Ultimate Fighting Championship

Ultimate Fighting Championship
Type Private
Industry Mixed martial arts promotion
Founded November 1993
Founder(s) Art Davie, Rorion Gracie, Campbell McLaren, Robert Meyrowitz[1]
Headquarters Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Key people

Lorenzo Fertitta, Chairman/CEO
Dana White, President
Marc Ratner, VP Regulatory Affairs

Joe Silva, VP Talent Relations/Matchmaker
Parent Zuffa, LLC
Website http://www.ufc.com/

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in the United States that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the world[2] and produces numerous events worldwide.[3] The UFC has five weight-divisions and enforces the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts.[4] Dana White serves as the president of the UFC; Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta control its parent company, Zuffa, LLC.[5][6][7]

Inspired by vale tudo tournaments in Brazil,[8] the UFC and the sport of MMA have roots in the ancient Olympic combat sport of Pankration in 648 B.C.[9] The UFC held its first competition in Denver, Colorado in 1993. Showcasing fighters of different disciplines—including boxing, Brazilian jiu jitsu, wrestling, Muay Thai and other styles—the UFC sought to identify the most effective martial art in a real fight. After a period of political backlash, the UFC gradually underwent reform by embracing stricter rules and achieving sanctioning with State Athletic Commissions.

With a cable-television deal and expansion into Canada, Europe, Australia[10] the Middle East[11], Asia[12] and new markets within the United States, the UFC as of 2010 has gained in popularity, along with greater mainstream-media coverage. As of 2010 viewers can access UFC programming on pay-per-view television in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand and Italy. UFC programming can also be found on Spike and Versus in the U.S., in the United Kingdom and Ireland on ESPN, as well as in over 130 countries and 20 different languages worldwide.[13]

Contents

History of the UFC

Early competition

Royce Gracie utilized Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the UFC's early years to defeat opponents of greater size and strength.

Businessman Art Davie met Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu pioneer Rorion Gracie in 1991 while researching martial arts for a marketing client. Gracie operated a Brazilian jiu-jitsu school in Torrance, California and the Gracie family had a long history of vale tudo matches - a precursor of modern mixed martial arts - in Brazil. Davie became Gracie's student.

In 1992, inspired by the Gracies in Action video-series produced by the Gracies and featuring Gracie jiu-jitsu defeating various martial-arts masters, Davie proposed to Rorion Gracie and John Milius an eight-man, single-elimination tournament with a title of War of the Worlds. The tournament would feature martial artists from different disciplines facing each other in no-holds-barred combat to determine the best martial art and would aim to replicate the excitement of the matches Davie had seen on the videos.[14] Milius, a noted film director and screenwriter, as well as a Gracie student, agreed to be the event's creative director. Davie drafted the business plan and twenty-eight investors contributed the initial capital to start WOW Promotions with the intent to develop the tournament into a television franchise.[15]

In 1993 WOW Promotions sought a television partner and approached pay-per-view producers TVKO (HBO), SET (Showtime) and the Semaphore Entertainment Group (SEG). Both TVKO and SET declined, but SEG – a pioneer in pay-per-view television which had produced such off-beat events as a mixed-gender tennis match between Jimmy Connors and Martina Navratilova – became WOW's partner in May 1993.[16] SEG contacted video and film art-director, Jason Cusson, in order to design the trademarked "Octagon," a signature piece for the event. Cusson remained the Production Designer through UFC 27.[14] SEG devised the name for the show as The Ultimate Fighting Championship.[17]

VHS box art for the first Ultimate Fighting Championship

WOW Promotions and SEG produced the first event, later called UFC 1, at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado on November 12, 1993. Art Davie functioned as the show's booker and matchmaker.[18] The television broadcast featured kickboxers Patrick Smith and Kevin Rosier, savate fighter Gerard Gordeau, karate expert Zane Frazier, shootfighter Ken Shamrock, sumo wrestler Teila Tuli, boxer Art Jimmerson and 175 lb. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Royce Gracie—younger brother of UFC co-founder Rorion Gracie who was hand-picked by Rorion himself to represent his family in the competition. The show became an instant success, drawing 86,592 television subscribers on pay-per-view.

The show proposed to find an answer for sports fans to questions such as: "Can a wrestler beat a boxer?"[19] As with most martial arts at the time, fighters typically had skills in just one discipline and had little experience against opponents with different skills.[20] Royce Gracie's submission skills proved the most effective in the inaugural tournament, earning him the first ever UFC tournament championship.[21]

NFL and National Lacrosse Hall of Famer[22] Jim Brown helped provide commentary for the first six UFC events.[23]

However, the promoters did not intend for the event to become a precursor to a series. "That show was only supposed to be a one-off," eventual UFC President Dana White said. "It did so well on pay-per-view they decided to do another, and another. Never in a million years did these guys think they were creating a sport."[24]

With no weight classes, fighters often faced significantly larger or taller opponents. For example, Keith "The Giant Killer" Hackney faced Emmanuel Yarborough at UFC 3 with a 9 in (23 cm) height and 400 pounds (180 kg) weight disadvantage.[25] Many martial artists believed that technique could overcome these size disadvantages, and that a skilled fighter could use an opponent's size and strength against him. With the 175 lb (79 kg) Royce Gracie winning three of the first four events, the UFC quickly proved that size does not always determine the outcome of the fight.

