UFC back in Denver for 25th

UFC will officially celebrate its 25th anniversary where it all began: Denver.

The year was 1993. On Nov. 12, UFC 1, a then oneofakind event, was held in front of 7,800 people at Denver’s Mcnichols Sports Arena. The eightman tournament featuring future Hall of Famers Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock had no weight classes, different fighting backgrounds and two rules: no eyegouging and no biting. The first bout pit a sumo wrestler against a savate expert.

The rest is history.

Now, 25 years later, UFC is a global sports phenomenon and a payperview money machine that has produced more than 400 events in 21 countries. In that time it has produced hundreds of stars including Anderson Silva, Georges Stpierre, Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Daniel Cormier, Miocic Stipe, Brock Lesnar, Holly Holm, Ronda Rousey and Colorado’s own Rose Namajunas, the women’s strawweight champion.

And it has just announced it will be coming back to Denver on Nov. 10 to celebrate.

“Denver was home to UFC 1, so it’s only fitting that we come back for our 25th anniversary event,” UFC president Dana White said via email.

The official UFC Fight Night anniversary show will be held at the Pepsi Center and be broadcast live on FS1. Bouts have not been decided yet, but according to the release, “fans can expect a fight week unlike any other with special events, UFC legends and much more.”

Additional details, including onsale dates, will be announced in the coming weeks.