Hunter Thompson Knew the UFC was going to be a success
By Jackson Pitts (Originally written during the summer of 2020)
Dr. Thompson, Gonzo, drinking his Chivas out of a mug, brings up an idea during an interview back in 1998 that eventually turned into the sport we know as MMA. The UFC formed in 1993 but it was still years away from being the refined product that we get to enjoy on ESPN. One of the most brutal (professional) fighting videos that has scarred my innocence is the first UFC ballot that took place in 1995. The first fight of the prelims Is a 300-pound Sumo Wrestler and a “kickboxer” that looked like he had been wandering the country on a freight train and decided “fuck it, I’ll fight a sumo wrestler for a couple hundred bucks”. It’s probably the most honest job the guy has had in months and he does it by using his bare feet to demolish all of the Sumo wrestlers’ teeth in the first 5 minutes; that’s a hell of a way to introduce a new sport.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvXTsfDUSwU
During the interview that Hunter Thompson was supposed to be promoting the Rum Diaries, the conversation goes into a tangent about Boxing. Thompson didn’t like it anymore because Mohammed Ali hadn’t fought for years. “There isn’t anybody that’s likeable anymore”; the reporter goes on to respond but he gets interrupted by an idea that sounds irrational, but he basically brings up why the UFC is so entertaining.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKJbua_ltOo
“You have all these thugs that are being thrown out of the NFL, people who slit their roommates’ throats in College and these guys still rush for over 1,000 yards. I think they’re going to be in some weird wrestling league.” Dr. T didn’t realize that he was alluding to how not just the UFC has evolved but also the WWE.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, a Greek god that decided that the human race is lucky enough to be able to be graced by his presence. He is a perfect example of how he notoriously created a path for athletes from other sports to pick up fighting or wrestling. Connor McGregor, Brock Lesner and Rhonda Rousey are just a few of fighters that developed their trade by taking advantage of the ability to fight in the UFC and wrestle. Brock Lesner Fought in the UFC, wrestled in the WWE, and was a former football player; How could you not like this guy?
Dana White and the UFC have been able to take advantage of the way the sport has evolved to really shake up the American sports landscape. Boxing had been dead for years and the UFC was able to give some juice back to fighting and sports gambling. With more states legalizing the ability to bet on sports it makes it that much easier for the UFC to climb to a place where Boxing once was for so long.
Gambling, partying, and exploiting the American Dream in any way is at an all-time high and there is only one place on earth that can perfectly support that lifestyle, and that place is Las Vegas. As soon as the Broncos play the Raiders at that brand-new stadium, I’m driving my ass 12 hours to enjoy the city the best way I know how. A case of beer, a suitcase full of drugs you’ve never even heard of, and my Laptop are the only things I’m gonna need. 2 new sports franchises in the last 5 years, the UFC and Sports Gambling more popular than ever, their needs to be a style of reporting that matches the ignorant experiences that everybody looks forward too. Thankfully there was a writer that cracked this door open and now I want to blow the fucking hinges off of it.
-JP
