I’m the first to admit that cage fighting isn’t for everyone. Some may love it, some may loathe it but pretty much everyone at this point is aware of its existence. Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organizations like the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) have taken over the lead in violent mainstream entertainment from sports like Boxing and Wrestling. From reality television success to awesome monthly fighting cards, the UFC is as real as it gets, and the world has taken notice.

Boxing dominated this category of sports for a century. Big fights were huge events. Celebrities attended matches ringside. The boxers were global icons. Charismatic champions like Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali, George Foreman and Mike Tyson were once revered.

Today’s boxing is terrible. It is a shell of its former self. You can’t even trust the judging, it’s as corrupt as any sport. I bet you nobody reading this right now can name the different heavyweight champions-or even one. The biggest draws are middleweights who won’t even fight each other because they are each afraid to lose. Imagine that in the old days of Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvelous Marvin Hagler?

Wrestling is fake. We all know this. However, wrestling over the last 25 years has become enormous because of the success of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Again, charismatic champions and notorious characters like Hulk Hogan, Macho Man, The Rock and Triple H had made wrestling fun to watch. It was a male soap opera. Today’s generation of wrestler isn’t that interesting or maybe I’m just getting older, I’m not sure. But what I do know is that UFC is the real deal and it is here to stay.

To be at a live UFC event in Las Vegas or anywhere around the world is a true experience. Take away the juiced up, Affliction and Ed Hardy wearing, meathead fans, which I can do without and what you get is an arena with unexplainable energy. A big fight night in Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Arena or MGM Grand Garden is as exciting as any event in sports. It has to be experienced to be understood.

I’m the first to admit it took me a while to come around on the UFC. However, I am now addicted. I watch almost every event they have on TV. I’m fortunate to have attended about 15 different live events, mainly in Las Vegas, but in New Jersey too.

So when I was offered the opportunity to tour the UFC training facility in Las Vegas and meet Amir Sadollah, season seven champion of the UFC reality show, “Ultimate Fighter”-I was pumped. The training center also happens to be where they actually film the show so it was set up like a live fight octagon.

Amir was a really nice guy and took a lot of time to meet with and show my group some moves and answer questions. The highlight was surely getting in the octagon to spar a bit with him. He showed us some moves like an arm bar and a teep and let us take him down.

Obviously he could’ve destroyed all of us at any time but he was gracious and very cool about the whole thing. It was one of the true highlights of all my Vegas experiences over the years.

After just attending another amazing UFC event in Las Vegas this past Saturday night, I am pumped to write this even more. I can’t wait to get a chance to see Amir fight again and am really looking forward to some upcoming fights including what may be the biggest in UFC history, Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen. Any way you slice the UFC has a fan for life in me.

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