http://www.cbc.ca/thehour

In 2001, Dana White became president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The company was 44 million dollars in the hole. Fast forward to 2006. The UFC set a pay-per-view sales record - raking in more than 220 million dollars in revenue. So, how'd he do it? When Dana came on the scene, Mixed Martial Arts - or MMA - was a fringe sport. It was banned in 36 states. The pay-per-view providers wanted out and the fights were considered too bloody, brutal and violent. Even politicians were morally outraged. So, Dana reacted. He cleaned up the rules, brought in weight classes and put in a judging system. He marketed the fighters' personalities and emphasized their athletic ability. He also made the fights more crowd friendly. Then he created a reality show called 'The Ultimate Fighter.' The show became huge and before you could tap out, the UFC became the fastest growing sport in America.