Sumo wrestler Teila Tuli took on martial artist Gerard Gordeau in the first-ever UFC bout on Nov. 12, 1993. (Getty Images)
UFC’s climb, 23 years to the day, from ‘freak show’ to one of sport’s most sacred stages
Through extensive interviews with UFC head honcho Dana White and others, I explore in this piece how the UFC went from scrappy sports startup to a behemoth $4 billion enterprise in the span of roughly two decades.