"Didn't even make it out the building" - Dana White recounts Spike TV executives' immediate reaction following TUF 1 finale
Dana White recently opened up about the success of the UFC and recounted the significant impact that Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar had on the promotion.
The fan favorites competed at 'The Ultimate Fighter' season one finale in 2005, which ended up being a turning point for the promotion. They competed to determine who would win the light heavyweight bracket and earn a contract, but the UFC brass would find out that it wasn't the only contract being handed out that night.
Griffin and Bonnar fought in what turned out to be an instant classic. It resulted in 'The American Psycho' earning a contract despite losing the decision to the eventual light heavyweight champion. During his appearance on Lex Fridman Podcast, White recounted the Spike TV executives' reaction to the bout and mentioned that they immediately pursued a new deal that same night as a result:
"We didn't even know if we were gonna get a second season [of TUF] coming out of that [finale]. And when that fight was over, I swear to God, I was like, 'I don't even give a f*ck, we're gonna end up somewhere now after this fight.' And we didn't even make it out the building that night. The Spike [TV] guys did the contract with us in the alley on a fu**ing napkin after the fight." [1:07:37 - 1:08:00]
'The Ultimate Fighter' was clearly a gamble that paid off for Dana White as Griffin vs. Bonnar sparked interest in the promotion and increased the demand for more events from their broadcast partners at Spike TV.
Check out the full interview:
Dana White discusses how Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar dealt with fame
Not only was 'The Ultimate Fighter' season one finale a turning point for the UFC, but it was also a turning point in Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar's respective lives. They became household names after their legendary bout.
During the aforementioned appearance, UFC CEO Dana White opened up about the difficulty athletes have dealing with fame at a young age. He used Griffin and Bonnar as examples of whether they would be able to handle it:
"Some people handle it [fame] really well and some people don't. And the perfect example of that was Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar. You know, they fought that unbelievable fight on 'The Ultimate Fighter'. Everything blew up after that. Forrest dealt with fame really well and Stephan did not." [1:05:21 - 1:05:41]
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