UFC kicks into high gear - Organization eyes return to Louisiana
LAS VEGAS — Sam Vitrano stood next to the modern day boxing ring — an eight-sided cage dubbed "The Octagon" — and couldn't help but wonder what he could have accomplished in there during his heyday.
"I wish this was big 30 years ago," said Vitrano, 50.
Vitrano boxed, but he was a fan, too. And like millions of fans around the world, poor fights and figures like Don King made him become disenchanted with the sport.
"I don't think it's up to par. It's corrupt and I don't like it anymore," said Vitrano, from Akron, Ohio. "It's like wrestling. The UFC is different. If you can't win, you can't win. No one is going to protect you in the Octagon."
The UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) and its display of mixed martial arts — a blend of boxing and several fighting disciplines — has taken the country by storm. Las Vegas — long known as the Boxing Capital of the World — is no exception.
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