Athletic competition takes place inside a cage called an octagon and winners may win via submission, knockout or referee stoppage; in rare instances a draw may also occur.
Fans adore Jon Jones, as he has propelled himself to the top of two separate divisions and continually delighted them with his performances against high-profile opponents. Jon is widely recognized as one of the greatest double champions in UFC history.
Origins
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the premier mixed martial arts promotion worldwide, and is owned by Zuffa LLC of Las Vegas, Nevada. Fights take place within The Octagon – an eight-sided caged structure where matches may end by knockout, submission or referee stoppage – though doctors or fighters’ corners may intervene to stop a match in case serious injury could ensue to either participant.
Early UFC events pitted practitioners from various martial arts styles against each other. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champions such as the Gracie family were well represented during these initial tournaments.
MMA’s popularity rose exponentially with the launch of reality TV show The Ultimate Fighter, featuring up-and-coming mixed martial arts athletes. This showed off this form of combat sport to new audiences and helped spread its globalization; further expansion came with Pride Fighting Championships’ acquisition. Today, UFC has grown into an iconic global brand featuring an ever-expanding roster of elite fighters.
Rules
The UFC’s official rules provide the framework for competitive Mixed Martial Arts competition, covering weight classes, judging criteria and fouls to establish an easily understood framework for events worldwide.
The rules prohibit eye gouging, hair pulling and groin attacks as well as biting, headbutting and striking to the back of the head. Shoulder strikes are legal but should be avoided whenever possible. Furthermore, fighters cannot hold their opponent’s shorts or gloves and spittle at them during matches.
UFC contract athletes must adhere to an extremely stringent code of conduct. Any violations could incur fines, suspension or even cancellation of their contract; in cases of severe violations the organization reserves the right to ban fighters from future events.
Fighters
Royce Gracie revolutionized UFC tournaments during his early tournament wins, changing the sport by showing that using his father’s fighting style of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu even an underdog can beat giants. His triumph became an icon for underdogs worldwide.
UFC fighters are subject to tight regulation and ongoing testing, designed to detect any use of performance-enhancing drugs or weight cutting that might give an edge in battle or damage their health.
Tom Aspinall made a jump in heavyweight rankings following a round one TKO of Sergei Pavlovich, and while far removed from Jon Jones yet still contender for his title. Meanwhile Cris Cyborg maintained her hold of women’s 125-pound title at UFC 302 by dominating Carano with punches and body kicks before successfully defending against Coenen’s takedown attempt and scoring a jumping guard hold in round 2.
Events
UFC has provided fight fans with some spectacular events throughout its 30-year history. Some were anticipated blockbusters, like Conor McGregor rematch with Nate Diaz or Khabib Nurmagomedov’s astonishing submission win against Michael Johnson; others have come as pleasant surprises and left lasting impressions in fight fan memory.
UFC 40 was one of these unforgettable events. From a fight quality standpoint, its card featured its strongest card ever; headliner Tito Ortiz made headlines as he won back his light-heavyweight championship from Ken Shamrock. Other fights of note included an intense encounter between Dan Henderson and Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua, two fighters with similar career trajectories in Pride organization.
UFC 100 was another memorable event, featuring some of the sport’s premier fighters like Georges St-Pierre and Brock Lesnar. Additionally, this event witnessed an exhilarating stand-up battle between Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira that resulted in Mir handing Nogueira his first knockout loss during their legendary careers.