| In 1993, at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, | | | | being pressured to add more rules and tone down |
| Colorado, the first Ultimate Fighting Championship was | | | | the violence. However, they believed the violence |
| held. Semaphore Entertainment Group was the | | | | was what led to the initial success of the UFC. |
| television partner, after HBO and Showtime turned it | | | | Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta (Station Casinos |
| down, and it was broadcast on pay-per-view and did | | | | executives) and boxing promoter Dana White |
| very well. It was marketed as the war of the worlds, | | | | approached the owners of the UFC with an offer to |
| a no holds barred event. For once, everyone was | | | | buy them out. A deal was made and the two |
| going to see who was the best mixed martial artist. | | | | brothers became the owners, while Dana White took |
| Although the first UFC event was a success, they | | | | over as the ring leader. They started to work with |
| were faced with a mountain of problems. The sport | | | | athletic commissions and toned down the violence. |
| was too violent for politicians and athletic | | | | They implemented weight classes, got rid of |
| commissions and ended up getting banned in most of | | | | headbutting and strikes to the groin, etc. They got |
| the fifty states. There were no rules, fighters could | | | | licensed in most of the fifty states and the cable |
| headbutt, soccer kick a downed opponent, and even | | | | television networks took them back. However, it was |
| strike to the groin. This led to the sport being labeled | | | | the Ultimate Fighter reality show that launched the |
| "human cockfighting," and Direct TV PPV was their | | | | sport which has now become one of the fastest |
| only television partner. By that time, the owners of | | | | growing sports in the world. |
| the UFC were looking for a way out. They were | | | | |