During this early part of the organization, the UFC would showcase a bevy of different styles and fighters. Aside from the aforementioned Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock and Patrick Smith, the competitions also featured competitors such as Kimo Leopoldo, Hall-of-Famer Dan Severn, Marco Ruas, Oleg Taktarov, Tank Abbott, Don Frye and Gary Goodridge.

In April 1995, following UFC 5 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Davie and Gracie sold their interest in the franchise to SEG and disbanded WOW Promotions. Davie continued with SEG as the show's booker and matchmaker, as well as the commissioner of Ultimate Fighting, until December 1997.

Emergence of stricter rules

Although UFC used the tagline "There are no rules!" in the early 1990s, the UFC did in fact operate with limited rules. There was no biting, no eye gouging, and the system frowned on (but allowed) techniques such as hair pulling, headbutting, groin strikes and fish-hooking.

Ken Shamrock, shown training U.S. Marines, was the first reigning UFC Champion to win the title in a non-tournament format.

In fact, in a UFC 4 qualifying match, competitors Jason Fairn and Guy Mezger agreed not to pull hair—as they both wore pony tails tied back for the match. Additionally, that same event saw a matchup between Keith Hackney and Joe Son in which Hackney unleashed a series of groin shots against Son while on the ground.

The UFC had a reputation, especially in the early days, as an extremely violent event, as evidenced by a disclaimer in the beginning of the UFC 5 broadcast which warned audiences of the violent nature of the sport.

UFC 5 also introduced the first singles match, called "The Superfight." This was an important development because singles matches would feature fighters who suffered no prior damage from a previous fight in the same event, unlike tournament matches. Singles matches would also become a staple in the UFC for years to come.

"The Superfight" began as a non-tournament match that would determine the first reigning UFC Champion for tournament winners to face;[26] it later evolved into a match that could feature either title matches or non-title matches. The "Superfight" would eventually completely phase out tournament matches; by UFC Brazil, the UFC abandoned the tournament format for an entire card of singles matches (aside from a one time UFC Japan tournament featuring Japanese fighters). UFC 6 was the first event to feature the crowning of the first non-tournament UFC Champion, Ken Shamrock.

Controversy and reform

The violent nature of the burgeoning sport quickly drew the attention of the U.S. authorities.[27]

Before reform, Senator John McCain prominently opposed the UFC.

Senator John McCain (R-AZ) saw a tape of the first UFC events and immediately found it abhorrent. McCain himself led a campaign to ban UFC, calling it "human cockfighting," and sending letters to the governors of all fifty U.S. states asking them to ban the event.[28]

As a result, the UFC was dropped from the major cable pay-per-view distributor Viewer's Choice, and from individual cable carriers such as TCI Cable. This was controversial as it was later alleged that McCain received numerous bribes from boxing promoters.[29]

Thirty-six states enacted laws that banned "no-holds-barred" fighting, including New York, which enacted the ban on the eve of UFC 12, forcing a relocation of the event to Dothan, Alabama.[30] The UFC continued to air on DirecTV PPV, though its audience remained minuscule compared to the larger cable pay-per-view platforms of the era.

UFC Hall of Famer Randy "The Natural" Couture debuted in 1997 as the UFC underwent reform.

In response to the criticism, the UFC increased its cooperation with state athletic commissions and redesigned its rules to remove the less palatable elements of fights—while retaining the core elements of striking and grappling. UFC 12 saw the introduction of weight-classes. From UFC 14 gloves became mandatory and kicks to the head of a downed opponent, hair pulling, fish-hooking, headbutting, and groin strikes were banned. UFC 15 saw more limitations on permissible striking areas: strikes to the back of the neck and head, and small joint manipulations were banned. With five-minute rounds introduced at UFC 21, the UFC gradually re-branded itself as a sport, rather than a spectacle.[31]

As the UFC continued to work with state athletic commissions, events took place in smaller U.S. markets, including Iowa, Mississippi, Louisiana, Wyoming and Alabama. SEG could not secure home-video releases for UFC 23 through UFC 29. With other mixed martial arts promotions working towards U.S. sanctioning, the International Fighting Championships secured the first U.S. sanctioned mixed-martial-arts event, which occurred in New Jersey on September 30, 2000. Just two months later, the UFC held its first sanctioned event, UFC 28, under the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board's "Unified Rules".[32]

McCain's opinion of the sport has changed since reform. He stated, "The sport has grown up. The rules have been adopted to give its athletes better protections and to ensure fairer competition."[33]

As the UFC's rules started to evolve, so too did its field of competitors. Notable UFC fighters to emerge in this era include Mark Coleman, Vitor Belfort, Tito Ortiz, Frank Shamrock, Randy Couture, Mikey Burnett, Pat Miletich, Chuck Liddell, Pedro Rizzo, Jeremy Horn, Pete Williams, Jens Pulver, Evan Tanner, Matt Hughes and Andrei Arlovski, among others.

