UFC is the world’s premier mixed martial arts promotion and has attracted some of the biggest stars in fighting, such as Conor McGregor, Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre and Ronda Rousey.
Unleash MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass and access more live fights and events across multiple disciplines than ever before.
Origins
MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) is a full-contact sport in which fighters utilize various fighting techniques. Fights may end through knockout, submission or medical intervention from doctors; referees, judges or the fighter’s corner usually decide the winner of each octagon fight.
In 1993, Art Davie and Rorion Gracie, both former advertising executives and masters of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu respectively, formed the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Together with Bob Meyrowitz as pay-per-view promoters they hosted their inaugural event – Ultimate Fighting Championship 1 in Denver Colorado featuring single elimination tournaments across various martial arts disciplines.
Today, the UFC is an iconic sports promotion company hosting numerous events every year. Much of its success can be attributed to innovative marketing and cross-platform strategies as well as world-renowned fighters such as Conor McGregor, Georges St-Pierre and Ronda Rousey joining its roster.
Rules
The UFC Rules serve as guidelines designed to ensure fighter safety and fair competition, covering weight classes, judging criteria and other aspects of the sport – providing events worldwide a clear framework. They also contain procedures for addressing technical fouls or violations.
Rules also forbid soccer kicks to the face and knee strikes to downed opponents, making fights less exciting but creating greater safety overall.
These rules are designed to prevent fighters from taking advantage of each other’s weaknesses and creating an unfair playing field. Furthermore, they help preserve the integrity of the sport and attract sponsors; encourage athletes to develop their skills and fight smarter; promote safer fighting techniques and minimize injury risks for fighters.
Formats
UFC events are spectacular displays of martial arts talent. Fighters compete within an eight-sided Octagon designed to prevent injuries. Each fight typically lasts three or five rounds – non-championship bouts usually last 17 minutes while championship bouts tend to go 29.
State Athletic Commission regulations oversee MMA rules. Fighters typically wear clothing appropriate to their fighting style – for instance gis for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or striking mitts and submission holds for striking. Furthermore, various training methods including striking, wrestling and submission holds are used during competition.
This software allows the user to edit on a PC screen the UFC Output Format and UFC Setting Commands output by an A&D weighing instrument equipped with UFC function, store their data received from it and print labels using ZPL or ZPL II mode printing capabilities.
Women’s divisions
UFC Women’s Boxing Championship offers four women’s weight classes from flyweight to featherweight. Ronda Rousey was widely popularized at bantamweight before she was knocked out by Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes.
Valentina Shevchenko currently rules the flyweight division, after becoming the first female fighter ever to claim it via defeating Roxanne Modafferi and twice defending it against Liz Carmouche and Jessica Eye.
The strawweight division offers fighters who possess potency with their striking to make an impressionful statement about themselves and can exploit their power effectively to take down opponents. Brazil’s Jessica Andrade has shown herself to be an impressive presence with her hard knockouts, while former champion Miesha Tate once reigned supreme here.
ESPN deal
ESPN won control of UFC domestic rights from Fox Sports by signing a contract that will see 15 events stream exclusively on ESPN+ and preliminary fights air on ESPN/ESPN2. ESPN estimates the deal to be worth an estimated $150 Million per year.
This new agreement should help the UFC improve their profit margins, which historically depended heavily on pay-per-view sales. With streaming services like Netflix now offering access to content, sports media companies must rethink how they sell their content to maximize earnings.
No one knows yet whether WWE and Netflix will sign an agreement, but such an event would undoubtedly transform combat sports. UFC’s rights with Fox expire in 2025 but remain an influential presence within MMA culture.