Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow.
UFC.
Ultimate Fighting Championship.
I couldn't remember much of 1993, the day of UFC's debut event UFC 1,
therein the birth of mixed martial arts (MMA) as we know it, mainly
because I was just a kid who watches WWE instead. Nearly a decade
later, I saw my first UFC fight.
It was Tito Ortiz vs Evan Tanner (may his soul be at peace in heaven).
I can't know for sure how did I end up watching it, maybe in my
cousin's place or a friend's or I was just switching channels, but the
moment Tito body-slammed Tanner and knocked him out, I didn't know how
to react or what to say but "HOLY ****. HOLY ****ING ****." That's when
I knew that this is it, this is the real deal.
I started following UFC since then, though only occasionally. I wasn't
a "hardcore" guy, at least not yet. Then UFC's reality TV show The
Ultimate Fighter (TUF) airs at the height of reality of TV shows era.
And I knew I had to tune in for some reason, so I did until the end,
and then the finale came. And it all changed, not just for me (I
totally became a hardcore UFC guy, so hardcore I'm thinking now of
becoming a professional fighter, for real), but the entire landscape of
all sports ever known to man.
Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar slugged it out in a fight that will
be remembered more than Achilles vs Hector of Troy and David vs Goliath
combined. It was that good.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Fighting For A Generation: 20 Years Of The UFC is a celebration of all
these and a lot more.
All the notable events in the sport's glorious history are here, from
the early "tournament days", the "Dark Ages", how TUF changed
everything, the WEC and PrideFC acquisitions, the monumental UFC 100,
inclusion of a women's division, memorable fights and highlights, etc.
all told by notable people Art Davie (the co-founder of UFC), Royce
Gracie (pioneer and first UFC winner), Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta (who
are the owners of Zuffa LLC company who purchased the UFC from SEG in
1999), Dana White (UFC President) and so many fighters from today and
the yesteryears.
But what I really love about the whole documentary is the genuine
retelling of the evolution of sport, the fights and the fighters from
first UFC event till today from the perspective of the people who are
actually very involved in them and that how passionate they are.
For the first time ever, I saw UFC commentator (and former Fear Factor
host) Joe Rogan shred some happy tears. Oh and Joe, if you're ever
gonna read this review, I got to tell you you're the best & greatest
play-by- play commentator and best & greatest post-fight interviewer in
all of sports, man. Tell Dana too he's the best & greatest executive
I've ever known. I meant both, really, proud of you guys.
I mean, you just see how these guys love the UFC and that they're such
fans, and I felt that every single word they ever said and I know how
for real they are. It just resonates in the documentary and if you're a
fan like us and you followed the sport for quite some time, you'd get
this sort of magical feeling that you're part of this in some way and
you'd know how grateful you are to be around when all these are
happening.
I know I am, truly.
I mean, I get to tell stories to my kids and grand kids in the future
that I've seen the undisputed, pound-for-pound best & greatest fighter
ever born, Anderson Silva, I mean just how damn cool is that? Dana said
it best, "Fighting is in our DNA; we get it and we like it." We do, and
we thank you Dana and everybody in the UFC, the fighters, behind-the-
scenes guys, bells and whistles guys, etc. just all of you amazing
folks.
And this is why this is the BEST DOCUMENTARY EVER MADE. Because it's
from the heart and soul of everyone in the UFC. There is this sense of
pure sincerity in it and you believe that stars did align for this
thing, how successful and massive UFC is not just in America but all
over the world, because it's from the great sacrifice of blood, sweat
and tears (literally and figuratively) of all the men and women that
became part of it.
And it can only get bigger and better.
Hats off UFC, we look forward to the next 20 years, the next 200 years,
the next 2,000 years and so on and so forth.
Greatest Sport in the World, indeed.
WOW.