Ultimate Fighting Championship

Ultimate Fighting Championship is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts organization. Fighters in the sport use combinations of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, boxing, wrestling muay thai and many other martial arts.

Related Topics:
U.S. - Mixed martial arts - Sport - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu - Boxing - Wrestling - Martial arts

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Early UFC events were eight- or sixteen-man tournaments wherein participants were required to beat three opponents in a single evening to be crowned Ultimate Fighting Champion. Reportedly no other event matched fighters of different style to prove which style is the best. Fighters were typically skilled in one discipline only, e.g. boxing, Judo, Jiu Jitsu etc. and had little experience in battling against opponents with different skills of their own. With no weight classes, fighters could find themselves facing opponents who were significantly larger and taller than themselves. (These kind of fights are referred to as 'Freak fights' by MMA enthusiasts, and still occur but mainly in Japanese organizations where the spectacle of the fight is considered as important as the skills being showcased.) These factors combined led to a trend of short, violent fights. This was very much in line with the way the UFC was being marketed at the time. "There are no rules!" said the famous tagline. Although not strictly true, the UFC did operate with a limited set of rules; techniques such as hair pulling and groin strikes were frowned upon, but valid.

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The brutal nature of the burgeoning sport quickly drew the attention of the authorities and UFC events were banned in almost all American states. To survive, the UFC redesigned its rules to remove the less palatable elements of fights, whilst still retaining the core elements of striking and grappling. Five minute rounds, Referee stoppages, weight classes and limitations on permissible striking areas gradually found the UFC being rebranded as a sport rather than a violent circus attraction. As the sport evolved, so did its fans and fighters, both of which quickly realised the effectiveness of ground techniques.

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The popularisation of grappling and submission strategies, particularly those of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu ("BJJ"), was almost entirely due to the success of Royce Gracie, whose brother Rorion had co-founded the UFC. Royce quickly proved in the early UFC events that BJJ was incredibly effective against strikers with no ground game and limited takedown defense.

Related Topics:
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu - Royce Gracie - Rorion

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Through this event the term MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) was coined.

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Royce's efforts were rewarded with 3 Ultimate Fighting Championships. In 2003, along with fellow UFC veteran Ken Shamrock, Royce Gracie was inducted into the UFC's newly founded hall of fame.

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Today, Ultimate Fighting Championship events have become very popular in places like Japan, Brazil, Canada, and the United States, where fights are often seen on television's Pay Per View system as well as the occasional appearance on Spike TV. In the United States, championship fights are usually held in Las Vegas or Atlantic City, much like in boxing.

Related Topics:
Japan - Brazil - Canada - United States - Television - Pay Per View - Spike TV - Las Vegas - Atlantic City

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In 2005 the UFC launched its own reality TV series, The Ultimate Fighter on Spike TV, in which MMA practitioners who had not yet appeared in the UFC would reside and train together in two teams, and fight one another in matches where the loser would be eliminated and eventually one fighter from each of two weight classes would be awarded a contract. A second series launched in August of the same year.

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