UFC 8

1. 본문

UFC 8: David vs. Goliath was a mixed martial arts (MMA) pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on February 16, 1996, at the Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. It was the only UFC event held in Puerto Rico.
Format:

• The event featured an eight-man tournament with no weight classes or weight limits.
• There was also a UFC Superfight Championship fight between reigning champion Ken Shamrock and Kimo Leopoldo.
• One alternate fight was not shown on the live broadcast.
• Tournament matches had a 10-minute time limit, except for the Superfight and final, which had a 15-minute limit.

The "David vs. Goliath" Theme:The event's matchups were intentionally designed to pit larger fighters against smaller fighters, hence the "David vs. Goliath" theme.
Key Fighters and Matches:

• Don "The Predator" Frye: Made his UFC debut at this event, winning the tournament by defeating Gary Goodridge. Frye's aggressive and effective fighting style made him an instant standout.
• Gary "Big Daddy" Goodridge: Goodridge reached the tournament final, losing to Frye. A memorable moment of his was the brutal knockout of Paul Herrera with a series of elbows from the crucifix position.
• Ken Shamrock vs. Kimo Leopoldo: This was the Superfight Championship match. Shamrock won by submission via kneebar.
• Thomas Ramirez: Weighing in at 410 pounds with "questionable stamina", he was knocked out by Don Frye in just 8 seconds.
• Paul Varelans: "The Polar Bear" returned to the UFC, winning his fight against a much smaller and less prepared opponent.

Controversy and Opposition:UFC 8 was met with significant opposition.

• Politician Calvin McCard protested the event on-site.
• The event faced criticism which sparked the nationwide movement in 1996 led by Senator John McCain, which would later temporarily push the sport in the United States underground in 1997.
• Just before the event, the Puerto Rican government attempted to ban it.
• Cablevision became the first major cable carrier to ban the show, foreshadowing future broadcast challenges for the UFC.