3. Lighting the Fire
Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar
“The Ultimate Fighter 1” Finale
April 9, 2005 -- Cox Pavilion, Las Vegas
In the giddy aftermath, smiles and handshakes were plentiful, and it looked like this “Ultimate Fighting” thing just might be able to stick around after all. Both Griffin and Bonnar left everything in the Octagon that night, and “The American Psycho” collapsed to the canvas in disappointment when the decision was announced in favor of Griffin.
“Oh. My. God. That is what it’s all about right there,” said a slimmed-down version of UFC President Dana White, as he handed Griffin the trophy for winning the inaugural season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
As it turned out, Bonnar’s efforts would not go unrewarded, either.
“Frank [Fertitta], Lorenzo [Fertitta] and I have gotten together and decided there is no loser,” White said, “and we’re gonna offer Stephan Bonnar a six-figure contract with the UFC.”
The feel-good announcement drew a deafening cheer from those in attendance and prompted a warm embrace between the two combatants.
“Let me thank Stephan. That was a great fight. There was a couple times it was just, like, ‘Man, I wish he would land one of those so it could be over.’ I was so tired,” Griffin said. “It was a great fight. I love to fight like that.”
If it felt like the start of something big for the UFC, it is because it was.
Continue Reading » Throwing Down the Gauntlet