UFC 300
Dana White’s Five Biggest UFC Events
We Caught Up With UFC CEO Dana White To Find Out Which Five Events Were The Most Important In UFC History
On April 13, 2024, the UFC will reach yet another major milestone: UFC 300.
UFC CEO Dana White and the UFC matchmakers truly outdid themselves with this one, locking in thirteen epic fights featuring twelve current or former champions. It’s big name after big name and it certainly has the potential to be one of the best cards in UFC history.
Milestone events such as UFC’s 30th anniversary card in November of 2023 and UFC 300 coming up in a little over a week is a reminder that the worldwide combat leader has no signs of slowing down.
UFC has been changing the game since 1993, and while there are exciting things on the horizon happening inside and outside the Octagon, we caught up with White to find out which five events he thinks were the biggest for UFC’s success.
The Ultimate Fighter Finale
April 9, 2005
Five years into their ownership, and after investing millions and millions into the brand that weren’t coming back, it was nearly time to call it a day for UFC owners Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta and Dana White.
A last-ditch effort to save the company was a reality show, The Ultimate Fighter. The first season captivated fans old and new by showing the personalities and stories of the athletes outside of the Octagon. It was a success. But whether it would save the UFC was another story, and that burden seemingly fell on those competing in the show’s season finale, aired live on Spike TV. That was 2005.
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Today, the UFC is an international juggernaut, and nearly everyone believes that a good deal of the credit for kicking off the MMA explosion goes to the men who fought for the Ultimate Fighter’s light heavyweight title at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas on April 8, 2005, Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar.
Their three-round bout was a back-and-forth action-packed, drama-filled war, one of those fights you can watch over and over and not grow tired of. It was worthy of the adjective “great.”
It was the night that changed everything for the UFC.
UFC 157: Rousey vs Carmouche
February 23, 2013
In November of 2012, UFC CEO Dana White announced that the headliner for UFC 157 was going to feature Ronda Rousey versus Liz Carmouche, the first women’s MMA fight in UFC history.
The UFC created a women’s bantamweight division and presented “Rowdy” with the title. Rousey was an Olympic bronze medalist in judo for the United States, 6-0, with all six of those wins coming by armbar submission. She was well-known and had all the star power you could ever want in an athlete before ever stepping foot in the Octagon.
Carmouche was 8-2 with key victories and plenty of experience. She was also a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and a certified badass. In other words, the first women’s UFC fight wasn’t designed to be a layup for Rousey; it was a truly a fight.
RELATED: Reflecting On Ronda Rousey And Liz Carmouche Making History
Creating well-matched fights was always the hold-up for White when considering adding women to the regular mix in the UFC. He wanted the talent gap to shrink and be able to put on fights that everyone wanted to see. The match between Rousey and Carmouche wasn’t a blowout, with Carmouche nearly submitting Rousey. But Rousey would be able to lock in her trademark armbar and get the win before the first five minutes was up.
It was a monumental moment for women’s MMA and for the UFC. Women’s MMA had shined in the brightest way and created a whole new wave of athletes and stories while inspiring future generations of fighters.
UFC 205: Alvarez vs McGregor
November 12, 2016
UFC 205: Alvarez vs McGregor was all about making history.
It was the first UFC event to ever happen in New York City. It was the first UFC event to ever take place at the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. It was the first event to feature three world title fights.
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UFC completely took over the combat sports world that week, with incredible press conferences and an iconic weigh-in. The only thing that was better than the lead up to UFC 205 was the fights itself. The card was stacked from top to bottom with big names, and headlined by the lightweight title fight between Eddie Alvarez and Conor McGregor.
“The Notorious” delivered a flawless performance en route to knocking out Alvarez and becoming the first fighter to simultaneously hold UFC titles in two divisions. The victory launched McGregor to a new level of superstardom, and he’s never returned to orbit since. It was a historic ending to what had already been a historic week for the UFC.
UFC 229: Khabib vs McGregor
October 6, 2018
The heat had been building up for a fight between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov for years. After some incidents between the two camps, and some impressive wins by Nurmagomedov, a fight between the two was inevitable.
View The Full UFC 300 Fight Card
Everything about the lead-up to this fight was must-see TV. From the press conference to the weigh-ins to the entrances by Nurmagomedov and McGregor, it was truly the most anticipated fight in UFC history, and when it mattered most, “The Eagle” soared. Nurmagomedov submitted McGregor in the fourth round of their bout, defending his lightweight title and sending the MMA world into a frenzy. Despite the controversial post-fight actions of many, UFC 229 was an incredible event that captivated audiences as they watched two of the biggest stars to ever step in the Octagon compete.
The marketing slogan for UFC 229 was “The World Is Watching”, and it couldn’t have been more perfect, as it’s still the biggest fight in UFC history to this day.
UFC 261: Usman vs Masvidal 2
April 24, 2021
One of the things that makes MMA such a special sport is the energy within the arena. Fans create the atmosphere that something special can happen every moment as they hang onto the edge of their seat with every punch and kick. It’s the fans that charge up the fighters and give them an unshakable feeling that they are going to deliver the fight of their life.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced UFC to carry on its fights either without fans or with limited fans in the stands. There were some incredible fights that fans didn’t get to be a part of, and fights that would have been electric if their energy could have been felt by the fighters.
So, when UFC was able to sell out an arena for UFC 261: Usman vs Masvidal 2 in Jacksonville, Florida, there was no way that event was going to fall flat. On April 24, 2021, UFC became the first professional sport league to fully allow fans to return to their rightful place.
The fans returned, and the fighters delivered one of the best cards we’ve ever seen.
Nine finishes, three title fights, and two memorable championship knockouts, the first of which came from Rose Namajunas who head kicked Zhang Weili early in the first round to recapture the strawweight title. The second knockout came via the fist of Kamaru Usman, as he knocked out Jorge Masvidal in stunning fashion to defend the welterweight title.
UFC 300: Pereira vs Hill took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 13, 2024. See the final Prelim and Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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