Ultimate Fighting Championship

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"UFC" redirects here. For other uses, see UFC (disambiguation).
This article discusses the UFC organization itself. For the inaugural event which went by the same name, see UFC 1.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Company typePrivate
IndustryMixed Martial Arts promotion
Founded1993
FounderArt Davie, Rorion Gracie, 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
ParentZuffa, LLC
Websitehttp://www.ufc.com/

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Dana White serves as the president of the UFC; Zuffa, LLC, controlled by the casino-moguls Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, owns it.[2][3][4]

Inspired by Brazilian vale tudo,[5] the UFC began in Denver, Colorado in 1993 as a single-event tournament designed to find the world's best fighters, regardless of their fighting style (whether boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, karate, Brazilian jiu jitsu or other disciplines). Although they did prescribe a limited number of rules, promoters marketed fighting in the UFC as no holds barred, and contests were often violent and brutal, leading critics like Senator John McCain to dub the sport "human cockfighting."[6] Political pressures eventually led the UFC into the underground as pay-per-view providers refused to carry UFC programming, nearly extinguishing its public visibility.

As political pressure mounted, the UFC reformed itself, slowly embracing stricter rules, becoming sanctioned by State Athletic Commissions, and marketing itself as a legitimate sporting event. Dropping the no holds barred label and carrying the banner of mixed martial arts, the UFC has emerged from its political isolation to regain its position in pay-per-view television.

With a cable-television deal and expansion into Canada, Europe and new markets within the United States, the UFC as of 2009 has gained in popularity, along with greater mainstream-media coverage. As of 2009 viewers can access UFC programming on Spike in the United States and Canada, on ESPN in the United Kingdom as well as in 33 other countries worldwide.

History

Origins

The VHS box art for UFC 1: The Beginning.

The concept for a tournament purporting to discover the world's best fighting style came from Art Davie, an advertising executive based in southern California.[7] Davie met Rorion Gracie and Michael Tsarion 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 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 Hollywood screenwriter and director 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 see which martial art was truly the best which replicated the excitement of the matches Davie saw on those videos.[8] 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.[9]

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.[10] SEG contacted video and film art-director Jason Cusson to design the trademarked "Octagon", a signature piece for the event. Cusson remained the Production Designer through UFC 27.[8] SEG devised the name for the show as The Ultimate Fighting Championship.[11]

Early competition

Royce Gracie utilized Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the UFC's formative years to defeat much stronger opponents. The art is prevalent today.

WOW Promotions and SEG produced the first event, later called UFC 1, at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado on November 12, 1993. Davie functioned as the show's booker and matchmaker.[12]

The television broadcast featured kickboxers Patrick Smith and Kevin Rosier, savate fighter Gerard Gordeau, karate expert Zach Martin, shootfighter Ken Shamrock, sumo wrestler Teila Tuli, professional boxer Art Jimmerson and 175 lb. Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Royce Gracie —Rorion's younger brother, 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?"[13] 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.[14] Royce Gracie's submission skills proved the most effective in the inaugural tournament, earning him the first ever UFC tournament championship. [15]

However, the show was not intended to be part of a series. "That show was only supposed to be a one-off," Dana White later 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."[16]

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.[17] 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 stage 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 prominent competitors such as Kimo Leopoldo, 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 more rules

Although UFC used the "There are no rules!" tagline 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.

File:Royce Shamrock 2 aftermath.jpg
Hall of Famers Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock fought in the first ever non-tournament UFC Championship match, called the 'Superfight,' at UFC 5.

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 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;[18] 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.[19]

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.[6] As a result, the UFC was dropped from the major cable pay-per-view distributor Viewer's Choice, and individual cable carriers such as TCI Cable. This was highly controversial as it was later uncovered that McCain recieved large campaign donations from boxing sponsors.

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.[20] 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 sport 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 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.[21]

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".[22]

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."[23]

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

Zuffa purchase

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 boxing promoter 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.[24]

With ties to the Nevada State Athletic Commission (Lorenzo Fertitta was a former member of the NSAC), Zuffa secured sanctioning in Nevada in 2001.[25] Shortly thereafter, the UFC returned to pay-per-view cable television with UFC 33: Victory in Vegas featuring three championship bouts.

Turn-around & struggle for survival

The UFC slowly, but steadily, rose in popularity after the Zuffa purchase, due partly to greater advertising,[26] corporate sponsorship, the return to cable pay-per-view and subsequent home video and DVD releases.

