Was Griffin Bonnar 1 really that important?

[mb23100]

Dana himself talks about that fight as if the UFC wouldn't be around without that fight. I didn't really follow MMA at the time but how could 1 fight have had that much of an impact? I remember Rogan talking about how much the viewership went up because people were calling each other telling others to watch. C'mon it's a 15 minute fight.

 

[Davey Crockett]

They paved the way

 

[Limit Smasher]

It was very important but the entire season that preceded it was the most important.

 

[RogerD]

Yea because of social media, views shot through roof and paved the way for new era, made tuf and UFC more mainstream than it ever had been

 

[POWER2]

Dana himself talks about that fight as if the UFC wouldn't be around without that fight. I didn't really follow MMA at the time but how could 1 fight have had that much of an impact? I remember Rogan talking about how much the viewership went up because people were calling each other telling others to watch. C'mon it's a 15 minute fight.

 

[Gambit MMA]

yes it was

 

[KB Warrior]

The UFC was losing money prior to that. Lorenzo was considering selling the company. TUF 1 brought in a ton of new fans and things started to turn around from there.

 

[HAWTRIDDUM]

They may have not had their tv deal renewed without it.

Idk, I went to UFC 43, 47, 49 prior to the ultimate fighters first season and it didn't seem like it was "Dying". The experience at the actual events were great and pretty sure each one was sold out.

Actually, it seemed more popular than it is now, and people were always hyped for the ppv cards because they were generally far more loaded than the ones today.

 

[SSgt Dickweed]

It expedited certain things but wasn't super relevant as others would like to romanticize it imo.

 

[Xaero]

Tapped into the "casuals" market. Very important IMO

 

[C0NCH3TO]

tuf 1 was crucial for the ufc’s survival.

 

[209 Life]

Without that fight, there is no UFC. Pay homage

 

[ramair455]

Yea because of social media, views shot through roof and paved the way for new era, made tuf and UFC more mainstream than it ever had been

Thats was 2005, the term social media hadnt been coined yet. Myspace had been around for a few years at the most.

It was because Spike TV had a mainstream audience and was free.

 

[mb23100]

Yeah, the social media in 2005 was the shit.

Kinda what I was thinking. Was it all over MySpace or something?

 

[Big Tuppy Hole]

Before tuf 1 the only place I could buy ufc dvds from where random bargain store bins 12 to 6 months after the event aired.

 

[Big Tuppy Hole]

Thats was 2005, the term social media hadnt been coined yet. Myspace had been around for a few years at the most.

It was because Spike TV had a mainstream audience and was free.

And it piggy backed off the WWE airing directly after it in the US

 

[Kingz]

I made a similar thread here several years ago. I felt Tito-Shamrock was more important but obviously TUF as a whole was huge. I think if you surveyed all the casuals from that time they would likely think of Tito-Ken rivalry, TUF as a show(no particular fights) and Chocolate L before the names Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar come to mind. Can’t argue with the peak audience though..it wasn’t your typical fight from a significant standpoint.. you gotta give it that. I don’t believe that it “saved” the UFC though.

Found it
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/the-impact-of-griffin-bonnar-is-it-really-all-that.2475165/

 

[Buster C]

It was very important but the entire season that preceded it was the most important.

This. TUF was the big milestone in making the UFC profitable, and Griffin vs Bonnar was icing on the cake.

The Fertittas were losing money until TUF and might’ve sold if it weren’t successful. UFC would not have died, but somebody else would’ve had to take over with a new plan.

 

[sjon22]

It was an exciting fight for ppl who did not understand MMA. Ratings went threw the roof. PPL were calling their friends to tune in to watch this 2 guys bash each others brains in.

 

[Erocthadon]

Without that fight, the UFC wouldn't have been able to purchase and destroy Pride....leading into some retarded, rich fucking goofs purchasing the UFC for billions of dollars.