Zuffa Purchase

Current UFC President Dana White.

After the long battle to secure sanctioning, SEG stood on the brink of bankruptcy when Station Casinos executives Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, and promoter/manager Dana White approached them in 2001, with an offer to purchase the UFC. A month later, in January 2001, the Fertittas bought the UFC for $2 million and created Zuffa, LLC as the parent entity controlling the UFC.[34]

With ties to the Nevada State Athletic Commission (Lorenzo Fertitta was a former member of the NSAC), Zuffa secured sanctioning in Nevada in 2001.[35] Shortly thereafter, the UFC returned to pay-per-view cable television with UFC 33: Victory in Vegas featuring three championship bouts.

Struggle for survival and turnaround

The UFC slowly, but steadily, rose in popularity after the Zuffa purchase, due partly to greater advertising,[36] corporate sponsorship, the return to cable pay-per-view and subsequent home video and DVD releases.

Canadian fighter Georges St-Pierre (a.k.a. GSP) - as of 2010 Welterweight Champion.

With larger live gates at casino venues like the Trump Taj Mahal and the MGM Grand Garden Arena, and pay-per-view buys beginning to return to levels enjoyed by the UFC prior to the political backlash in 1997, the UFC secured its first television deal with Fox Sports Net. The Best Damn Sports Show Period aired the first mixed martial arts match on American cable television in June 2002, as well as the main event showcasing Chuck Liddell vs. Vitor Belfort at UFC 37.5.[37] Later, FSN would air highlight shows from the UFC, featuring one hour blocks of the UFC's greatest bouts.

UFC 40 proved to be the most critical event to date in the Zuffa era. The event sold out the MGM Grand Arena and sold 150,000 pay per view buys, a rate over three times larger than the previous Zuffa events. The event featured a card headlined by a highly anticipated championship grudge match between then-current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz and former UFC champion Ken Shamrock, who had previously defected to professional wrestling in the WWF before returning to MMA. It was the first time the UFC hit such a high mark since being forced "underground" in 1997.[38] UFC 40 also garnered mainstream attention from massive media outlets such as ESPN and USA Today, something that was unfathomable for mixed martial arts at that point in time.[39] Many have suggested that the success of UFC 40 and the anticipation for Ken Shamrock vs. Tito Ortiz saved the UFC from bankruptcy; the buyrates of the previous Zuffa shows averaged a mere 45,000 buys per event and the company was suffering deep monetary losses.[39] The success of UFC 40 provided a glimmer of hope for the UFC and kept alive the hope that mixed martial arts could become big.[40]

Despite the success of UFC 40, the UFC was still experiencing financial deficits. By 2004, Zuffa had $34 million of losses since they purchased the UFC.[41] Fighters who came into prominence after Zuffa's takeover include B.J. Penn, Sean Sherk, Matt Serra, Ricco Rodriguez, Robbie Lawler, Frank Mir, Rich Franklin, Karo Parisyan, Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz.

The Ultimate Fighter and mainstream emergence

Joe Rogan, comedian and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner under Eddie Bravo, broadcasts as color commentator at Fight Night 7.

Faced with the prospect of folding, the UFC stepped outside the bounds of pay-per-view and made a foray into television. After being featured in a reality television series, American Casino,[42] and seeing how well the series worked as a promotion vehicle, the Fertitta brothers developed the idea of the UFC having its own reality series.

Their idea, The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) – a reality television show featuring up-and-coming MMA fighters in competition for a six-figure UFC contract, with fighters eliminated from competition via exhibition mixed martial arts matches – was pitched to several networks, each one rejecting the idea outright. Not until they approached Spike TV, with an offer to pay the $10 million production costs themselves, did they find an outlet.[41]

TUF alum Shonie Carter weighs-in for his fight with "The Irish Hand Grenade" Marcus Davis.

