UFC 167 it Just Keeps Getting Better

The mixed martial arts promotion Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC) got its start as a distinctly fringe pay-per-view attraction in November 1993, with an eight-man single-elimination tournament held at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado. Only about 2,800 people attended the event to see Royce Gracie defeat Gerard Gordeau in the final, but the eventual home video release helped the sport garner more attention nationally. The videos also caught the attention of John McCain, the U.S. Senator from Arizona who called the sport “barbaric” in 1996 and sent letters to all 50 governors asking them to ban ultimate fighting.

While 36 states enacted laws banning the “no holds barred” fighting, the controversy only furthered the sport’s popularity. At one point, the marketing website Compete estimated that UFC was experiencing a 106 percent year-over-year increase in online interest. According to UFC, it now produces 30 live events annually and is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Just two years ago, UFC signed a seven-year agreement with Fox Sports Media Group that includes four live events on the Fox network every year as well countless hours of additional UFC programming on other Fox properties such as FX and Fox Sports 1. Don’t forget that to watch most pay per view events you will need a compatible cable selection.  DirecTV is a great option and also has one of the best DVR’s in the market so you can watch the nights best knockout over and over with ease.  Check out SaveOnTVDirect.com for great pricing for first time subscriptions and three free months of HBO and Cinemax.

On November 16, 2013, UFC will commemorate its 20th anniversary at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas with UFC 167. The card is notable because TVA Sports reported that the event’s headliner, UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre (24-2-0), could be stepping into the Octagon for the final time. St-Pierre has not lost a fight in more than seven years, but his head trainer said that if “GSP” does not have the motivation after his upcoming fight, he will retire.

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St-Pierre will be defending his title against Johny Hendricks (15-1-0), the former NCAA Division I wrestling champion whose only UFC loss was as a result of a December 2010 decision. The 30-year-old Hendricks has been awarded the “Knockout of the Night” in three of his last six fights, and he defeated Carlos Condit at UFC 158 in a UFC Welterweight title eliminator contest that was named the “Fight of the Night.”

The 32-year-old St-Pierre has been competing in MMA fighting for more than a decade, and the upcoming fight in Las Vegas is also the site of his UFC debut in January 2004 against Karo Parisyan at UFC 46. Despite his impressive winning streak, St-Pierre has faced his share of criticism from observers who note that his last six victories have all been by decision. Still, they were unanimous.

The contest has certainly piqued the interest of many in the UFC community—including fellow fighters. After complaining that St-Pierre “fights safe,” UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Lidell said during an appearance on ESPN’s Sportsnation last month that he was “excited” for the upcoming fight because he thought Hendricks would make the champion have to fight. Carlos Condit, Hendricks’ last opponent who lost one of those decisions to St-Pierre last year, told MMA Sentinel that he thought the contest was an interesting match-up and he was “definitely looking forward to it.” Condit said the match would be determined by whether St-Pierre could take Hendricks down, indicating he thought the champion would be victorious if GSP is successful, but Hendricks “could put Georges to sleep” with his power if St-Pierre is not.