UFC founder and co-producer Art Davie talks about his book “Is This Legal?” about his creation and concept what became MMA originated from when it was bare knuckle. Bellator and co-author Sean Wheelock joins us as well.
IS THIS LEGAL? MEDIA COVERAGE CONTINUES…
CY INTERVIEW with Chris Yandek and Jay Bildstein:
Shoot The Defence @ShootTheDefence interviewed @SeanWheelock & discussed “Is this Legal”, @ArtDavie , @BellatorMMA @MLS & #Wrestling. Enjoy! itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/sho…
Johnny Quantum aka Johnny Q interviews the founder of the UFC, Art Davie…
TSC’s Fred Richani interviews UFC founder Art Davie and Bellator MMA commentator Sean Wheelock about their new book “Is This Legal?” @ArtDavie & @BellatorMMA’s @SeanWheelock! A must-listen for all MMA fans! ow.ly/B3hue @SpikeSports
@FOXSportsLive podcast: A riveting and hilarious conversation Bill Reiter ( @foxsportsreiter ) had with Art Davie, the man behind the birth of the UFC. Watch it here: http://youtu.be/9JUZS9BruzQ
This podcast took place right before Art’s appearance on UFC Tonight on FOX TV on Wednesday 8-27-14.
IS THIS LEGAL? THE BOOK ABOUT THE CREATION OF THE FIRST UFC.
On November 12, 1993, in Denver, Colorado, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) unleashed an explosion of blood – both figuratively and literally – as 6’5” Dutch kickboxer Gerard Gordeau smashed 420 lb. sumo wrestler Teila Tuli flush in the face, less than 30 seconds into the night’s opening fight. The kick sent one of Tuli’s teeth flying into the crowd, instantly establishing that, as one of the commentators said that night, “fighting is not what we thought it was.”
The UFC’s launch came with virtually no warning or fanfare. Yet nearly 90,000 households ordered and watched the event on pay-per-view television. This style-versus-style martial arts tournament was the creation of Art Davie, an ad man and serial entrepreneur who first conjured the idea four years prior.
Now, for the first time, the true story about the creation of mixed martial arts and the inaugural UFC is told by the man who started it all. Equal parts Abner Doubleday, PT Barnum, and Dr. James Naismith, Davie explains how he turned his vision, of a single-night tournament involving the greatest martial arts fighters, into the first UFC, which now stands as an international billion-dollar sports franchise.
This vivid and fast-moving first-person account explores Davie’s adventures navigating through a world of financial risks, political power-plays, egotistical fighters, family feuds, and numerous powder-keg situations – all to answer the age-old question of who is the world’s best fighter?
Written with noted MMA television play-by-play commentator Sean Wheelock (with the foreword by legendary MMA referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy), IS THIS LEGAL? is not just for fight fans, but also for anybody who appreciates the tale of a maverick who’ll stop at nothing to fulfill his vision and achieve his dreams.
IS THIS LEGAL? also features a highly improbable cast of characters, including Academy Award nominee John Milius, NFL Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown, action film star Chuck Norris, kickboxing champ Benny ‘The Jet’ Urquidez, Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Rorion Gracie and pay-per-view TV pioneer Bob Meyrowitz. With the creation of the UFC, Art Davie started a revolution in the world of martial arts. And this revolution was televised. IS THIS LEGAL? has continued to attract media attention all through the summer of 2014.
PRESS COVERAGE BY THE MMA COMMUNITY FOR IS THIS LEGAL? AND ART DAVIE CONTINUES…
MMA journalists continue to cover the book IS THIS LEGAL? … The inside story of the creation of the UFC by Art Davie and Sean Wheelock. The book has resulted in more interviews of Davie by the MMA press.
