When did you get interested in the UFC/MMA?

[Gooch1034]

I was interested in the first UFC after seeing all of those PPV commercials as was all of my friends back in the early 1990s when I was about 12/13 years old. I think everyone was curious about it because it was like nothing we had ever seen outside of movies but more than anything back then, I just wanted to see what would happen and who/what martial art was "the best"! I wouldn't consider those days as the period when I truly got into watching MMA.

I worked with a guy in the late 1990s-early 2000s who was THE ONLY person I knew that was still keeping up with MMA since UFC. I had no idea at the time that UFC 5 and beyond even happened until he told me and gave me his VHS copies of UFC 5-29. I watched them all in a matter of days and was officially "hooked" from there. That UFC binge I went on was when I learned what Brazilian JiuJitsu was all about. Especially the "Gracie Guard" that revolutionized the sport since I last watch MMA in the early 1990s. UFC 30(I believe it was Feb of 2001?) was the first event that I was anticipating and the fight I remember best was Pedro Rizzo vs Josh Barrnett 1 when Rizzo KOed Barrnett in the 2nd round.

Back in those days, literally nobody I ever knew or came across had any idea what MMA was... other than that 1 guy I worked with. I remember trying to get my other friends to watch the fights with me because I knew they had no idea what they were missing. Wasn't until UFC 50 when people finally started to get interested thanks to TUF 1.

So...I would say I became a true MMA fan between UFC 29 and 30 back in early 2001.

 

[DJ]

When Kimbo Slice was being hyped up....that got me watching and now I'm hooked.

 

[Yankee Traveler]

Early 90's, back when it was "No Holds Barred".

No such thing as PPV back then, at least in NE Vermont.
I could rent them on VHS.



Not to be confused with "No Holes Barred" Different VHS.

 

[megalodon30]

Listening to local sports radio. There was a night host in Sacramento named Carmichael Dave that talked about it a lot. Decided to watch it to see what it was all about. Saw Miesha Tate fight and was hooked. Chick was legit.

 

[FanofPelicans]

I watched some of the early fights as Royce Gracie showed how dominant Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu could be. The early fights were intriguing but offered some brutal matchups.

I became more interested in the sport when they put in place rules to better protect the fighters.

 

[Chewbaccer]

When I was a kid, my dad would order the early UFC ppvs. I was a big Tank Abbot fan back then.

I was a diehard fan from childhood through a few years ago. Rarely missed a PPV, and strongly preferred Pride to UFC in its day.

I still watch the free fights, but when Hendo and Shogun got old and started to suck, my interest isn't near what it once was.

 

[UK Cowboy]

All the way back to the no gloves days...

 

[cheerupcharlie]

Early 90's. Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock and Tank Abbot( he was the first mean looking mofo who intimidated me with looks alone)

 

[fknhippie]

I think it was called PKA, more boxing than anything, but the fighter had the do so many kicks per round or get penalized.

 

[UVA_Guy81]

I first started watching when my friend got me to watch a ppv that Tank Abbott was on. After I stopped watching for a while, around 2008 I was at a bar one night and a fight was on and Chuck Liddell was on the card and liked him, even though I believe that was around the beginning of the downturn of his career. I watched most of the shows there for a while but then when the big guys slowly faded away, I only watch if the guys I like are on (Chael Sonnen, Clay Guida and Roy Nelson)