Viewers of the UFC 130 main card saw Marcus Luttrell standing and applauding for former U.S. Marine Captain Brian Stann, following Stann’s second-round TKO win over Jorge Santiago.
Luttrell is a retired Navy SEAL and founder of the Lone Survivor Foundation, which was established to welcome home, empower and restore American wounded warriors and their families.
Luttrell is the author of the New York Times bestseller Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10. Luttrell, as the title of the book implies, was the only Navy SEAL to make it home from that mission.
In support of the Lone Survivor Foundation, the UFC has teamed up with The Boot Campaign, encouraging fans to purchase The Boot Campaign’s signature “give back” combat boots as well as offering fans a chance to bid on UFC memorabilia, with proceeds going toward the building of the Lone Survivor Foundation’s Veteran Ranch in Texas.
According to the UFC: “Luttrell envisioned the facility as a unique place of healing for soldiers recovering from physical wounds and emotional trauma suffered during combat. The ranch, while still a medical facility, would offer a non-clinical environment designed to offer soldiers and their families an integrated, holistic approach to recovery. Located on over 1,000 acres, the ranch will house up to 15 families a week. The foundation intends to build three other facilities throughout the U.S. in the future.”
UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta praised Luttrell and his efforts, saying, “Marcus Luttrell is an inspirational hero, and we are more than willing to assist him as he creates facilities that will aid in the recovery of our returning servicemen and women.”
The UFC auction ends on May 31.
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