The Ultimate Fighting Championship. What was once regarded as a niche, murky, underground sport in the 1990s has quickly transformed opinion and transitioned its way into the mainstream.

And one of the main reasons how it managed to do this started back in 2001 when the Nevada State Athletic Commission sanctioned an event, UFC 33, to be held within Las Vegas for the first time ever.

Although it initially struggled to maintain a captive audience, the UFC - largely thanks to the influence of President Dana White - quickly began to gain traction.

Since their first in 2001, Las Vegas has hosted over one hundred events along its famed strip in various locations from the MGM Grand to the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

UFC events held in the UK are becoming more and more of a regular occurrence, but have you ever considered the possibility of going to see one in it's adopted home?

How to go and see one on a budget

A three-night stay in Vegas, along with flights and tickets to the UFC event itself could easily cost you thousands of pounds.

However, you can actually do it without breaking the bank if you're savvy enough. The key is in shopping around for your flights and accommodation and the best places to do so online are generally SkyScanner and Expedia.

Here's an example of how you could go and see the next UFC event being held in Las Vegas, UFC 222, for under £600 all-in:

Flights with Virgin Atlantic leaving on Friday March 2 and returning Monday March 5 are currently available for £404 .

There are a number of hotels offering cheap accommodation across the those three nights . The Lucky Dragon in Las Vegas, with a 4 out of 5 customer review rating, is currently available for less than £45 a night.

Tickets to upcoming UFC events range from $55 to VIP tickets that cost $1,255 and can be found on www.axs.com/uk

If there are no longer any tickets available, you can try your luck on a resale website like StubHub .