10 MMA Fights That Changed The Business

1. The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale: Griffin def. Bonnar

Much credit for the resurgence of the UFC in the 2000s is due to reality television, specifically the introduction of The Ultimate Fighter in 2005 to Spike TV. The concept of the show was to take two classes of fighters, the Middleweights and Light Heavyweights, and have them all live in a house together while they train under the guidance of either Chuck Liddell or Randy Couture. Fighters are then paired to fight each other in a tournament for both weight classes, with the finals taking place on a separate televised event.

The first season featured a slew of captivating personalities, which included Kenny Floridan, Diego Sanchez, Chris Leben, Stephan Bonnar and Forrest Griffin. The show built a lot of momentum through 2005, culminating with the Light Heavyweight Final of Bonnar versus Griffin as the main event on The Ultimate Fighter Finale. The buzz surrounding the fight and the attraction of a new audience made it crucial that both fighters delivered an exciting match.

This wasn€™t the moment for a Jiu Jitsu showcase, nor was it the time for an amateur wrestling exhibition. This finale had to sell the casual viewer on the idea that the UFC was the most exciting, most electric show on Earth, and it did. Griffin and Bonnar were engaged in a spirited slugfest within the first minute of the first round. Both men engaged and pressed forward for the remaining 14 minutes, with neither ever appearing timid or unwilling to fight.

In a scenario for a perfect storm, Griffin and Bonnar delivered the perfect fight. Griffin would take the fight by unanimous decision and win a six-figure UFC contract, but Bonnar would be awarded the same prize on principle of his performance. The finale raked in a record 2.6 million viewers that night and the UFC launched itself to the global success it is today. It was achieved, not through flashy names, crazy internet gimmicks, or fluke knockouts, but through two hard-working fighters letting it all go for 15 heart-pounding minutes.