MMA WORLD

Driven by the phenomenal success of the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) bouts on pay-per-view television, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is now the fastest-growing sport in the United States. As its name suggests, MMA combines techniques of various other fighting systems, including boxing, jujitsu, wrestling, judo, karate, kickboxing, kung fu, and taekwondo.

Decades after a Brazilian fighting style known as vale tudo (anything goes) began to spark local and international interest in the late 1920s, MMA burst into full-color in America in 1993, with the formation of the UFC. Financed by the Semaphore Entertainment Group, led by New York music promoter Robert Meyrowitz, UFC bouts began more as violent spectacles than sporting events, with fighters from various disciplines battling it out in the same ring to the delight of bloodthirsty crowds. Rorion Gracie, a Brazilian living in California, organized the first fight and designed the trademark arena, the Octagon. Aside from three simple rules—no biting, eye-gouging, or fish-hooking (placing your finger in an opponent’s mouth and pulling backwards—the UFC prided itself on no-holds-barred fighting, with little regulation.

Even as MMA’s popularity grew, politicians condemned the sport, including John McCain, who in 1996 called it “human cockfighting”. In November 2000, the UFC added weight classes and 28 more rules, outlawing head butts, hair pulling, and groin shots.
As of May 2007, 23 states and the District of Columbia sanction MMA fights. Bouts consist of three five-minute rounds (five in title fights), and elbows, fists, choke holds, and armbars are allowed.

Prominent MMA contenders include former wrestlers and professional boxers, as well as black belts in martial arts; most have trained in various disciplines. When an MMA fighter is downed, he often lunges for his opponent’s legs, hoping to take him down as well. Another common strategy is the “ground and pound,” where a fighter seeks to take down his opponent and stay on top while striking him with his fists and elbows at close range; this is often countered with the “sprawl and brawl,” where the opponent escapes the takedown by keeping his legs spread wide, out of reach, putting his weight on the other fighter and throwing punches from that angle.

The popularity of MMA among 18- to 34-year-old males, a demographic coveted by advertisers, is overwhelming: according to Sports Illustrated, the UFC scored pay-per-view revenues of $223 million in 2006, compared to $177 million for boxing and $200 million for WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment). Various smaller leagues such as the World Combat League and the International Fight League also draw audiences. A UFC reality show, The Ultimate Fighter, began airing in 2005.

The earliest form of combat sports was Greek pankration, which was introduced into the Olympic Games in 648 B.C. In fact, it has recently been proposed that MMA be re-introduced into the Summer Olympics under the banner of pankration.

In the 1800s, no-holds-barred events took place when wrestlers representing various styles met in competitions throughout Europe. In 1899, Bartitsu, the first known martial art to combine the Asian and European styles, was created in London. This resulted in a series of MMA events in which Japanese and European champions challenged masters of assorted European wrestling styles.

In the early 1900s, Merikan (Japanese slang for “American”) fighting, which featured boxing practitioners versus jujutsu masters, was very popular throughout Japan and Europe.

In the 1920s, the Gracie family started their vale tudo tournaments in Brazil. Carlos Gracie and his younger brother Helio took great pride in defeating all challengers. Helio was the father of Rickson, Royler, Royce, and Rorion Gracie, and his children would go on to play pivotal roles in the development of modern-day MMA.

In the 1970s, Antonio Inoki began hosting MMA matches in Japan. These events were important, as they inspired the shoot-style movement in Japanese professional wrestling (“shoot style” wrestling refers to real wrestling). This led to the creation of such MMA organizations as Shooto, which got its start in 1985. Today in Japan, many professional wrestlers make the transition to the world of MMA.

Bruce Lee was also highly influential in the formation of MMA. He championed the idea of taking the best elements of boxing, karate, judo and other styles and combining them to form a superior brand of fighting. His contributions have not gone unnoticed, as UFC President Dana White has went so far as to call Lee “the father of mixed martial arts.”

The sport of MMA really started to come together with the formation of the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993. Royce Gracie dominated the early competitions, and a new generation of fighters started training in multiple styles in an effort to bridge the gap.

Under pressure from politicians and the media, the UFC dropped its no-holds-barred style in favor of one which was ultimately more fan-friendly. This allowed the sport to gain more exposure in the mainstream media and its popularity to flourish. In 1997, this continued popularity led to the creation of the PRIDE Fighting Championships in Japan.

With stars such as Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Wanderlei Silva, Kazushi Sakuraba, Bas Rutten, Mark Coleman and Tito Ortiz leading the way, the sport was poised to eventually break through and achieve mainstream popularity.

This happened in December of 2006, when UFC light-heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell faced former champion Tito Ortiz. The show, UFC 66, had tremendous pay-per-view numbers and ranked alongside some of the most successful boxing cards of all time.

In 2007, Zuffa LLC, the owners of the UFC, rocked the MMA world when they purchased the PRIDE organization. PRIDE was in financial trouble after allegations of involvement with organized crime cost the company its television contract. While Japan’s top MMA organization remains active, the UFC now has a much larger talent pool to draw from.

But the UFC isn’t the only show in town. Organizations such as HERO’s, Pancrase, Cage Rage, Smackgirl, BodogFight, King of the Cage and Icon Sport all provide exciting and competitive fights for fans across the globe.

With regular coverage on ESPN and in the pages of such mainstream periodicals as Sports Illustrated, mixed martial arts continues its meteoric rise. It has already surpassed boxing in popularity and seems poised for even bigger and better things.

This is as good a time as any to jump on the MMA bandwagon, and MMA Wild is the perfect resource for doing so.