UFC History

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS (MMA)

MMA is a universal sport that combines techniques from a variety of combative sports disciplines including boxing, wrestling, judo, jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, karate and others.

MMA techniques can be broken down into two categories, striking and grappling. The types of strikes permitted include blows with hands, feet, knees or elbows.

Grappling involves submissions, chokeholds, throws and takedowns. Nearly all techniques used in UFC competition are allowed by some form of Olympic sport. Today's fighters are skilled in many martial arts, an aspect due in part to the evolution of the sport.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was created in 1993 as a made for pay-per-view spectacle to garner worldwide attention. There never was a plan to proceed beyond one or two shows.

The idea was to bring together champions of various martial arts and Olympic sports, such as karate, jiu-jitsu, boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, sumo and other disciplines to determine which style would be most successful in a tournament.

International support for the event was enormous. What began as a mere spectacle was transformed into one of the world's most entertaining sporting events.

Over 10 year existence and events, the UFC has become the premier mixed martial arts event in the world, featuring competitors of multiple disciplines in a quest to become an ultimate fighting champion.

TELEVISION

Created in 1993 for pay per view, the UFC became one of the most popular boxing events.

The UFC has been broadcasted in more than 40 countries. In December 1997, the UFC scored the highest ratings ever for a martial arts competition broadcast on Japanese network television when Ultimate Japan.

Fighter safety

Unique to MMA is the ability to tap out. Unlike boxing and other combative sports that do not allow fighters to stop a fight, the UFC allows fighters to "tap out" by tapping the floor or their opponent, motioning to the referee that they do not wish to continue and risk further harm.

Also, trained referees and physicians do not allow a fight to continue once a fighter risks serious injury or can no longer intelligently defend him self.

PARTICIPANTS

The UFC has some of the most talented martial arts experts worldwide. Fighters come together from all over the world, such as Japan, Russia, Holland, Australia, the U.S. and Brazil.

Many of these athletes have strong educational backgrounds to go along with lifelong training in martial arts and combative sports. UFC fighters often train for more than six hours a day in preparation for MMA competition.