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Into History.

com. It's January 31st, 2004, at the Mandalay Bay Event Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Two fighters grapple inside a chain-link cage at the center of the packed arena.

28-year-old Englishman Lee Murray struggles to stay upright.

He's only seconds into his first ultimate fighting championship

but his opponent already has a firm hold around his torso.

The UFC is a fast-growing mixed martial arts franchise in which the best fighters earn six-figure

sums per fight, but not everyone benefits from such a big payday.

Since this is Lee's debut at a UFC event, he's only getting paid $3,000 for tonight.

But Lee doesn't mind he's looking at the long game.

He's prepared to work his way up the U.S. But Lee doesn't mind he's looking at the long game.

He's prepared to work his way up the UFC ladder

to the big money, and the only way to do that

is to win tonight's fight and be selected

for a more lucrative bound.

Lee tenses his body as his opponent lifts him off his feet and

body slams him to the canvas. The other fighter keeps a tight grip as they wrestle on the

mat and Lee thrashes to avoid being trapped in a painful submission hold.

Unable to pin Lee down, his opponent pulls back to punch Lee in the head, but it's a mistake

...