5 most important Zuffa era UFC events

#2. UFC 100

UFC 100 is still regarded as one of the biggest events in the promotion’s history. The card was stacked from the prelims to the main card. It was headlined by heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir and welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre vs. Thiago Alves. It was also headlined by the TUF: Team USA vs. Team UK coach’s bout between coaches Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping.

With the event being so star studded, there was plenty of coverage and mainstream attention. Lesnar, coming from the pro wrestling industry, took full advantage of the added attention surrounding the event. ‘The Beast Incarnate’ riled up the crowd and turned his post-fight interview into a full-fledged heel promo.

It was a successful event for the promotion. Its 1.6 million pay-per-view buys set a record for the highest selling pay-per-view in the promotion’s history. That record would stand until 2016, when UFC 202 surpassed it with 1.65 million pay-per-view buys.

---

#1. The Ultimate Fighter season 1 Finale (UFC on Spike TV era)

The Ultimate Fighter season 1 finale was arguably the most important event in the Zuffa era. There was a lot riding on the success of the first season of TUF. The UFC took a huge risk with the reality show and it paid off in a big way.

The event is remembered for the light heavyweight final between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar. It was an exciting back-and-forth fight that saw Griffin get the unanimous decision win. The event also saw Diego Sanchez defeat Kenny Florian by first-round TKO in the middleweight final. With the win, Sanchez became the first-ever fighter to be crowned TUF champion.

The main event was also significant as Rich Franklin defeated Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock by TKO. The finale led to Spike TV ordering a second season and investing more as the promotion’s broadcast partner. The promotion would become a fixture on Spike TV and synonymous with the network.