Something is happening. Ultimate Fighting is that something.

Spike TV's Ultimate Fighter reality show regularly outdraws college football, the NBA playoffs, boxing, and other television sporting events. Among coveted 18-34 male viewers, the first two season's finales actually outdrew the viewership of the broadcast networks. The show, which airs Thursday nights, is Spike TV's highest rated program. Marc Ratner, the ubiquitous ringside presence in Vegas, will now be the ubiquitous octagon presence for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Ratner, perhaps knowing when one ship is sinking and another is launching, resigned from the Nevada State Athletic Commission to take a position with the UFC. Last weekend, HBO-televised boxing at the Staples Center in Los Angeles drew just 10,000 fans to the 20,000-capacity arena. Tickets to this Saturday's UFC card at the Staples Center, headlined by Royce Gracie and Matt Hughes, are close to being sold out.

This weekend is the Ultimate Fighting Championship's coming out party.

I first heard the name Royce Gracie (some reader please tell me why "Royce" is pronounced "Hoyce") a decade or so ago when I was in the Marines. A fellow Marine ordered UFC pay-per-views, and told tales of a 175-pound man defeating 250-pound men. How? Something called Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a fighting style that Gracie's father invented. In fact, the Gracies also invented the UFC. They hoped to prove the superiority of their fighting style by inviting boxers, wrestlers, karate experts, and others to go at it in a no-rules tournament. The no-rules part left promoters squeamish, and surprisingly, fans bored. So the sport reestablished itself by adding weight divisions, referee stoppages, rounds, a number of proscribed strikes, and other niceties. As the sport went mainstream, Royce Gracie went underground. He was a man much discussed but seldom seen.

Now, at 39 years old, Gracie is back. He takes on Matt Hughes, a freakishly strong 170-pound farm-boy, this weekend at UFC 60. Gracie brings an undefeated UFC record to the octagon. Most fans don't believe that he'll leave the octagon with that unbeaten record intact. Gracie hasn't fought in the UFC since 1995, and some believe that the sport has passed him by. When Gracie ruled the UFC, fighters traditionally pursued one style. Now, UFC fighters are hybrids of multiple fighting styles. For example, Matt Hughes, Gracie's Saturday-night opponent, is a wrestler who incorporates boxing and submission techniques. Brazilian jiu-jitsu, too, is no longer the Gracie family secret. The secret is out. Mixed-martial-arts fighters know how to use it, and, of greater importance, know how to defend against it.

The UFC was started to settle such age-old controversies as boxer v. wrestler, judo expert v. karate expert, street-brawler v. shoot fighter. Saturday night's fight settles a different controversy: past v. present. In other sports, this is the stuff of bar-stool debates. Shaq can't post up on Bill Russell, Barry Bonds can't compete in a home-run derby with Babe Ruth, and Mike Tyson can't go toe-to-toe with Jack Johnson. Sports legends are usually dead or old. But the UFC is young, and so are its legends.

This is a lot of fun to watch and the actual fighting is no holds barred violent entertainment. Only problem is that is usually ends up being a pin down wrestling match which is boring. If they got them off the mat when this happened and they were forced to battle it out while vertical, it would be much more interesting.

"Spike TV's Ultimate Fighter reality show regularly outdraws college football, the NBA playoffs, boxing, and other television sporting events."

Is that true of this year's NBA playoffs? TNT and ESPN have reported nearly double the ratings they had a season ago. With the several game 7's, overtimes (3 of the 4 conference semifinal series went to game 7), and games decided in the final minute of play, many are saying that this year's playoffs represent an NBA renaissance.

Here's a link showing The Ultimate Fighter outdrawing--among 18-34 year old males--the combined rating of an NBA playoff game, an NHL playoff game, and a nationally-televised MLB game (Red Sox-Indians):
http://www.mmaringreport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=819&Itemid=77

Watching real people fight is very refreshing after being spoon fed hollywood choreographed fights where the tiny heroine cleans the clock of guys twice her size and three times her weight.

Ah. It was up against the Heat/Bulls and Clippers/Nuggets. That explains it.

I watched the early UFC's quite frequently while in college. The "H" pronunciation of the "R" consonant was seen in al Brazillian fighters. I believe it's because Brazillians speak Portugese, which pronounces R's like H's.

There already is a sport where they're forced to battle it out verticle - the best known version is called "K-1". I much prefer UFC/PRIDE though, as the ground game opens up many more possibilities.