Remembering the 10 significant cards that made UFC 205 possible

Only one UFC fight has ever been held in New York — that was UFC 7 in Buffalo on Sept. 8, 1995 — and mixed martial arts was illegal in the state from 1997 until earlier this year when in April, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill legalizing professional MMA in the state.

The first UFC show in New York City will be held Saturday at Madison Square Garden, when three title fights will be held at UFC 205. In the main event, Eddie Alvarez defends the lightweight title against featherweight champion Conor McGregor. Tyron Woodley makes his first defense of the welterweight belt when he faces Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, and rising superstar Joanna Jedrzejczyk takes on Karolina Kowalkiewicz in a women’s strawweight title match.

Given the international significance of New York as the media, business and financial capital of the world, Saturday’s show will instantly become one of the most significant cards in UFC history.

The card is expected to draw record pay-per-view numbers as well as the largest paid gate in the promotion’s history.

So UFC 205 figures to be remembered for its historical significance for a long time. But there were many shows that paved the way for this to be possible. Here is one man’s list of the 10 most significant cards in UFC history, put in chronological order from earliest to most recent:

UFC 1, Nov. 12, 1993, Denver — No one knew what the UFC would become and this was intended as a one-off event designed to show off which fighting style was best. The previously little-known Royce Gracie introduced the world at large to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by winning three fights in one night and the tournament title.

UFC 28, Nov. 17, 2000, Atlantic City, N.J. — This show was the first UFC card that was fully regulated and sanctioned by a state athletic commission. The New Jersey Athletic Control Board had sanctioned what became to be known earlier as the unified rules, and the UFC under the ownership of Semaphore Entertainment Group (SEG) took the tiny first steps toward MMA’s acceptance as a legitimate sport. The card, held at the Trump Taj Mahal on the Boardwalk, was highlighted by Randy Couture’s heavyweight title victory over Kevin Randleman.

UFC 30, Feb. 23, 2001, Atlantic City, N.J. — The main event was a light heavyweight title fight between Tito Ortiz and Evan Tanner, but the big news in this show is that it was the first card put on by Dana White and the Lorenzo Fertitta-led Zuffa. White and Fertitta purchased the UFC for $2 million from SEG and the sale closed in January. This was the show that really marked the UFC’s passage into the modern era.

UFC 33, Sept. 28, 2001, Las Vegas — This was not one of the UFC’s greatest cards, but it is notable in that it was the first show held in Nevada at the new Mandalay Bay Resort. Las Vegas had become known as the Boxing Capital of the World, and there was a lot of significance to the fact that a major casino on the Las Vegas Strip was willing to put on a UFC pay-per-view show.

The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale, April 9, 2005, Las Vegas — This card at the Cox Pavilion on the UNLV campus featured the epic light heavyweight bout between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar that remains among the most exciting fights in the sport’s history. The fight was so compelling that Spike officials renewed their television deal with the UFC on the spot, getting it done outside the arena.

UFC 66, Dec. 30, 2006, Las Vegas — Chuck Liddell met Ortiz in a rematch in the main event of this show at the MGM Grand Garden that is notable because it became the first show in company history to reach 1 million in pay-per-view sales. Liddell knocked Ortiz out in the second round to retain his light heavyweight title.

UFC 68, March 3, 2007, Columbus, Ohio — This was the UFC’s first event in Ohio and it featured a heavyweight title fight between Tim Sylvia and Couture in the main event. It drew a then-North American record crowd of 19,049, which was one of the first signs of the UFC’s widespread acceptance. Many fans were concerned for Couture’s safety in the bout against Sylvia, but he went on to score an upset win that had the overflow crowd roaring throughout.

UFC 100, July 11, 2009, Las Vegas — This was a celebration of the sport that featured many of the biggest names at the time. Brock Lesnar defeated rival Frank Mir in the main event. Welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre was given second-billing on the show despite his enormous popularity. The show reportedly sold 1.6 million, though the UFC has never confirmed that number. But it was a major show that received enormous media coverage, beyond the typical-for-the-time coverage from MMA sites.

UFC 157, Feb. 23, 2013, Anaheim, Calif. — This card was headlined by a women’s bantamweight title fight between champion Ronda Rousey and challenger Liz Carmouche. It is notable because it is the first time women ever fought in the UFC. White had notably said several years earlier that women would never be allowed into the UFC, but he changed his mind when he saw Rousey for the first time. Women have since become a significant part of the promotion and the sport.

UFC 200, July 9, 2016, Las Vegas — This show, much like UFC 100, was designed as a celebration of the sport and was touted as the greatest card in UFC history despite the fact that neither of the sport’s two biggest stars, McGregor or Rousey, were on it. Jon Jones was yanked from the main event in a light heavyweight title match with Daniel Cormier when he failed a pre-fight drug test, but the card was massive news covered by throngs of mainstream media outlets that rarely give the UFC attention.