Canadian welterweight Georges St-Pierre (a.k.a. GSP)

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.[27] Later, FSN would air highlight shows from the UFC, featuring one hour blocks of the UFC's greatest bouts.

At UFC 40, pay-per-view buys hit 150,000 for a card headlined by a grudge match between Tito Ortiz and UFC veteran 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.[28]

Despite the success, the UFC was still experiencing financial deficits. By 2004, Zuffa had $34 million of losses since they purchased the UFC.[29] Fighters who came into prominence after Zuffa's takeover include B.J. Penn, Sean Sherk, Matt Serra, Ricco Rodriguez, Robbie Lawler, Frank Mir, Tim Sylvia, Rich Franklin, Karo Parisyan, Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz.

The Ultimate Fighter & 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,[30] 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 not unlike Survivor, but 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.[29]

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.[31]

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.[32]

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 which featured eventual-UFC Hall of Famer Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell avenging his defeat to fellow future Hall of Famer Randy Couture, drew a pay-per-view audience of 300,000,[33] 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.[34] The organization hit a milestone with UFC 66, pitting Ortiz against Liddell with over 1 million buys.[35]

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,[36] 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[37] 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.

Matt Hughes faces off for his rematch with B.J. Penn before UFC 63 in Anaheim, CA.

In December 2006, Zuffa acquired the northern California-based promotion World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC). The WEC showcases lighter weight classes in MMA, whereas the UFC features heavier weight classes.[38] Notable fighters included Urijah Faber, Miguel Angel Torres, Mike Thomas Brown and Brian Bowles.

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.[39] 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.[40]

The UFC continued its rapid rise from near obscurity with Roger Huerta gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated and Liddell on the front of ESPN The Magazine in May 2007.[41]

UFC programming is now shown in 36 countries worldwide,[42] 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.[43]

Pride acquisition and beyond

Pride Fighting Championships logo
Pride showcased elaborate event presentation to accompany a fighter roster that rivaled 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.[44][45]

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 [46] and the organization would likely fold with many former Pride fighters such as Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Dan Henderson, Wanderlei Silva and others already being realigned under the UFC brand.[47] 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).[48]

Light heavyweight champion Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida made his UFC debut just before the Pride acquisition.
File:Anderson TheSpider Silva Thumb.jpg
Former Pride participant and current UFC middleweight champ Anderson "The Spider" Silva is one of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the world.[49][50][51][52]

In 2008, the UFC announced two major exclusive sponsorship deals with Harley-Davidson[53] and Anheuser-Busch InBev,[54] making the brewer's Bud Light the official and exclusive beer sponsor of the UFC.

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 others. [55]

Popularity took another major surge in the summer of 2009 with UFC 100, which garnered a whopping 1.7 million buys[56] under the drawing power of former NCAA wrestling champion and WWE star Brock Lesnar and the established Canadian superstar Georges St-Pierre, setting the current PPV buy-rate record for the UFC and MMA.

Aside from Lesnar, other notable fighters exposed to the UFC audience - or came into prominence - in the post-Pride era include Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera, Quinton Jackson, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović, Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Dan Henderson, Mauricio Rua, Thiago Silva, Josh Koscheck, Nate Marquardt, Shane Carwin, Cain Velasquez, Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez, among others.

Rules

The current rules for the Ultimate Fighting Championship were originally established by the New Jersey Athletic Control Board.[57] 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

Every round in UFC competition is five minutes in duration. Title matches have five such rounds, and non-title matches have three. There is a one-minute rest period between rounds.

Weight divisions

See also: Mixed martial arts weight classes

The UFC currently uses five weight classes:

In addition, there are four other weight classes specified in the Unified Rules which the UFC does not currently use:

The Flyweight, Bantamweight, and Featherweight classes are used in another promotion owned by Zuffa, LLC, World Extreme Cagefighting.

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; "The Octagon." Originally, SEG trademarked The Octagon and prevented other mixed martial arts promotions from using the same type of cage, but in 2001, Zuffa gave its permission for other promotions to use octagonal cages (while reserving use of the name "Octagon"), reasoning that the young sport needed uniformity to continue to win official sanctioning.[58]

The 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.[59] 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

File:Jackson KOs Liddell UFC71.jpg
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, left, defeated Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell by Technical Knockout in their rematch at UFC 71. The two fighters also battled at Pride Final Conflict 2003.

