June 12, 2026, 5:09 a.m. ET It was 2001, and mixed martial arts fighting was on the ropes. Banned in 36 states, booted from cable operators, derided as "human cockfighting" – it was such an outcast sport that it traded hands for $2 million. A song. And the new owners of Ultimate Fighting Championship faced a big challenge. Nobody wanted to host the fights. “When UFC started, people were like, 'Oh my God, this is disgusting and horrible.