BECOMING A FIGHT FAN
I work for the exclusive broadcaster of the UFC in Canada so it goes without saying that I’m happily surrounded by the UFC on a daily basis.
But it wasn’t always the case…
My first exposure to the Ultimate Fighting Championship happened when I rented a VHS compilation from my local video store long ago. I really wish I could remember what it was called but that’s kind of the point. I didn’t have much of an interest in it. In those days, the UFC was seen as a pointless and brutal activity. I remember my parents asking me why I would bother watching two grown men beat each other up.
Obviously, the UFC was nothing compared to the organization that’s currently dominating the fight game world wide today. My curiosity was re-ignited the day The Ultimate Fighter reality series exploded onto Spike TV. My college roommates and I watched every episode of that first season and I was hooked. We all were. UFC President Dana White has said many times that the Griffin/Bonnar fight in the finale was pivotal as the UFC began to rise. It was the most important fight in UFC history because it showed off something the general public had missed. Heart. After the TUF Finale, the UFC’s image had changed and people took notice. The new UFC wasn’t about senseless brutality. It was about dedication and training, it was about the fighters and it was about respect.
When I started working for Sportsnet, they had just begun showing highlights of UFC Pay-Per-Views. Personally, I didn’t know the fighters, the moves or the weight classes but I think that was the UFC’s greatest challenge.
Once the sport began to gain mainstream acceptance, it was an exercise in patience. It’s hard to generate interest in a pay-per-view event where new fans don’t necessarily know who to cheer for. But people had to be given the chance to discover the UFC.
I became a true fan on April 19, 2008 after the thrilling conclusion to UFC 83. It was all because of George ‘Rush’ St. Pierre.
THE STRIKING TRUTH
By that time, filmmaker Steven J. Wong was already passionately following GSP and fellow Canadian fighter David ‘The Crow’ Loiseau with a camera. The goal was to create a unique behind the scenes documentary about life as a fighter including all the victories and failures that fighters must both celebrate and overcome.
THE WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION
GEORGE ‘RUSH’ ST. PIERRE
GSP won back his belt that day with a series of knees to the ribs of Matt Serra, the man who took his belt in the first place. Watching that fight was as exciting as it gets. As a proud Canadian, I was 100% behind our home grown fighting champion.
When the dust settled, it became clear that one of the best mixed martial artists in history called Canada home. I’ve been watching his legend grow ever since.
THE RISE OF THE UFC
I wasn’t the only one who became a fan that day. People from all over the country, from all over the world, had begun to catch UFC fever. (At least, that’s when I noticed) I started looking forward to fights, reading blogs and watching features on my favorite fighters. We even launched our own weekly show called UFC Connected. The program, hosted by Showdown Joe Ferraro, has since become Canada’s Number 1 MMA show and editing elements for it has been a blast. We’re telling stories. That’s the main reason why I got into sports broadcasting in the first place. It’s because of the stories. Underdogs overcoming the odds, champions rising and falling, athletes celebrating their triumphs or picking themselves up after they fall.
Sports fans thrive on competition but our obsessions are built on the stories of the athletes we admire.
What I love the most about the UFC now is the incredible amount of hype they can generate seemingly at will for their events. Whether you’re a fan or not, you can’t help but admire what Dana White and Zuffa have built. Not only are we given huge fights to look forward to but we are also given glimpses into the lives of the fighters they involve. The Ultimate Fighter, UFC Primetime, UFC Countdown, UFC Connected and more give fans a chance to really learn about their favorite fighters.
When you know what the fighters have sacrificed and witness the relentless training they put themselves trough the fights are infinitely more engaging. There was a time when parents would never allow their kids to look up to fighters as role models. Now people can see the dedication, hard work and passion displayed by these fighters. The UFC has worked extremely hard to create a window into the hearts of their fighters and it’s that window that makes us cheer for them on Saturday nights.
RUSH & THE CROW
The Striking Truth is yet another example of how far the UFC has come in the eyes of the general public. I purchased the documentary in the ‘new release’ section at my local Walmart. Can anyone remember seeing UFC documentaries at Walmart 10 years ago?
The film itself is an interesting look behind the scenes of GSP’s rise to the top and David Loiseau’s struggle to remain amongst the world’s best fighters. Both are inspiring stories and that’s what it’s all about. I liked the film a lot. Both fighters pour their hearts out and we get a fantastic look at their strengths but also their vulnerabilities and fears.
Like every athlete out there, they are passionate about being the best and dedicated to realizing their dreams. Hardcore fans of the fighters will love this documentary but I suspect the casual fans out there may be a little frustrated. Even I have to admit, it was a little disappointing that there isn’t much footage of them inside the Octagon. Most of the big fights are simply fonts explaining what happened. This probably contributed to the relatively short running time with the film clocking in at 1:20.
It seemed like there could have been more considering the director followed them for years but I’m not complaining. As a fan of the UFC and especially George St. Pierre, I thought The Striking Truth was a great documentary.
I’m off to work. I love my job.
Check out more on The Striking Truth by visiting their home page.
You can watch full episodes of UFC Connected over at Sportsnet.ca in addition to regular blogs from UFC fighters and much more.
Random Posts
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback.
Nice article.
I liked MMA better in previous years when it was not just UFC domination – organizations like Pride FC and Pancrase were way more exciting, at least in my opinion.
The golden age of MMA is gone, now it’s just the golden age of UFC.
Not that UFC is not great, but I liked the other organizations better.
The only way I would be genuinely excited would be if Fedor signs with the UFC, but I think it would never happen. Don’t know if it’s shadowy Russian connection or what, but this guy’s career is really held back right now. However, that’s another topic.