Mark Taffet and Hani Darwish have known each other for some time and while both men met working in the world of boxing, they both had an interest in bringing their experience and vision to the sport of mixed martial arts.
Taffet said he got his first taste of MMA at an event when current Ultimate Fighting Championship Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Marc Ratner, brought him while he was working with HBO. What he noticed and shared with fans in the arena was what the sport would grow into years later.
“It was a heck of a night,” Taffet said of his first event.