UFC Founder Art Davie Addresses FIXED MMA Fights – Breaking UFC NEWS

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Exclusive Interview by Nathan “Diesel” Hendrickson

“Potentially, the Reebok deal could broaden the sport.”–Art Davie

In 1993 Art Davie along with Rorion Gracie founded the UFC, putting on the very first UFC event in Denver, Colorado in November of 1993 in a televised PPV event. Controversy ensued both before and after the show. While MMA events are “old hat” to RSR readers, one must remember that back then it was literally the Wild West for MMA. In fact, the term MMA had not even been invented yet. A few years later Art sold the UFC to the current owners, the Fertitta brothers at Zuffa.

Art wrote a book about his experiences called, “Is This Legal?” co-written with longtime former Bellator commentator and MMA expert Sean Wheelock available on Amazon.com.

NH: Looking back over 20 years, who are some of the fighters that to you define what the UFC is all about?

Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, Don Frye, Randy Couture, Frank Shamrock, for me… these athletes define the early years of the UFC. As HOF legends, they still define MMA.

NH: Did you ever get any pressure to “fix” or “work” the fights?

No… No one ever approached me to fix a fight. However, John McCarthy, I believe, in his book, Let’s Get It On, talks about a UFC fight that might have been “fixed”: the Oleg Takarov-Anthony Macias bout at UFC 6. Both fighters were managed by the same individual, attorney Robert DePersia. Taktarov won by guillotine choke at 0:12; however, Macias ran into the guillotine and seemed to tap out before he hit the canvas.

NH: What do you think about the new UFC Reebok deal?

Potentially, the Reebok deal could broaden the sport. I pursued a relationship with Under Armour when I was promoting XARM. Putting the fighters in uniforms had some merit. I personally think it may be major positive shift, the chance to give the sport a cleaner, more professional look, and move closer to “mainstream” status.

NH: If you were in charge of the UFC again, what, if anything, would you change?

A stronger linear connection with amateur MMA. As the brand leader, they are in a great position to strengthen the sport by leading the charge to improve the amateur base. Unlike the Big 4 sports, MMA isn’t taught in schools; so the industry leader could have a big, positive influence on amateur MMA.

NH: Did you ever have any regrets about some of the rules that you and John McCarthy personally made?

No regrets. I wrote the first rule book and four later versions. John McCarthy and Bruce Blatnick were very much part of that process and both were instrumental in helping the rules evolve.

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