Is this legal? : the inside story of the first UFC from the man who created it

Cover; Title; Copyright; Table of Contents; Dedication; Foreword; Preface; Prologue; Chapter 1: The Very Beginning; Chapter 2: The World's Best Fighter; Chapter 3: The Boys from Brazil; Chapter 4: The Gracie Challenge; Chapter 5: W.O.W. Promotions; Chapter 6: The Road to Mandalay; Chapter 7: The New York Bankees; Chapter 8: Sharks and Goldfish; Chapter 9: Is This Legal?; Chapter 10: There are no Rules; Chapter 11: The First UFC; Chapter 12: Monsters Ball; Afterword; Epilogue; The Stats; Index; Acknowledgements; Author Bios.;On November 12, 1993, in Denver, Colorado, the Ultimate Fighting Championship was unleashed on an unsuspecting public, with an explosion-an explosion of blood-as 6-foot-5 Dutch savate champion Gerard Gordeau kicked 420 lb-sumo wrestler Teila Tuli flush in the face less than one minute into the night's opening fight. The creation of ad man and serial entrepreneur Art Davie, the UFC arrived with virtually no warning or fanfare. Yet it was watched live in nearly 90,000 U.S. households through Pay-Per-View television, and instantly redefined action sports for a new generation. The brutal kick delivered by Gordeau not only sent Tuli's tooth flying into the crowd, it knocked the martial arts and combat sports worlds on their asses. With the very first UFC, the new sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) was launched-although it wasn't even called that yet-and fighting would never again be the same. Now, for the first time, the true story of how the Ultimate Fighting Championship came into existence is told by the man who started it all. In this vivid and fast-moving, first-person account, Davie explains how his idea to crown the World's Best Fighter painstakingly evolved into the UFC, which now stands as a billion-dollar sports franchise. Art Davie is the Dr. James Naismith and Abner Doubleday of MMA (with a touch of PT Barnum), yet his name is largely unknown. That is, until now. Davie's tale is one of perseverance and against-all-odds determination, as he worked tirelessly for four years to see his dream come to brutal fruition, while meeting resistance at every single turn. It's also a mash-up of martial arts, celebrity, sports, and business, involving a highly improbable cast of characters that includes Academy Award nominee John Milius, NFL Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown, action film star Chuck Norris, Brazilian jiu-jitsu godfather Rorion Gracie and Pay-Per-View TV pioneer Bob Meyrowitz. This no-holds-barred account of how Davie started the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and launched mixed martial arts, is one for not just fight fans, but for fans of mavericks in business and life who stop at nothing to fulfill their dreams. Whether you're a hardcore supporter of MMA, or have never watched a single bout, you'll be enthralled by Davie's story of triumph, tempered by constantly lurking disaster. Art Davie created the sport of the 21st century, which arrived a decade early. He started a revolution, and his revolution was televised. On November 12, 1993, an entirely new sport was unleashed on an unsuspecting viewing public--one that was unlike any other, and one that would come to redefine combat and action sports for a new generation. The sport was mixed martial arts (MMA)--although it hadn't been named that yet--and the event was the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The creation of ad man and serial entrepreneur Art Davie, the UFC entered nearly 90,000 households through pay per view television with an explosion...an explosion of blood--as Dutch karate champion Gerard Gordeau kicked fallen Sumo wrestler Teila Tuli right in the face during the first minute of the opening fight. This shocking scene was only a prelude of what was to come that autumn night in Denver, and worldwide over the next 20 years. Now, for the first time, the true story of how the UFC and the sport of MMA came into existence will be told by the man who started it all. Art Davie is the Dr. James Naismith and Abner Doubleday (with a touch of PT Barnum) of MMA, yet his name is largely unknown. That is, until now. In this vivid and fast-moving, first-person account, Davie tells the story of his creation, which has flourished into the billion-dollar behemoth Ultimate Fighting Championship. Davie's is a tale of perseverance and against-all-odds determination, as he worked tirelessly for four years to see his idea come to brutal fruition, meeting resistance at every single turn. It's also a mash-up of martial arts, celebrity and business culture, involving a highly improbable cast of characters, ranging from Academy Award nominee John Milius, NFL Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown, action star Chuck Norris, Brazilian Jiu-Jitusu godfather Rorion Gracie and pay per view pioneer Bob Meyrowitz. Davie's story of how he created the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and thus invented the new sport mixed martial arts, is one for not just fight fans, but for fans of mavericks in business and life, who stop at nothing to fulfill their dreams. Whether you're a hardcore supporter of MMA, or have never watched a bout in your life, you'll be enthralled by Davie's story of ultimate triumph tempered by constant near-disaster. Davie created the sport of the 21st Century, which arrived two decades early and with virtually no fanfare or warning. He started a revolution, and his revolution was televised.