On this day in MMA History – April 9 – The Fight that changed the world
On this day in MMA History – April 9 – The Fight that changed the world
April 9, 2005
I remember it like it was yesterday. The conclusion of the first season of the Ultimate Fighter. It was the fight that literally put MMA on the map.
Had the fight not been the slugfest that it proved to be; MMA might not be where it is today. Stephan Bonnar and Forrest Griffin bloodied each other up to declare the winner of the inaugural season of the Ultimate Fighter.
Who would take home the six-figure contract and rise to be one of the biggest stars the sport had ever seen?
Luckily for us, the fans, not only did the fight not suck but it was and probably is to date the most important fight in MMA history.
There were no glorious championship titles on the line. No big-name fighters (at the time). Nobody knew where the fight would go, what the outcome would be, what the future would hold.
It was the final fight of the series finale, and it quickly became the most watched televised MMA event (at the time) in the history of the sport. People began texting and calling their friends and family. “Are you watching this?”
As fans we owe a debt of gratitude to both Bonnar and Griffin. Thank you @StephanBonnar and @ForrestGriffin
