FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- Given the affinity for MMA exhibited by armed forces members, holding a fundraiser to benefit the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund seemed like a no-brainer for the UFC.
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| Bruno says the Army saved his life. (UFC) |
The UFC's mission on this night was twofold: Raise money to help build a trauma and recovery center for veterans suffering from severe brain injuries, and provide a few hours of entertainment for U.S. soldiers on active duty at Fort Bragg, many of whom have served multiple tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Specially, the UFC was in town to help generate contributions for the proposed National Intrepid Center of Excellence. Often referred to by the acronym of NICoE, the advanced facility will be dedicated to research and treatment of military personnel and veterans suffering from traumatic brain injury and psychological health issues sustained while serving in combat.
"The primary injury is traumatic head injury. When you're thinking 'What is traumatic brain injury?' some people put their finger up to their head and start to motion and imply that someone is crazy," Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund president Bill White said during an exclusive interview with CBSSports.com. "The typical injury we'll be treating stems from the aftermath of a bomb going off and the damage caused by a concussive shockwave... It literally rattles the brain to the point where we're seeing Alzheimer's and Parkinson's in service members between the ages of 19 and 24.
"They are eliciting all kinds of psychological problems. They can't hold a job. They can't drive a car. They're becoming dependent on drugs and alcohol. There are instances of domestic violence. I can tell you about one story where there is a guy who can't remember the names of his children."
The proposed 72,000 square foot, two-story facility will be located on the Navy campus at Bethesda, Md., adjacent to the new Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Fallen Heroes, which raises the vast majority of its financing through the private sector, set out approximately nine months ago with the goal of raising $65 million for NICoE. According to White, Fallen Heroes still had $20 million more to raise at the start of Fight Night 16.
While tickets were required in order to gain entry for the fights at the Crown Coliseum, vouchers were distributed amongst the troops so they could be redeemed for tickets at no charge. In all, it is believed that over 9,000 troops attended UFN 16 for free.
And with its traveling road show that the UFC brought to Fort Bragg, five of the 20 competitors who competed Wednesday came with military backgrounds. Steve Bruno, Dale Hartt, Brandon Wolff, Luigi Fioravanti and Tim Credeur were all given the honor of performing in front of some of their own on Wednesday night.
"I'm honored to be here," said Wolff, a member of the Navy from 1997 through 2001. "I wasn't able to see combat. I got out before 9/11 and this is a way for me to give back to people that are deployed overseas during the holiday seasons."
Despite not seeing combat, Wolff was deployed to the Middle East while a member of the elite Navy Seals as a part of NSDT One while stationed on Ford Island in Hawaii. The opportunity to pay tribute to the troops was one he was not going to miss.
"They pay the ultimate sacrifice with their lives and bodies," he said. "I just want to show my appreciation for the sacrifices they make and I'm happy to be involved with helping raising money for our soldiers."
"(UFN 16) is huge for a whole lot of reasons," middleweight Tim Credeur added. "The UFC is a huge company and they do really well financially. You see them stepping out at a time in which we have a difficult economy.