Matches usually end via:

  • Submission: a fighter clearly taps on the mat or his opponent or verbally submits.
  • Knockout: a fighter falls from a legal blow and is either unconscious or unable to immediately continue.
  • Technical Knockout (TKO): If a fighter cannot continue, the fight is ended as a technical knockout. Technical knockouts can be classified into three categories:
    • referee stoppage: (the referee determines a fighter cannot "intelligently defend" himself; if warnings to the fighter to improve his position or defense go unanswered—generally, two warnings are given, about 5 seconds apart)
    • doctor stoppage (a ringside doctor due to injury or impending injury, as when blood flows into the eyes and blinds a fighter)
    • corner stoppage (a fighter's own cornerman signals defeat for their own fighter)
  • Judges' Decision: Depending on scoring, a match may end as:
    • unanimous decision (all three judges score a win for fighter A)
    • majority decision (two judges score a win for fighter A, one judge scores a draw)
    • split decision (two judges score a win for fighter A, one judge scores a win for fighter B)
    • unanimous draw (all three judges score a draw)
    • majority draw (two judges score a draw, one judge scoring a win)
    • split draw (one judge scores a win for fighter A, one judge scores a win for fighter B, and one judge scores a draw)

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:[60]

  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.[61]

Match conduct

  • After a verbal warning the referee can stop the fighters and stand them up if they reach a stalemate on the ground (where neither are in a dominant position or working towards one). This rule is codified in Nevada as the stand-up rule.
  • If the referee pauses the match, it is resumed with the fighters in their prior positions.
  • Grabbing the cage brings a verbal warning, followed by an attempt by the referee to release the grab by pulling on the grabbing hand. If that attempt fails or if the fighter continues to hold the cage, the referee may charge a foul.
  • Early UFC events disregarded verbal sparring / "trash-talking" during matches. Under unified rules, antics are permitted before events to add to excitement and allow fighters to express themselves, but abusive language during combat is prohibited.

Evolution of the UFC rules

  • UFC 1 – Although the advertising said there are no rules, there were in fact some rules: no biting, no groin attacks, no eye-gouging, and rounds were to last five minutes, although no match in the first tournament lasted that long. Fights ended only in the event of a knockout, a submission, usually signaled by tapping the hand three times on the mat or opponent, or by the corner throwing in the towel. Despite this, the first match in UFC 1 was won by referee stoppage, even though it was not officially recognized as such at the time.
  • UFC 2 – Time limits were dropped. Groin strikes were unbanned, though it was still illegal to attempt to grab the genitals. Modifications to the cage were added (higher fences and less floor padding.)
  • UFC 3 – The referee was officially given the authority to stop a fight in case of a fighter being unable to defend himself. A fighter could not kick if he was wearing shoes. This rule would be discarded in later competitions.
  • UFC 4 – After tournament alternate Steve Jennum won UFC 3 by winning only one bout, alternates (replacements) were required to win a pre-tournament bout to qualify for the role of an alternate.
  • UFC 5 – The organizers introduced a 30-minute time limit. UFC 5 also saw the first Superfight, a one-off bout between two competitors selected by the organizers with the winner being crowned 'Superfight champion' and having the duty of defending his title at the next UFC.
  • UFC 6 – The referee was given the authority to restart the fight. If two fighters were entangled in a position where there was a lack of action, the referee could stop the fight and restart the competitors on their feet, in their own corner. In UFC 6 they officially adopted the 5 minute extension to the 30 minute rule which had been used in UFC 5.
  • UFC 8 – Time limit changed to 10 minutes in the first two rounds of the tournament, 15 minutes in the tournament final and Superfight. Fights could now be decided by a judges decision if the fight reached the end of the time limit. The panel was made up of three judges who simply raised a card with the name of the fighter they considered to be the winner. In this fashion, a draw was not possible since the only two possible outcomes of a decision were 3 to 0 or 2 to 1 in favor of the winner.
  • UFC 9 – To appease local authorities, closed fisted strikes to the head were banned for this event only. The commentators were not aware of this last minute rule that was made to prevent the cancellation of the event due to local political pressures. Referee "Big John" McCarthy made repeated warnings to the fighters to "open the hand" when this rule was violated. However, not one fighter was reprimanded.
  • Ultimate Ultimate 1996 This event was the first to introduce the "no grabbing of the fence" rule.
  • UFC 12 – The main tournament was split into a heavyweight and lightweight division; and the eight-man tournament was abandoned. Fighters now needed to win only two fights to win the competition. The Heavyweight Champion title (and title bouts) was introduced, replacing the Superfight title (albeit matches were still for a time branded as "Superfights").
  • UFC 14 – The wearing of padded gloves, weighing 110 to 170 g (4 to 6 ounces), becomes mandatory. Gloves were to be approved by the UFC.
  • UFC 15 – Limits on permissible striking areas were introduced. Headbutts, groin strikes, elbow strikes to the back of the neck and head, kicks to a downed opponent, small joint manipulation, pressure point strikes, and hair-pulling became illegal.
  • UFC 21 – Five minute rounds were introduced, with preliminary bouts consisting of two rounds, regular non-title bouts at three rounds, and title bouts at five rounds. The "ten point must system" was introduced for scoring fights (identical to the system widely used in boxing).
  • UFC 28 – The New Jersey Athletic Control Board sanctions its first UFC event, using the newly developed Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. Major changes to the UFC's rules included barring knee strikes to the head of a downed opponent, elbow strikes to the spine and neck and punches to the back of the neck and head. Limits on permissible ring attire, stringent medical requirements, and regulatory oversight were also introduced. A new weight class system was also introduced.[62] This new set of rules is currently the de facto standard for MMA events held in the USA and is still in use by the UFC.
  • UFC 31 Weight classes are re-aligned to the current standard. Bantamweight moves from 150 to 155 and becomes known as Lightweight. Lightweight becomes known as Welterweight, Middleweight becomes Light Heavyweight, and a new Middleweight class is introduced at 185.
  • UFC 43 – In the event of a stoppage fights restart in the position the fight was stopped.

