Ant Evans: Cursed UFC 108, Chael Sonnen's Belt Stunt & UFC’s Record Year of 2010

<p>The MMA History Podcast welcomes Ant Evans for his third appearance in episode 352. The former head of UFC media relations for the UK and continental Europe revisits 2010 as Zuffa’s international expansion accelerated. Evans covers the UK fighter wave led by Michael Bisping and Dan Hardy, the “cursed” UFC 108 card with multiple major pullouts including Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort, and the office culture of the early Las Vegas years. </p><p><br /></p><p>He details Chael Sonnen’s Ric Flair-inspired belt stunt, press access battles of the era, and landmark shows such as the sold-out UFC 110 Australian debut with Cain Velasquez, Jon Jones’ first main event against Brandon Vera, Georges St-Pierre vs. Dan Hardy at UFC 111 (including Hardy’s storage-unit training camp), UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi with Anderson Silva vs. Demian Maia and Frankie Edgar’s upset of B.J. Penn, Randy Couture’s submission of James Toney at UFC 118, and Brock Lesnar’s comeback win over Shane Carwin at UFC 116.</p><p><br /></p><p>The conversation contrasts the lean, record-breaking Zuffa period with the later corporate era while teasing a Cro Cop Canada story for the next instalment.</p><p><br /></p><p>0:00 start</p><p>0:37 MMA History Podcast Intro </p><p>1:08 Joey Venti’s guest introduction </p><p>1:21 interview start </p><p>1:24 head of PR in the UK for the UFC</p><p>3:48 UFC 108 disaster </p><p>6:43 Joe Silva issues with Gerald Harris </p><p>7:27 UFC 109 helping Chael Sonnen with bad guy image</p><p>12:17 interactions with Doug Crosby</p><p>13:34 Chael Sonnen Dark side of the cage </p><p>15:24 Joey Venti’s studio set up </p><p>16:59 camaraderie in the UFC</p><p>19:18 the UFC original US office </p><p>20:36 2 UFC employees fighting </p><p>30:14 UFC hiring Karen Bell </p><p>31:45 UFC limiting access to the press</p><p>34:43 Sherdogs relationship with pride FC</p><p>37:10 getting media coverage for the UFC</p><p>40:13 issues with modern coverage on UFC </p><p>44:07 reporters receiving bad seating </p><p>46:33 importance of having reporters at events </p><p>47:59 Teddy Atlas and Max Kellerman </p><p>50:54 UFC 110 Australia </p><p>55:10 Mark Hunt legal issue with the UFC </p><p>58:41 Jon Jones vs Brandon Vera </p><p>1:03:04 UFC 111 GSP vs Dan Hardy </p><p>1:11:16 UFC 112 Ariel Helwani reporting </p><p>1:16:49 Ariel Helwani refusing pay from the UFC</p><p>1:21:13 Anderson Silva vs Damian Maia controversy </p><p>1:26:13 UFC 112 card </p><p>1:26:27 Frankie Edgar fight shorts controversy </p>