best fighters in the world.
When the UFC 120 betting action finally gets underway fans should back and appreciate what they have.