The Ultimate Fighter

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.

Current champions

UFC championship belt
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) 1
Light Heavyweight 205 lb (93 kg; 14.6 st) Brazil Lyoto Machida May 23, 2009 (UFC 98) 1
Middleweight 185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st) Brazil Anderson Silva October 14, 2006 (UFC 64) 5
Welterweight 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st) Canada Georges St-Pierre April 19, 2008 (UFC 83) 3
Lightweight 155 lb (70 kg; 11.1 st) United States B.J. Penn January 19, 2008 (UFC 80) 2

Notable UFC fighters

UFC Hall of Fame inductees

(in the order inducted)

Accomplished UFC fighters

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)

  • United States Brock Lesnar (Current Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion)
  • United States Frank Mir (Former UFC Heavyweight Champion & Former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion)
  • Brazil Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (Former Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion)
  • United States Randy Couture (UFC 13 Heavyweight Tournament Champion, former 3 time UFC Heavyweight Champion & former 2-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion)
  • United States Ken Shamrock (First non-tournament UFC Champion, 2-time UFC Superfight Champion)
  • United States Tim Sylvia (Former 2 time UFC Heavyweight Champion)
  • Belarus Andrei Arlovski (Former UFC Heavyweight Champion)
  • United States Josh Barnett (Former UFC Heavyweight Champion)
  • United States Kevin Randleman (Former UFC Heavyweight Champion)
  • United States Ricco Rodriguez (Former UFC Heavyweight Champion)
  • Netherlands Bas Rutten (Former UFC Heavyweight Champion)
  • United States Maurice Smith (Former UFC Heavyweight Champion)
  • Brazil Pedro Rizzo (UFC Ultimate Brazil Heavyweight Superfight Champion)
  • United States Dan Severn (UFC 5, Ultimate Ultimate 1995 Open Weight Tournament Champion & 2nd UFC Open Weight Superfight Champion)
  • Russia Oleg Taktarov (UFC 6 Open Weight Tournament Champion)
  • Brazil Marco Ruas (UFC 7 Open Weight Tournament Champion)
  • United States Don Frye (UFC 8 & Ultimate Ultimate #2 1996 Open Weight Tournament Champion)
  • United States Mark Kerr (UFC 14 and 15 Heavyweight Tournament Champion)
  • United States Steve Jennum (UFC 3 Open Weight Tournament Champion)

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)

In other 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.[64] 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. [citation needed] 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.[65], 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.[66] They will also release an "Official Scale Octagon Playset".[67]

Figures are also available from the company Round 5.[68] 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.

See also

References

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External links

Template:List of UFC Current Champions

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