My good friend Dave Diebert did a great Q & A article for the Star Phoenix. Read it here: http://www.thestarphoenix.com/sports/creator+Davie+chasing+rainbows+decades/10147639/story.html
KTLA CHANNEL 5 in Los Angeles interviewed Art on their morning show 8-22-14. Goto: http://ktla.com/2014/08/22/art-davie-the-creator-of-the-ufc-and-his-new-book-titled-is-this-legal/
Erik Magraken of Combat Sports Law did a generous review of Is This Legal?: http://combatsportslaw.com/2014/08/20/is-this-legal-a-quick-review/
SI.com (Sports Illustrated) does an interview with Art. Jeff Wagenheim conducts the Q & A: http://www.si.com/mma/2014/08/19/ufc-art-davie-gracies-legal
Frank Trigg interviews Art Davie on MMA OddsBreaker on August 14, 2014 http://www.mmaoddsbreaker.com/news/ufc-founder-art-davie-i-wish-ufc-would-put-more-focus-on-the-amateurs/
Art gets interviewed by Rod Simons of
Northern Lights Broadcasting at 96.3 K-Twin in Minneapolis… Listen here:
Alex Donno & Frank Zaffere interview Art on 560 WQAM, the number one sports show in Miami. https://soundcloud.com/wqam/fight-night-with-alex-donno-and-frank-zaffere-8-15-14
Eddie Bravo podcast (#66) on 8-10-14 with Art Davie. The wildest, craziest interview yet. Listen to it on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/eddie-bravo-radio/id590035650?mt=2 or watch it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yleV_TAxpI
INSIDE MMA Art is interviewed by Ron Kruck and Bas Rutten on Friday, August 8, 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd51dgOBSfQ …
Uncensored MMA Online Radio – Episode #119 – Art Davie & Frank Shamrock interviewed by Dave “The Butcher” Clifford & Chris “The Network” Maltsburger… http://www.blogtalkradio.com/acslivetv/2014/08/12/uncensored-mma-online-radio–episode-119–art-davie-frank-shamrock#ixzz3A92EOrjd
The Roman Show. Lewis Gonzalez interviews Art Davie. Airs on Wednesday, August 6. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/theromanshow/2014/08/07/the-roman-show-wsof-cully-butterfieldlewis-gonzalez-and-ufc-creator-art-davie
120 Sports, a digital network backed by Time, Inc., the publisher of Sports Illustrated, did an interview with Art on 7/31/14. Check out the videos:
http://www.120sports.com/video/v87341954/does-ufc-model-still-work
http://www.120sports.com/video/v87341956/best-fighting-styles
http://www.120sports.com/video/v87300202/setting-the-scene-for-ufc-1
http://www.120sports.com/video/v87300190/pulling-together-the-first-ufc
SB Nation/Bloody – Matthew Kaplowitz asks Art why Rickson Gracie never fought in the UFC. http://www.facebook.com/l/UAQGjk76FAQG71dtV5wqDNe2dMS8LvclceUbXTBw2OKtpjg/www.bloodyelbow.com/2014/7/28/5939985/art-davie-explains-why-rickson-gracie-never-fought-in-the-ufc
Victor Garcia/Hammerfisting Radio. Posted Tuesday (7/29). Podcast link: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/riotcast/the-hammerfisting-podcast
Art Davie attends Bellator 122 and is interviewed by Jimmy Smith. See the interview here: https://t.co/redirect?url=http%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FStydqmTLWE&t=1&sig=af51ad0cf29e256a68a5a063b5f1a3fa99d1b79d&iid=c08fc8e8f2874af693f96bf91f43b0af&uid=1260572035&nid=6+276
UFC Afterbuzz TV on Sunday 7/27. Art is interviewed by Jay Tan, Daria Berenato, and George Hermoza. Watch it here: https://t.co/redirect?url=http%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2F1CIIubs5ZB&t=1&sig=0484e51378abfbffe400a1ef92a9c9d741f738b1&iid=d14d037038654b438c5e44e7a4419a65&uid=1260572035&nid=4+1268
Sherdog’s Jeff Sherwood and TJ DeSantis interview Art for www.sherdog.com on BEATDOWN. Have a listen: https://t.co/redirect?url=http%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FPx5CH1NDAK&t=1&sig=793d731bd31bf13ef69e45b77c389ddd9c1470f6&iid=84e14671d13f4b2c9d5573588d62d578&uid=1260572035&nid=4+1268
IS THIS LEGAL? THE BOOK ABOUT THE CREATION OF THE FIRST UFC
On November 12, 1993, in Denver, Colorado, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) unleashed an explosion of blood – both figuratively and literally – as 6’5” Dutch kickboxer Gerard Gordeau smashed 420 lb. sumo wrestler Teila Tuli flush in the face, less than 30 seconds into the night’s opening fight. The kick sent one of Tuli’s teeth flying into the crowd, instantly establishing that, as one of the commentators said that night, “fighting is not what we thought it was.”
The UFC’s launch came with virtually no warning or fanfare. Yet nearly 90,000 households ordered and watched the event on pay-per-view television. This style-versus-style martial arts tournament was the creation of Art Davie, an ad man and serial entrepreneur who first conjured the idea four years prior.
Now, for the first time, the true story about the creation of mixed martial arts and the inaugural UFC is told by the man who started it all. Equal parts Abner Doubleday, PT Barnum, and Dr. James Naismith, Davie explains how he turned his vision, of a single-night tournament involving the greatest martial arts fighters, into the first UFC, which now stands as an international billion-dollar sports franchise.
This vivid and fast-moving first-person account explores Davie’s adventures navigating through a world of financial risks, political power-plays, egotistical fighters, family feuds, and numerous powder-keg situations – all to answer the age-old question of who is the world’s best fighter?
Written with noted MMA television play-by-play commentator Sean Wheelock (with the foreword by legendary MMA referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy), Is This Legal? is not just for fight fans, but also for anybody who appreciates the tale of a maverick who’ll stop at nothing to fulfill his vision and achieve his dreams.
Is This Legal? also features a highly improbable cast of characters, including Academy Award nominee John Milius, NFL Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown, action film star Chuck Norris, kickboxing champ Benny ‘The Jet’ Urquidez, Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Rorion Gracie and pay-per-view TV pioneer Bob Meyrowitz.
With the creation of the UFC, Art Davie started a revolution in the world of martial arts. And this revolution was televised.