It’s almost here inside the United States. In the coming days, people all over America will be leaving their cities of residence to go to their hometowns to break bread around the dinner table, bake pumpkin pies, and gain (at least) a few pounds.
Thanksgiving is observed this coming Thursday, so while footballs fly in stadiums around the nation and turkeys meet their final fate on a dinner plate with a side of stuffing and/or mashed potatoes, the MMA world (largely) goes on hiatus this last weekend of November. Aside from the PFL World Championships and Lux Fight League on Black Friday, no punches will be thrown in a cage this weekend.
However, once you’ve had your turkey with all the trimmings and you don’t want to watch any more football games (unless your favorite team is playing at some point this weekend), you’re going to be looking for ways to fill out some more of your free time before returning to the 9:00 to 5:00 grind once your vacation ends.
Take A Trip Down Memory Lane With Fight Pass for the Holiday
Suddenly, it hits you that you have a subscription to UFC Fight Pass, the UFC’s subscription-based streaming platform. Aside from accessing the live broadcast of Lux 048 on Friday night and several other MMA promotions throughout the extended holiday weekend, Fight Pass’ video library features archived versions of every past UFC event.
New entries to the video library are added shortly after a live broadcast ends in the case of a regional promotion or UFC prelims ahead of a pay-per-view show. UFC main cards are added to the Fight Pass video library within 30 days of the card occurring live.
While the UFC hasn’t had any events take place over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend since Nov. 28, 2020 with UFC Vegas 15, you can still stuff yourself with fights from the archives this week. Grab a drumstick, log onto Fight Pass and start watching some of these shows.
UFC 1: In the Beginning (Original Broadcast: Nov. 13, 1993)
There’s a lyric from The Sound of Music that leads us perfectly into the first entry here: “Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.” 31 years ago, what eventually became a worldwide phenomenon had its humble beginnings with what was thought to be a one-shot deal.
McNichols Sports Arena in Denver served as the setting for the initial UFC event in November of 1993. Retroactively retitled UFC 1: In the Beginning, this card featured a tournament devoid of specified weight classes, maximum number of rounds, judges, and a complete ruleset. Eye pokes, bites, and groin attacks were the only prohibited attacks during contests.
By night’s end, Royce Gracie bested Gerard Gordeau by way of rear-naked choke in the tournament final. While UFC 1 only did 86,000 buys on pay-per-view, it set the wheels in motion for subsequent tournaments, safety regulations, wider pay-per-view coverage on cable systems, and eventually the UFC we know today.
UFC 205: Alvarez vs. McGregor (Original Broadcast: Nov. 12, 2016)
2016 was a momentous year for the sport of MMA. In March, New York State ended a lengthy ban on mixed martial arts in a 113-25 vote. With New York legalizing MMA, every state in America could now sanction fights.
Thank You NY State Legislature for making MMA in New York a reality! #MMA4NY pic.twitter.com/5fBCsu1nLZ
— UFC (@ufc) March 22, 2016
Back in 1997, the UFC had intended to hold UFC 12 in Niagara Falls before being moved the day before the event to Dothan, AL. In the weeks that followed, then-New York Governor Ed Pataki signed a bill into law prohibiting MMA promotions from being sanctioned in the state, before championing the reversal effort in 2010.
With the ban lifted, UFC CEO Dana White had his sights set on Madison Square Garden for the first MMA show in New York State since September of 1995, UFC 205. It was a cracking affair eight years ago, with Conor McGregor besting Eddie Alvarez by second-round knockout for the UFC Lightweight Championship in the main event, along with Joanna Jędrzejczyk retaining the UFC Strawweight Championship versus Karolina Kowalkiewicz.
Except for 2020 due to the pandemic, Madison Square Garden has been an annual stop for the UFC ever since.
UFC 300: Pereira vs. Hill (Original Broadcast: April 13, 2024)
Every so often, the UFC will hold a landmark show. Just as UFC 205 was a noteworthy card due to being the first MMA event to be held in New York post-ban, other milestone shows are considered to be benchmarks for the promotion. Case in point: In April of 2024, the UFC set up shop inside T-Mobile Arena for UFC 300.
That evening, two division championships were handed out, as well as a BMF title for a title fight trifecta. In the night’s main event, current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Alex Pereira defended the strap with a first-round knockout of Jamahal Hill, while the co-main event saw Zhang Weili retain the strawweight championship (unanimous decision) over Yan Xiaonan.
In the BMF contest, Max Holloway knocked out Justin Gaethje with one second remaining on the fifth-round clock to take the symbolic championship. Aside from the three title fights that topped the show, UFC 300 was notable for Kayla Harrison making her promotional debut on the late prelims, submitting Holly Holm via rear-naked choke during the second round.
Final Thoughts
If you needed space to fill on your Thanksgiving weekend schedule that wasn’t already marked down with “Eat turkey”, consider your plans made with some classic fights. Enjoy.