In January 2005, Spike TV launched TUF in the timeslot following WWE Raw. The show became an instant success, culminating with a notable season finale brawl featuring finalists Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar going toe-to-toe for the right to earn the six-figure contract, an event that Dana White credits for saving the UFC.[43]

On the heels of the Griffin/Bonnar finale, a second season of The Ultimate Fighter launched in August 2005, and two more seasons appeared in 2006. Spike and the UFC continue to create and air new seasons.[44]

Following the success of The Ultimate Fighter, Spike also picked up UFC Unleashed, an hour-long weekly show featuring select fights from previous events. Spike also signed on to broadcast live UFC Fight Night, a series of fight events debuting in August 2005; Countdown specials to promote upcoming UFC pay-per-view cards, and several other series and specials featuring and promoting the UFC and its fighters.

Surging popularity and growth

Hall of Famer Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell (right), posing with American boxing gold medalist Howard Davis Jr.
New York City Times Square ad for UFC 88: Breakthrough featuring Chuck Liddell vs. "Sugar" Rashad Evans

With increased visibility, the UFC's pay-per-view buy numbers exploded. UFC 52, the first event after the first season of The Ultimate Fighter featuring eventual-UFC Hall of Famer Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell avenging his defeat to fellow eventual-Hall of Famer Randy Couture, drew a pay-per-view audience of 300,000,[45] doubling its previous benchmark of 150,000 set at UFC 40. Following the second season of The Ultimate Fighter, the UFC's much-hyped rubber match between Liddell and Couture drew an estimated 410,000 pay-per-view buys at UFC 57.

For the rest of 2006, pay-per-view buy rates continued to skyrocket, with 620,000 buys for UFC 60: Hughes vs. Gracie—featuring Royce Gracie's first UFC fight in 11 years—and 775,000 buys for UFC 61 featuring the rematch between Ken Shamrock and Tito Ortiz, the coaches of The Ultimate Fighter 3.[46] The organization hit a milestone with UFC 66, pitting Ortiz in a rematch against Liddell with over 1 million buys.[47]

The surge in popularity prompted the UFC to beef up its executive team. In March 2006, the UFC announced that it had hired Marc Ratner, former Executive Director of the Nevada Athletic Commission,[48] as Vice President of Regulatory Affairs. Ratner, once an ally of Senator McCain's campaign against no holds barred fighting, became a catalyst for the emergence of sanctioned mixed martial arts in the United States. Ratner continues to educate numerous athletic commissions[49] to help raise the UFC's media profile in an attempt to legalize mixed martial arts in jurisdictions inside and outside the United States that have yet to sanction the sport.

In December 2006, Zuffa acquired the northern California-based promotion World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) in order to stop the International Fight League (IFL) from making a deal with Versus (TV channel). At the time, the UFC had an exclusive deal with Spike, so the purchase of the WEC allowed Zuffa to block the IFL from Versus without violating their contract.[50] The WEC showcases lighter weight classes in MMA, whereas the UFC features heavier weight classes.[51] Notable fighters included Urijah Faber, Miguel Angel Torres, Mike Thomas Brown, Brian Bowles and Jose Aldo.

UFC's global expansion has taken it to the UK, as demonstrated in this billboard featuring Spencer Fisher and Sam Stout

The sport's popularity was also noticed by the sports betting community as BodogLife.com, an online gambling site, stated in July 2007 that in 2007 UFC would surpass boxing for the first time in terms of betting revenues.[52] In fact, the UFC had already broken the pay-per-view industry's all-time records for a single year of business, generating over $222,766,000 in revenue in 2006, surpassing both WWE and boxing.[53]

The UFC continued its rapid rise from near obscurity with Roger Huerta gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated and Chuck Liddell on the front of ESPN The Magazine in May 2007.[54]

UFC programming is now shown in 130 countries worldwide,[13] and the UFC plans to continue expanding internationally, running shows regularly in Canada and the U.K., with an office established in the U.K. aimed to expand the European audience.[55] UFC has also held events in Germany, Australia and the United Arab Emirates, while Afghanistan, China, Mexico and the Philippines are candidates for future events.[56][57]

Pride acquisition and integration

Pride Fighting Championships logo
Pride showcased elaborate event presentation to accompany a fighter roster that arguably surpassed the UFC's.

On March 27, 2007, the UFC and their Japan-based rival the Pride Fighting Championships announced an agreement in which the majority owners of the UFC, Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, would purchase the Pride brand.[58][59]

The acquisition of Pride was perceived by UFC officials as a watershed moment for mixed martial arts. "This is really going to change the face of MMA," Lorenzo Fertitta declared. "Literally creating a sport that could be as big around the world as football. I liken it somewhat to when the NFC and AFC came together to create the NFL."[58]

Initial intentions were for both organizations to be run separately but aligned together with plans to co-promote cards featuring the champions and top contenders from both organizations. However, Dana White felt that the Pride model wasn't sustainable[60] and the organization would likely fold with many former Pride fighters such as Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Dan Henderson, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic , Wanderlei Silva and others already being realigned under the UFC brand.[61] On October 4, 2007, Pride Worldwide closed its Japanese office, laying off 20 people who were working there since the closing of its parent company Dream Stage Entertainment (DSE).[62]

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, one of many stars to emerge after the UFC's acquisition of Pride and WFA, seen picking up Ricardo Arona for a rare knockout from a body slam at Pride Critical Countdown 2004

In 2008, the UFC announced two major exclusive sponsorship deals with Harley-Davidson[63] and Anheuser-Busch InBev,[64] making the brewer's Bud Light the official and exclusive beer sponsor of the UFC.

