100 and Counting...

Remember the glory days of boxing? Muhammad Ali vs. George Foremen, Ali vs Joe Frazier? How about Marvin Hagler vs Thomas Hearns? Or any Mike Tyson fight. Well I'm sad to say, but those days are over. Boxing just isn’t what it used to be. The entertainment is gone, there are very few fighters worth watching and the heavyweight division that once generated so much excitement is abysmal. Boxing's fall could be the reason why there is a new king of the ring. Better yet, octagon. Obviously, boxing is no longer satisfying our need for a vicious sport where two people are placed in a small area and try to dismantle one another by using tactics taught by coaches and training camps ... this is where the refreshingly-popular UFC comes in.

UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts organization (MMA) founded in 1993. In the early years, UFC was about as bloody, brutal and violent as they come, which is exactly what it was marketed and promoted as. It didn’t take long before UFC was forced onto pay-per-view and DVD’s only. This really hindered the company’s success and truly handicapped its ability to reach a wide fan base. Quickly the owners made changes and UFC began to be promoted as mixed martial arts, a legitimate sporting event.

UFC used to be a league of fighters who were pretty much only concerned with determining who the biggest bad a** was. Over time, more and more rules were incorporated (weight divisions, gloves mandatory, no hair pulling, no head butting, no groin strikes, no strikes to the back of the head, somewhat of a dress code, etc), creating more of a sport than just a spectacle.

Now, UFC's popularity is increasing every year. It can be watched on Spike TV almost everyday, at almost any time of the day. Despite the state of our economy, where sponsorships don't come easy, UFC has been linked with Anheuser-Busch, Bud Light, Harley Davidson and BSN. Besides sponsorship deals, UFC has many merchandise deals with top corporations including trading card production company, Topps, and action figure company, Jakks Pacific. (Jakks Pacific makes all of the WWE action figures you see in the store).

Outside of the newly-found corporate success of UFC, the franchise has become internationally prominent as well. UFC has taken advantage of MMA's status as the fastest-growing sport in the world to increase its own international popularity. UFC is currently shown in over 120 countries and territories around the world, and in 17 different languages as well. The roster consists of fighters from all over, using styles and techniques ranging from traditional boxing to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It is a remarkable sport and we in the U.S. are lucky to have UFC stationed in our country. Because of the worldwide demand, UFC has surpassed WWE and boxing in yearly pay-per-view revenue. Boxing can still blow UFC away with a single match, but because boxing only has one or two big fights a year, UFC is able to capitalize on its monthly pay-per-view revenue.

Specifically, tomorrow night's show will celebrate the company's 100th pay-per-view in Las Vegas, with a card that is loaded with excitement. The card will have 11 bouts headlining three can't-miss fights. One of the fights will settle the bitter rivalry between the coaches of the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter, Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping. Henderson has a 24-7 record, with 10 knockouts. He is a great wrestler, has knockout power in both hands and has never been knocked out. Michael Bisping has a much prettier record of 18-1, with 11 knockouts, losing only to Rashard Evans. Bisping is a kick boxer that loves to stand. He has no problem going the distance because two of the key strengths he possesses are heart and fitness. This fight will most likely end by KO or submission.

Another fight on the card is Georges St-Pierre vs. Thiago Alves for the welterweight championship. On most nights, this fight would be the main event, as Georges St-Pierre is one of the top five fighters in UFC. He has a record of 18-2, and has fought the best in the welterweight division. Pierre is in top condition and has no real weaknesses. He has an impressive all-around game, which is why he has been able to defeat big names such as BJ Penn, Matt Hughes and Matt Serra. Alves will definitely have his work cut out for him.

On another note, Thiago Alves’ ring name is "pitbull," which is exactly what he emulates in his fights. Alves is a Brazilian knockout artist who simply wants to punch his opponent’s face in. He has the body of an action figure, (pause) making him physically intimidating as well. Although he has an impressive record of 22-4, he has nowhere near the amount of big fight experience that St-Pierre does. At age 25, Tiago is very young and will be a dominate welterweight for years to come.

The main event of the night will be the much anticipated rematch between heavyweights Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir. These two met at UFC 81 where it didn't take long for Brock Lesnar to pummel Mir with brute force alone. While Lesnar was repeatedly hitting Mir with punches and forearms, setting up what everyone thought would be a stoppage of the fight, Mir kept his cool and waited for the perfect moment to turn the tides. Mir went for an armbar and as Lesnar escaped, Mir setup a kneebar that forced the 265 lb Lesnar to tap out. A fight that was full of action but only lasted 1:30 seconds was worthy of a rematch.

In an attempt to unify the heavyweight championships, Lesnar, the former collegiate wrestling champion, comes into tomorrows fight with a record of 3-1, giving him a legitimate chance at redemption.

Most people know Lesnar from his dominant WWE days. Certainly, WWE is not 100% real, and its wrestlers have endured much criticism over not being legit wrestlers or real athletes. There is nothing staged about UFC, so of course Lesnar had to earn the respect from the MMA fighters, which didn’t take long…trust me. Now the only thing that stands between Lesnar and the top of the heavyweight division is Frank Mir.

Standing at 6'3 240 lbs, Mir looks like he could be a knockout king. While he is a decent striker, his real strength is his submissions. Mir has a 12-3 record with just two knockouts and seven submissions. There is no secret to his game—he wants to submit you. He is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and typically defeats his opponents because of his patience and timing.

So, whether Lesnar rearranges Mir's face or Mir submits Lesnar again this fight will be worth all the hype and will probably not make it past the second round.

UFC has come a long way—from being banned from cable television and many states to hosting the fastest growing sport in the world. If you're not on the bandwagon yet, watch UFC 100 and there is no doubt in my mind you will be afterwards.

Look for future articles and predictions about UFC.