The heart starts pounding and the adrenalin kicks into gear the moment you walk into the Arena……

The first thing you notice is this huge fenced ring that stands 10 foot tall called the Octagon. Is the fence there to keep us out or them in? It stands there in the middle of the arena like a sacred site that only the chosen can enter. The main lights start to dim while the spot lights flicker and flash every colour of the spectrum.

Then the music blasts out louder than any rock concert you ever seen and the beat fills your body while the large screens that rise high above the crowd display the two combatants who are due to enter the Octagon. As the crowd anticipate their arrival they slowly rise to their feet and cheer for their favourite fighter with such enthusiasm and energy that you expect the roof to take off like a rocket….

Welcome to The ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!!!

The UFC is one of the fastest growing sports entertainment businesses in the world, and it’s not hard to see why. As a total entertainment package it’s pretty hard to find another sport where you get as much bang for your buck. It has it all. Music to rival any concert, more lights than the Harbour Bridge, Octagon Girls that rival any Victoria’s secret model and we haven’t even mentioned the fighters yet!

Is there another sport out there that lets the paying public get so close to its stars? I highly doubt it. This Sydney installment had several different public meet and greets and signing sessions during the week leading up to Saturdays main event. Infact you just needed to look around the stadium and see the star fighters who weren’t competing at the event who were all willing to pose for photos and talk to the fans. After all it’s because of the fans that UFC is so popular. Former Heavyweight Champ Cain Valesquez was amazing with his time. So to were Jake Shields, fresh off his recent win in Japan and George Sotiropoulos. Then there was the man who put UFC on the map, Royce Gracie. The winner of UFC1, UFC2 and UFC4. He shook more hands and had more photos taken than a politician on the campaign trail. Never once did any of these guys lose the smile.

UFC Sydney was the biggest gate in the history of Fight Night with $2.3M in ticket sales and 14,537 fans. Not bad for a sport that was having only its third visit to our city. Dana White himself said that ‘Australia is a very important market for us’, and ‘I love coming to NSW the fans are awesome’. Add to this that there are indications of a UFC visit to Queensland later in the year and of course a return to Sydney next year. UFC is looking up for Australia in the near future.

Since its foundation in November 1993 the UFC has gone from strength to strength mainly due to the envolvement of Dana White the President of the UFC. He has turned it into the sport it has become today and it is now watched in 150 countries in 22 different languages. The UFC facebook site has 7.8 million ‘likes’ and Dana White has 1.9 million followers on Twitter. Even the fighters are using Twitter with the likes of Welterweight Champion Georges St Pierre having 400,000 followers and Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones with 300,000. This new medium keeps fans up to date with all the latest information. It has also gained in popularity due to reality TV with the ‘Ultimate Fighter’ show which has fighters living together and training and competing with one another to try and win a lucrative UFC contract.

Everything you see at UFC is real. The fighters are like modern day Gladiators who step into the Octagon and give it their all. Nothing is left behind when they exit again. They have speed, power, strength, lightning reflexes, athleticism, agility and plenty of courage. Nothing is staged or scripted like the WWE. Just another reason why the fans love it so much. These guys have great technique and conditioning. They need to be able to attack and defend while standing as well as on the ground. And knowing only one or two styles won’t cut it. You need to be well versed in several styles like Ju-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Wrestling, Boxing and Submission Grappling to name a few. They are supreme athletes who are in top physical condition.

When the UFC juggernaut rolls back into Sydney do yourself a favour and buy a ticket. For 6 hours you will be standing and cheering like you just won the lottery, sitting in stunned amazement at most of the moves and submissions and watching one of sports greatest entertainment packages ever seen on our shores.

As the ring announcer always says “IT’S TIME”!!!