Anderson "The Spider" Silva emerged as one of the most dominant fighters in UFC history.

On June 18, 2008, Lorenzo Fertitta accommodated the UFC's growth by announcing his resignation from Station Casinos in order to devote his energies to the international business development of Zuffa, particularly the UFC. The move proved to be pivotal, as Fertitta helped strike TV deals in China, France, Mexico and Germany as well as open alternative revenue streams with a new UFC video game and UFC action figures, among other projects.[65]

Fighters exposed to the UFC audience—or who became prominent—in the post-Pride era include the likes of Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, Brock Lesnar and Frank Edgar, among others.

UFC 100 and beyond

Popularity took another major surge in 2009 with UFC 100 and the 10 events preceding it including UFC 90, 91, 92, 94 and 98. UFC 100 was a massive success garnering 1.7 million buys[66] under the drawing power of former NCAA wrestling champion and ex-WWE star Brock Lesnar and his rematch with former Heavyweight champion Frank Mir, Canadian superstar Georges St-Pierre going head-to-head with Brazilian knockout artist Thiago Alves, and Pride legend Dan Henderson opposing British middleweight Michael Bisping; rival coaches on The Ultimate Fighter: U.S.A. vs U.K..

Rich Franklin (left) knocked out Chuck Liddell at UFC 115 in Vancouver.

UFC 100 was also unique in that it drew significant interest from ESPN, which provided extensive coverage of the event in the days preceding and following it.[67] In fact, ESPN would eventually devote additional coverage of the UFC and other MMA news with the television debut of "MMA Live" on ESPN2 in May 2010.[68]

Shane Carwin (above) and his championship fight with Brock Lesnar at UFC 116 highlighted the summer of 2010.

The buzz from UFC 100 was hampered significantly in the second half of 2009 after a rash of injuries and other health-related issues [69][70] - including Brock Lesnar's life-threatening bout with diverticulitis [71] - forcing the organization to continuously scramble and reshuffle its lineup for several events.

However, the momentum gradually began to pick up in the first quarter of 2010 after victories from defending champions Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva, as well as Lyoto Machida's first career defeat to "Shogun" Rua for the light heavyweight title. These fights segued into a very popular clash between former champions and rivals Rashad Evans and Quinton Jackson at UFC 114, featuring the UFC's first main event headlined by African-American fighters.[72] The event scored over 1 million pay per view buys[73] as Evans secured a unanimous decision victory.

This momentum carried into the summer of 2010 at UFC 116, which featured the return of Brock Lesnar defending his heavyweight title against the undefeated interim-champion Shane Carwin before 1.25 million PPV viewers.[74] Lesnar survived an early barrage of Carwin's punches in a contest that was nearly stopped by referee Josh Rosenthal.[75] However, Lesnar recovered in the second round to submit Carwin via arm triangle choke to retain his heavyweight title. The event as a whole was critically acclaimed in the media[76][77][78] for living up to the hype with a number of exciting fights that were featured on the televised card.

Rules

Referee "Big" John McCarthy (left) is known for his use of the phrase "Let's Get It On!"

The current rules for the Ultimate Fighting Championship were originally established by the New Jersey Athletic Control Board.[79] The "Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts" that New Jersey established has been adopted in other states that regulate mixed martial arts, including Nevada, Louisiana, and California. These rules are also used by many other promotions within the United States, becoming mandatory for those states that have adopted the rules, and so have become the standard de facto set of rules for professional mixed martial arts across the country.

Rounds

UFC Octagon girl Arianny

The UFC matches are varied in length, depending if the match is for a championship title. Regardless if a championship is on the line or not, a round will last for five minutes. Non-Championship bouts are for three rounds; Championship bouts are for five rounds. There is a one-minute rest period between rounds.

Weight divisions

The UFC currently uses five weight classes:

Non-title fights have a one pound leniency. In addition, there are four other weight classes specified in the Unified Rules which the UFC does not currently use:

The Bantamweight and Featherweight classes are used by World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), another promotion owned by Zuffa, LLC.

