UFC Packs a Promotional Punch to the Treasure Valley
One of the world's hottest sports will debut in Boise this weekend. The fact that we have Dos Santos in the ring is huge, but the fighters are secondary to what the event means to our community.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship had come along way from the days when the federal government called it 'human cockfighting' during congressional hearings to determine whether the sport was too violent.
Today the UFC commands the level of interest that more established professional sports leagues like the NFL, NBA, and MLB. Last week, the UFC held two shows that were sold out in Las Vegas to record crowds.
The UFC will promote their first show at CenturyLink Arena in Boise Saturday night. This is one of the smaller cities that has held UFC events. The Treasure Valley has had an active mixed martial arts community for years. Bellator, a rival to the UFC, held a show in Boise televised on the Paramount (former Spike) Network.
The UFC promotes shows in waves. This is week's show will take advantage of the promotional momentum of last week's event. The show will be broadcast on the FSI, the sports cable channel of FOX.
Look for more folks to consider moving to Idaho after they view the mountains, rivers, and trails that are usually featured on national broadcasts. The area couldn't afford the type of exposure that this show will provide to us.