There was a lot of intrigue when the UFC first set up shop in Los Angeles.
After California passed MMA legislation, the UFC came to Anaheim in April 2006 for its first event in the state, UFC 59. And just six weeks later, the promotion was back – but in Los Angeles proper for the UFC 60 at Staples Center.
Not only was the event historic as it was the UFC’s first show in Los Angeles, but it also featured the legendary O.G. Royce Graciewinner of the UFC 1 absolute weight tournament in 1993, in addition to the UFC 2 and UFC 4 tournaments. The Brazilian, undoubtedly the most famous member of the Gracie family that founded MMA, faced Matt Hughes – the then UFC welterweight champion, who was at his peak.
Because the event was so monumental, and on a long holiday weekend in “Tinseltown,” celebrities came out in a way they perhaps never had before for a UFC show. This only made the spectacle even more so.
The fact that Hughes killed Gracie like a hot knife through butter was, in some ways, expected and started a proverbial changing of the guard – or at least helped create the conversation on the matter.
Check out the historic fight between Hughes and Gracie above.
