UFC 8 was held in Puerto Rico, making it the first UFC event staged outside the contiguous United States.
The tournament took place on February 26, 1996, at the Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez in Bayamón. Don Frye won the eight-man tournament, defeating Paul Varelans, Gary Goodridge, and Paul Herrera during the event. The card also featured a superfight between Ken Shamrock and Kimo Leopoldo.
Puerto Rico is an unincorporated United States territory in the Caribbean, which is why UFC 8 is often described as an international event even though it was not held in a foreign sovereign country. The event’s location helped demonstrate that the promotion could stage cards beyond the mainland American market.
This fact is sometimes confused with the UFC’s first event in Brazil or its first event in Canada. Those milestones happened later, as the organization expanded its international schedule.