Part of what made the UFC successful when it first launched in 1993 was the one-night tournament format.
But that doesn’t mean UFC president Dana White has ever seriously thought about bringing that concept back, even for one event.
“My philosophy on that was, this many people want to see a crazy freak show, that many people want to see a real sport,” White said at a question-and-answer session prior to the Fight for the Troops 2 weigh-ins last week. “We believe that’s why the thing has grown as fast as it has and become as big as it has, because people want to see a real sport. So, no.
“Plus, we couldn’t do that anymore; you could never do a one-night tournament. And to be honest with you, the one-night tournament thing never worked; it didn’t make sense.”