Cage

Shot of The Octagon from UFC 74 ; Clay Guida vs. Marcus Aurelio
Inside the cage

The UFC stages bouts in an eight-sided enclosure officially named "The Octagon." It was first created and designed by Rorion Gracie of the fame Gracie family.[80]Originally, SEG trademarked the concept as well as the term and prevented other mixed martial arts promotions from using the same type of cage, but in 2001 Zuffa gave permission for other promotions to use octagonal cages, reasoning that the young sport needed uniformity to continue to win official sanctioning. Today Zuffa reserves exclusive use of the name "The Octagon".[81]

The UFC cage is an octagonal structure with walls of metal chain-link fence coated with black vinyl and a diameter of 32 ft (9.8 m), allowing 30 ft (9.1 m) of space from point to point. The fence is 5'6" to 5'8"  high. The cage sits atop a platform, raising it 4 ft (1.2 m) from the ground. It has foam padding around the top of the fence and between each of the eight sections. It also has two entry-exit gates opposite each other.[82] The mat, painted with sponsorship logos and art, is replaced for each event.

Attire

All competitors must fight in approved shorts, without shoes. Shirts, gis or long pants (including gi pants) are not allowed. Fighters must use approved light-weight open-fingered gloves, that include at least 1" of padding around the knuckles, (110 to 170 g / 4 to 6 ounces) that allow fingers to grab. These gloves enable fighters to punch with less risk of an injured or broken hand, while retaining the ability to grab and grapple.

Originally the attire for UFC was very open if controlled at all. Many fighters still chose to wear tight-fitting shorts or boxing-type trunks, while others wore long pants or singlets. Multi-time tournament champion Royce Gracie wore a jiujitsu gi in all his early appearances in UFC.

Match outcome

Matches usually end via:

Note: In the event of a draw, it is not necessary that the fighters' total points be equal (see, e.g., UFC 41 Penn vs. Uno, or UFC 43 Freeman vs. White). However, in a unanimous or split draw, each fighter does score an equal number of win judgments from the three judges (0 or 1, respectively).

A fight can also end in a technical decision, disqualification, forfeit, technical draw, or no contest. The latter two outcomes have no winners.

Judging criteria

The ten-point must system is in effect for all UFC fights; three judges score each round and the winner of each receives ten points, the loser nine points or fewer. If the round is even, both fighters receive ten points. In New Jersey, the fewest points a fighter can receive is 7, and in other states by custom no fighter receives fewer than 8.

Fouls

The Nevada State Athletic Commission currently lists the following as fouls:[83]

  1. Butting with the head
  2. Eye gouging of any kind
  3. Biting
  4. Hair pulling
  5. Fish hooking
  6. Groin attacks of any kind
  7. Putting a finger into any orifice or into any cut or laceration on an opponent. (see Gouging)
  8. Small joint manipulation
  9. Striking to the spine or the back of the head (see Rabbit punch)
  10. Striking downward using the point of the elbow (see Elbow (strike))
  11. Throat strikes of any kind, including, without limitation, grabbing the trachea
  12. Clawing, pinching or twisting the flesh
  13. Grabbing the clavicle
  14. Kicking the head of a grounded opponent
  15. Kneeing the head of a grounded opponent
  16. Stomping a grounded opponent
  17. Kicking to the kidney with the heel
  18. Spiking an opponent to the canvas on his head or neck. (see piledriver)
  19. Throwing an opponent out of the ring or fenced area
  20. Holding the shorts or gloves of an opponent
  21. Spitting at an opponent
  22. Engaging in unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to an opponent
  23. Holding the ropes or the fence
  24. Using abusive language in the ring or fenced area
  25. Attacking an opponent on or during the break
  26. Attacking an opponent who is under the care of the referee
  27. Attacking an opponent after the bell (horn) has sounded the end of a round
  28. Flagrantly disregarding the instructions of the referee
  29. Timidity, including, without limitation, avoiding contact with an opponent, intentionally or consistently dropping the mouthpiece or faking an injury
  30. Interference by the corner
  31. Throwing in the towel during competition

When a foul is charged, the referee in their discretion may deduct one or more points as a penalty. If a foul incapacitates a fighter, then the match may end in a disqualification if the foul was intentional, or a no contest if unintentional. If a foul causes a fighter to be unable to continue later in the bout, it ends with a technical decision win to the injured fighter if the injured fighter is ahead on points, otherwise it is a technical draw.[84]

Match conduct

Evolution of the rules

The Ultimate Fighter

TUF season 1 winner Diego Sanchez

Fights that occur on The Ultimate Fighter are classified as exhibition matches under NSAC sanctioning, and thus do not count toward the professional record of a fighter. Match outcomes also do not need to be immediately posted publicly, which allows for fight results to be unveiled as the series progresses.

