5 things you didn't know about UFC
UFC might be young when compared to the other major sporting promotions, but it has a rich and interesting history. Ever since its inception, UFC has been on a roller coaster ride. It saw some major lows and at the same time, it scaled some big heights.
And this roller coaster ride is what shaped the UFC into what we see today. Currently, it is the biggest MMA promotion out there with a value of more than $4 Billion and boasts the biggest MMA stars on the planet.
Despite the global popularity, there are some interesting and weird facts about the UFC that most of the fans don’t know. In this list, we will be looking at five such facts. So here are five things about the UFC that you probably did not know.
#5 The Chuck Norris connection
The Octagon is a term that is now synonymous with the UFC. For the uninitiated, it is what the UFC’s cage is called. The name is trademarked by the promotion and it was video and film art director Jason Cusson that came up with the concept back in 1993.
Jason was brought on board by the UFC to design a suitable fighting surface for the sport. Interestingly, Jason had no background of Martial Arts. However, he came up with the iconic design which is still being used.
In an interview with ESPN, Jason revealed that it was a 1980s movie starring Chuck Norris that inspired him. The movie, which was named ‘The Octagon’, featured Chuck Norris as a retired Karate Champion who trains as a Ninja to take down terrorists.
Though there is no octagon shaped fighting surfaces in the film, it does have an octagon shaped building with a sand covered area where fights take place. Nevertheless, if it wasn’t for Chuck Norris and Jason Cusson, we wouldn’t have the Octagon now.