10 years of watching MMA

[binny]

This summer marks 10 years since I first stumbled upon MMA. I was 14 years old scrolling through the channels on tv. I decided to watch whatever the fuck World Extreme Cagefighting was. It sounded badass.

The purpose of this thread is to share this and also that in honor of WEC I am going to embark on watching all the WEC events. I know I will gain a substantial amount of knowledge and appreciation for MMA because of it.

I also wanted to ask you guys, when did you start watching? What/ who did you watch first? Are these fighters any of your favorites today?

 

[Lone Wolf]

You might have grown up, but your grammatical capacity stayed 14.

 

[KYS]

I finally learned what WEC stands for.

Started watching when Rockhold dethroned Weidman. I followed it before on YT mostly.

Will stop watching UFC soon probably.

 

[Reach4theSky]

I’ve been watching since ufc 1. Yes I’m old..

 

[AngryPorto]

You might have grown up, but your grammatical capacity stayed 14.

On behalf of TS I would like to tell you to go fuck yourself.

 

[KeiranMc]

2006...most amped I've been for a fight in my 12 years of watching was GSP vs BJ II.

 

[reddhelium]

been watching for about 20 years. i remember pride, wec, strikeforce, ifl, affliction, the early tournament-only bellator, elite xc, dream, and probably many more extinct orgs that i'm forgetting.

you'll enjoy wec. wish i could re-live some of those early moments.

 

[Rygu]

My friend ordered UFC 3 on PPV since we had rented the first 2 on VHS and really enjoyed it. I stopped watching between approx UFC 20-45 and came back when people wouldn't stop talking about Chuck.

 

[iNoScopedJFK]

The Ultimate Fighter season 5 is when I started watching. Never forget Andy Wang The Warrior.

 

[Kumason]

My friends brother got UFC 1 the day it came out on the "black box" and been a fan since then.

 

[binny]

I’ve been watching since ufc 1. Yes I’m old..

Have you ever met anyone on here who watched the first shooto events before UFC? highly unlikely but worth asking.

 

[MMAcolyte]

I started watching full-time almost 9 years ago. Had caught a couple here and there, but UFC 103 Franklin vs Belfort was what kick-started it all. I was 20 at the time.

My friend who got me into it asked who was gonna win, and I'd never heard of Belfort and knew Rich was the guy who got desgroyed by Anderson Silva but beat almost everyone else. He warned me that Vitor might light him up with his hands, but I didn't pay much attention. Needless to say, he was right and I knew who Vitor Belfort was after that.

With Vitor's recent retirement all my favourite fighters when I started watching are now all retired (Vitor, Randy, Matt Hughes, and Forrest Griffin).

My new favourites are Frankie Edgar (fave of all time), Rory MacDonald, Alexander Gustafsson, The Korean Zombie, Conor McGregor (even though that's blasphemous around here), and GSP (took a while, but he grew on me and his greatness is just undeniable).

 

[Reach4theSky]

Have you ever met anyone on here who watched the first shooto events before UFC? highly unlikely but worth asking.

Don’t know anyone particular but I wouldn’t doubt there are some users that have..

For me it started with ufc 1 and then the ufc on VHS through the 90s. My first Pride event wasn’t till the mid 2000’s when I heard about this site..

 

[John makfresshi]

been watching for about 20 years. i remember pride, wec, strikeforce, ifl, affliction, the early tournament-only bellator, elite xc, dream, and probably many more extinct orgs that i'm forgetting.

you'll enjoy wec. wish i could re-live some of those early moments.

I survived yamma! Also to ts UFC 40

 

[reddhelium]

I survived yamma! Also to ts UFC 40

haha forgot about the yamma pit

 

[hansolo]

I’ve been watching since ufc 1. Yes I’m old..

Me as well.

Old guys unite!

 

[Kumason]

I survived yamma! Also to ts UFC 40

That Tito entrance is still probably the best entrance despite how cringy Tito is in general.

 

[binny]

Watching those WEC 1 fights right now. Leonard Garcia is in this looking all of 13 years old. Gave the camera a thumbs up in the fight lol.

 

[KYS]

2006...most amped I've been for a fight in my 12 years of watching was GSP vs BJ II.

Mine was Rockhold-Bisping 2 and Thug Rose-JJ 1.

 

[ReadWrite]

Back when Diego Sanchez was a nightmare for other fighters instead of himself.