These exhibition matches variably have two or three rounds, depending on the rules used for each season. In most seasons, preliminary matches (before the semi-final bouts) were two rounds; in season two, all matches had three rounds. For two-round matches, if there is a draw after two rounds, an extra five-minute round ("sudden victory") is contested. If the extra round concludes without a stoppage, the judges' decision will be based on that final round. All matches past the first round use three rounds as per standard UFC bouts. During the finales for each series, the division finals have the standard three rounds, plus a fourth round if the judges score a tie.

Notable Fighters

UFC championship belt

Current Champions

Main article: List of UFC champions
Division Upper weight limit Champion Since Title Defenses
Heavyweight 265 lb (120 kg; 18.9 st) United States Brock Lesnar November 15, 2008 (UFC 91) 2
Light Heavyweight 205 lb (93 kg; 14.6 st) Brazil Mauricio Rua May 8, 2010 (UFC 113) 0
Middleweight 185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st) Brazil Anderson Silva October 14, 2006 (UFC 64) 7
Welterweight 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st) Canada Georges St-Pierre April 19, 2008 (UFC 83) 4
Lightweight 155 lb (70 kg; 11.1 st) United States Frank Edgar April 10, 2010 (UFC 112) 1

UFC Hall of Fame inductees

(In the order inducted)

Accomplished fighters

Former UFC welterweight champion, former tournament champion and MFS trainer Pat Miletich

The following fighters have won a UFC tournament, championship title, or an Ultimate Fighter tournament. Some have won championships in different weight classes.

Heavyweights

206 to 265 pounds (93 to 120 kg)

Light Heavyweights

186 to 205 pounds (84 to 93 kg)

Middleweights

171 to 185 pounds (78 to 84 kg)

Welterweights

156 to 170 pounds (71 to 77 kg)

Lightweights

146 to 155 pounds (66 to 70 kg)

Salaries

A UFC fighter generally doesn't have a salary. They are paid per fight, anywhere from $2,000 to $500,000 (without win bonuses) depending on how well known the fighters are and how well sponsored the event is. The fighter's coach generally makes 15%-20% of the winnings, as do the managers.

Media

Music

Video games

In January 2007, Zuffa and videogame developer/publisher THQ announced a license agreement giving THQ worldwide rights to develop titles under the UFC brand. The agreement gives THQ exclusive rights to current and next-generation consoles as well as to PC and handheld titles. Also included are "certain wireless rights" which were not detailed. The licensing agreement is to expire in 2011.[91] UFC 2009 Undisputed became the first game released under this agreement on May 19, 2009.

Action figures

On June 10, 2008 it was announced that UFC had signed an exclusive 4 year contract with Jakks Pacific to create action figures for UFC. As of 2009 the schedule envisages the release of these figures in November 2009. Series include the "UFC Deluxe Series Zero", which includes Royce Gracie, Brock Lesnar, Frank Mir, Rashad Evans, Keith Jardine, Houston Alexander, Kendall Grove and Miguel Torres,[92] and the "UFC Deluxe Series 1" which includes Chuck Liddell, Anderson Silva, Forrest Griffin, Michael Bisping, Evan Tanner, Kevin Randleman, Cheick Kongo and Mike Swick.[93] They have also recently released an "Official Scale Octagon Playset" featuring a Chuck Liddel figure trapped in a triangle choke by Forrest Griffin.[94]

Figures are also available from the company Round 5.[95] Series one of their figures includes Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Matt Hughes, Tito Ortiz, and Randy Couture. Series two (released on November 10, 2008) includes Wanderlei Silva, Sean Sherk, Rich Franklin, and Anderson Silva. An exclusive version of the Randy Couture figure was released at the 2008 San Diego Comic Convention in which he has different colored shorts that are adorned with the Comic Con's Logo.

DVD

Every UFC event has been released onto DVD. UFC 23 through UFC 29 were not released in the US on home video or DVD by SEG, and many consider this period to be the "Dark Ages" of the UFC. Although they have since been released onto boxsets which feature around 10 events each set, in chronological order.

