Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl
Working in conjunction with Spike TV and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, the Ultimate Fighting Championship raised nearly $4.1 million with its “Fight for the Troops 2” card on Jan. 22, a representative told ESPN.com Wednesday.
The money raised will go toward traumatic brain injury research among veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
The fight card at Fort Hood, located outside of Killeen, Texas, matched money raised in 2008 after a similar event at Fort Bragg, N.C., helped complete the $55 million National Intrepid Center of Excellence in Bethesda, Md. The facility is one of the most advanced in the world dedicated to research and treatment of nonpenetrating brain injuries.
Zuffa, LLC, the sports promotion company that presides over UFC, has made it a priority to support America’s military personnel. “Fight for the Troops 2” was the third UFC event to be hosted at a U.S. military base.
Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, majority co-owners of the UFC, sit on the board of trustees for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, a nonprofit organization through which public-private partnerships build facilities that serve members of the armed forces.
Josh Gross covers mixed martial arts for ESPN.com.