An Event Grows in Vegas (or, the June 22nd Ultimate Fighting Championship Preview)

Part II

*originally published in the Jun ’01 issue of Full Contact Fighter*

The Young Guns

The meat of the card is the newcomers – Zuffa’s newest and most precious resource. Fighting their hearts out for cheap (compared to the purses the more established athletes command), they provide more bang for their buck. “When you have young talented fighters looking to make a name for themselves, quite often they’ll fight harder than someone looking to protect their name,” says White. “These rookies fight harder than a lot of the bigger guys. They’ll put on a hell of a show.”

So who are these fresh faces? Nick Serra (brother of lightweight Matt Serra) is a Renzo Gracie black belt with experience in local MMA competitions. Described as a “talented jiu-jitsu guy” by matchmaker Silva, he’ll be meeting Dennis Hallman-protégé Radach’s heavy hands and sprawl head on. Tony Fryklund returns to the Octagon a new man (he first fought at UFC 14 in 1997!). Now a Militech fighter who likes to brawl, he’ll be facing Rodrigo Ruas, nephew of UFC legend Marco Ruas. “He’s primarily a stand-up fighter,” says Silva of the Brazilian. “Though like his uncle Marco, he does have a ground game.” Joao Marcos Pierini is another Brazilian making his debut. Originally scheduled to fight at UFC 37 but sidelined with a herniated disc, he’s jiu-jitsu man described as a “Tasmanian Devil” in the cage. His opponent, Josh Thompson, trains with Frank Shamrock, and at the Shogun promotion left Silva with the impression that “he can strike really well and do submissions.” Pete Spratt is “definitely a stand-up fighter” who “likes to try to knock people out,” and Zach Light is a Tito Ortiz-trained wrestler who “likes to slug it out.”

With their potential for explosive battles and back-and-forth wars, any one of these young gun’s matches could be the bout that makes the cut and is aired. Or the Belfort/Liddell match could be the one. But expectations run high for Berger and Lawler. The veteran Berger, coming off a controversial (and soon-to-be reversed) loss at the last show, has been known to throw heavy leather and fight his heart out. At UFC 37, the Militech-trained Lawler did the same. Putting these two together could mean dynamite.

“I’m a believer in Robbie Lawler,” says White. He cites Lawler’s determination in the epic bout with Aaron Riley, and how despite all the punishment taken, Lawler dug deep and rallied. For Berger, White has a comparable level of respect – and aside from the veteran’s skills, the UFC president appreciates the Missouri-native’s qualities outside of the cage. “Steve Berger is very classy, and I think he would represent the sport well,” he says, taking into consideration the image mixed martial arts athletes must convey to those thousands of Fox Sports Net viewers.

Exciting. Fresh. Hungry. Brimming with talent. If Belfort and Liddell fail to deliver, it’s clearly in the hands of the young guns.

A Few More Words from Dana White

Only the best fight will we be shown, and the choice of which bout makes the broadcast rests with Zuffa. What constitutes the ‘best fight’ according to White? “Anything exciting,” he says. “A fight like Robbie Lawler/Aaron Riley. Or a Serra/Carter fight. Or a Rizzo/Couture fight. Or a Rizzo/Barnnett.” Will the fans ever get to the see the other fights on a later broadcast? “I don’t know what I’m going to do with that yet. I’m putting this show together for those people that wouldn’t normally see a UFC.”

Will the winner of the Belfort/Liddell fight be the number one light-heavyweight contender? Will they get the next shot at Tito Ortiz? “Yes. They will get the next shot at the champion,” and White pauses, perhaps concerned about jinxing the not-yet-official match-up. “They’ll get the next shot at the winner of the Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock fight.”

With no PPV sales and a limited gate potential, how will this event’s success be measured? By airing on cable TV and tapping into a broader audience, the success is in the exposure. Says White: “This show here isn’t about making money.”

The “Best Damn Sports Show, Period” is hosted by Tom Arnold, Chris Rose, basketball player John Salley, baseball player John Kruk and football player D’Marco Farr. “This fivesome tosses around sports conversation from the fans’ and players’ points of view with a no-holds-barred approach,” reads the show’s website – an approach seemingly tailor made for MMA. By crossing over into the mainstream, the growth potential here is enormous. And with a card stacked with young guns and brawlers, headlined by superstars Belfort and Liddell, and with Joe Rogan at the broadcast table, Zuffa appears to be giving it everything they’ve got. If all goes well, the event that has grown into the June 22^nd UFC will rock.