See also

References

  1. ↑ NO HOLDS BARRED: Eddie Goldman Speaks With Bob Meyrowitz
  2. ↑ http://www.sherdog.com/news/rankings/list
  3. ↑ http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2010/6/3/1499271/the-ufcs-ambitious-global
  4. ↑ http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=LearnUFC.Rules
  5. ↑ Miller, Matthew (May 5, 2008). "Ultimate Cash Machine". Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2008/0505/080_3.html. Retrieved 2009-06-27. 
  6. ↑ Hedegaard, Eric (2008-06-12). "What The F**k Is Dana White Fighting For?". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/20962602/what_the_fk_is_dana_white_fighting_for/2. Retrieved 2008-06-04. "And while other mixed-martial-arts outfits have sprung up, none is as big or has as much top-notch talent as the UFC." 
  7. ↑ Stefano, Dan (2009-06-25). "Former UFC champ helps promote Pittsburgh event". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/s_630997.html. Retrieved 2009-06-27. 
  8. ↑ http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=LearnUFC.History
  9. ↑ http://www.pankration.gr/history.htm
  10. ↑ http://mmajunkie.com/news/18015/australia-tapped-an-annual-ufc-destination.mma
  11. ↑ http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/04/08/dana-white-on-ufc-in-abu-dhabi-afghanistan-and-gsp-vs-silva/
  12. ↑ http://mmajunkie.com/news/20471/ufc-officials-announce-asian-operations-nba-exec-mark-fischer-named-head.mma
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 http://www.thefightnetwork.com/news/mma/6136/ufc_inks_tv_deal_with_asias_asn_hd_sports
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Gentry III, Clyde, No Holds Barred: Ultimate Fighting and the Martial Arts Revolution, Milo Books, 2003, paperback edition, ISBN 0-903854-90-X, page 38-39
  15. ↑ Gentry III, Clyde, No Holds Barred: Evolution, Archon Publishing, 2001, 1st ed., ISBN 0-9711479-0-6, pages 24–29.
  16. ↑ is ilegal in canada Gentry III, Clyde, No Holds Barred: Evolution, Archon Publishing, 2001, 1st ed., ISBN 0-9711479-0-6, page 41
  17. ↑ Gentry III, Clyde, No Holds Barred: Evolution, Archon Publishing, 2001, 1st Edition, ISBN 0-9711479-0-6, page 29
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  24. ↑ How the Ultimate Fighting Championship Works
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  26. ↑ Meltzer, Dave (April 8, 2009). "Relive UFC 6: Clash of the Titans". Sports.yahoo.com. http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news;_ylt=AnbS9oIfkDYxeule15884RJZEo14?slug=dm-ufcsix040809&prov=yhoo&type=lgns. Retrieved April 8, 2009. 
  27. ↑ http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/sports/20090710_The_Evolution_of_UFC.html
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  29. ↑ [1]. MMA Memories. December 14, 2007.
  30. ↑ Gentry III, Clyde, No Holds Barred: Ultimate Fighting and the Martial Arts Revolution, Milo Books, 2003, Paperback Edition, ISBN 0-903854-90-X, pages 106, 123
  31. ↑ "UFC History". 2007-11-20. http://www.completemartialarts.com/whoswho/ufc/ufchistory.htm. Retrieved 2008-01-20. 
  32. ↑ Trembow, Ivan. New Jersey Commission Corrects Mainstream UFC Stories. Ivan's Blog.
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  34. ↑ "Mixed Martial Arts: A New Kind Of Fight". 60 Minutes (web site) (CBS News): p. 2. 2006-12-10. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/12/08/60minutes/main2241525_page2.shtml. Retrieved 2006-12-11. 
  35. ↑ New Jersey Commission Corrects Mainstream UFC Stories, Ivan's Blog, formerly posted on MMAWeekly.com. Last retrieved December 5, 2006
  36. ↑ UFC Retrospective Series Part 3: The New Ownership
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  50. ↑ http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=dm-wec060509
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  52. ↑ Goff, Justin (2007-07-11). "UFC set to surpass boxing in betting revenue". MMAbettingblog.com. http://www.prweb.com/releases/mma/betting/prweb530718.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-05. 
  53. ↑ Sun Discusses Company Milestones and Provides Year End Summary
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  59. ↑ The Hot List, ESPNews, air date March 27, 2007.
  60. ↑ http://mmafrenzy.com/623/dana-white-pride-is-a-mess/
  61. ↑ Hunt, Loretta (August 26, 2007). "The Fight Network". The Fight Network. http://www.thefightnetwork.com/news_detail.php?nid=4671. Retrieved 2007-09-18. 
  62. ↑ Kotani, Taro (2007-10-05). "Pride WORLDWIDE JAPAN OFFICE OFFICIALLY CLOSED". MMAWeekly.com. http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=4838. Retrieved 2007-10-05. 
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  64. ↑ "Bud Light Enters the Octagon As Exclusive Beer Sponsor of UFC". ufc.com. 2008-02-28. http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=10512. Retrieved 2008-02-28. 
  65. ↑ http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=ki-fertitta072309&prov=yhoo&type=lgns" class="smarterwiki-linkify">http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=ki-fertitta072309&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
  66. ↑ http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=ki-carwin090209
  67. ↑ http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2009/7/24/960850/bloody-elbow-exclusive-major-espn
  68. ↑ http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/-MMA-Live-moves-to-ESPN2-on-May-6?urn=mma,230191
  69. ↑ http://mmajunkie.com/news/17388/despite-recent-rash-of-injuries-white-says-ufcs-handling-of-fighters-wont-change.mma
  70. ↑ http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=dm-mmappd103009
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  80. ↑ - Enotes.com!
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  95. ↑ http://www.round5mma.com/index.php

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