Forrest Griffin event inside Philthy McNasty's, Burlington Ontario for UFC 78 Validation

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UFC 78: A Canadian Fan’s Perspective

By: Sean McManus

Do you remember where you were and what you were doing on April 9, 2005?  I was in my basement watching the live finale of The Ultimate Fighter 1.  At the beginning of the Spike broadcast that night the two light heavyweights vying for a six figure UFC contract were relatively unknown.  At the end of the night, Forrest Griffin and Stephen Bonnar had successfully brought MMA and the UFC into the mainstream media spotlight.  Their 2005 fight of the year is still considered by many to be one of the most important fights the UFC has ever seen.  It was a defining moment in the history of the sport.  Bonnar has experienced some relative success along with some controversy.  The TUF champion that night, Forrest Griffin, has gone onto superstardom. 

At UFC 76 Forrest would face (on paper) his toughest opponent yet.  The UFC was opening its’ gates to who some consider the top ranked light heavyweight in the world – Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua.  Some saw Griffin as a stepping stone for Shogun’s eventual domination of the 205 division.  Apparently Forrest saw this as an opportunity.  Forrest absolutely dominated the fight and sunk in a fight ending RNC in the third round.  I was watching the fight with about 20 people and nobody was in their seat after that fight.  Forrest has been one of the most entertaining fighters inside and outside of the octagon that the UFC has had the privilege of showcasing.  The night of UFC 78 I had the opportunity to meet him.

This event was held at the same venue – Philthy McNasty’s in Burlington, Ontario, Canada.  Steve Denyer is the manager at the restaurant, and was definitely the glue that brought the whole event together.  The event was sponsored and promoted by MMAFightGear.ca – the premier source in the Greater Toronto Area for all kinds of great MMA clothing.  I have to give a big shout out to Justin and Dave of MMAFightGear.ca – they did a fantastic job that night. 

I attended the event with my wife and a good friend of mine.  The night opened with a question and answer period with Forrest.  The VIP ticket holders were given the opportunity to ask Forrest anything.  The questions varied from who he would like to fight next – to “have you ever passed gas in the octagon?” – I’m not kidding.  I asked Forrest about his controversial loss to Tito Ortiz and if that would be a rematch he would like to see happen.  After making fun of my shirt with the quick wit of “you make me want to go split some wood” – he said that he wants to fight the guys at the top right now, and that he’s not sure what Tito’s situation is going to be in the UFC.  I also asked him about his contract situation – and he said he doesn’t know how many fights he has left, all he knows is he’s got a good seven years or so in him, and that he’ll be around for a long time.  After having been emblazoned with the nickname ‘flannel’ for the rest of the night, I enjoyed some beers with my buddy and my wife.  The crew had the PS3 hooked up to the big screen with the new UFC game and I got my ass handed to me twice by my friend.  Everyone then made their way up for an autograph and a picture with Forrest.

There was a roped off section where Forrest was hanging out with some guys from Xyience and some of the promotional staff.  Steve was kind enough to bring my wife, my buddy and myself into the fold.  The guys from MMAFightGear.ca were handing out free gear and I received a nice Punishment toque and t-shirt.  We had seats directly in front of the big screen with Forrest sitting off behind us in a nice leather couch.  After having several beers, I ended up beside Forrest again and he told me it was an honor to stand beside a lumberjack…man, bad wardrobe choice for me on the night.  I bought Forrest a few beers; even though I’m pretty sure he had an open tab.  This guy is a hero to MMA fans, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to buy him a few pints.  At the close of the fights I asked Forrest for a few more pictures and he obliged.  Forrest was down to earth, laid back, hilarious and very gracious.  I’m sure he made even more fans that night.  

Now, on another note – these events have been going on for awhile now and they are being promoted well.  I’m giving a heads up to all of the fight fans in the Greater Toronto Area, and I am using Canada’s premier MMA site, www.MMACanada.net – as a platform to let all of you know that these are excellent opportunities to meet some fantastic fighters and have a great time.  Steve summed it up best when I asked him to explain the opportunity he was offering fight fans: “with the explosion of the UFC in Canada, we are providing fans with an ultimate experience.  They have the opportunity to meet great UFC talent with autographs, pictures, and question and answer sessions, but they are also given the chance to find out what the fighters are like on a personal level.” 

I asked Steve about any upcoming events and he simply smiled and said he can’t say too much – but something big is in the works for January.  MMA and the UFC are only going to get bigger in Canada, especially with the promise of a live event in 2008.  Websites like MMACanada.net and companies like MMAFightGear.ca who are dedicated to promoting MMA in Canada are going to be the leaders for the future of MMA in Canada.  So, all of you fight fans in the area – keep your ear to the ground and your eyes open for another ‘ultimate fan experience’ around the corner.       

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