Ultimate Fighting Championship & Mixed Martial Arts

A number of people in Virginia, Washington DC and Maryland, have heard of the UFC. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the largest mixed martial arts promotional organization in the world. The UFC focuses on heavy weight classes, while the WEC (World Extreme Cagefighting) focuses on the lighter weight classes. The UFC began as a one-event tournament in the early 1990's. There were only a few rules in this tournament, and it was billed as a "no holds barred" event. Because of this, the UFC and mixed martial arts became popularized as brutal and inhuman, and people didn't take it seriously as a sport. Over time, rules and restrictions were put in place and eventually, mixed martial arts was recognized as a sport by the athletic commissions of many states, and public opinion began to turn in a positive direction toward the sport.
In 1992, the original UFC tournament was devised with the initial intent of having eight superior martial artists face off against each other to determine which martial art was the most dominant. Most martial artists at that time were proficient in just one martial art. So the question was, "Can a wrestler beat a boxer?" The tournament set to find this out. These martial artists had little to no experience with fighters of different martial arts, so they didn't know how to fight or defend themselves against the others. There were few rules and no weight classes. Royce Gracie, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu artist, won three of the first four events. He was a small man, but powerful. And he proved the idea that a smaller person could use the martial arts, especially Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, to dominate larger opponents. Leverage and technique could win out over size.
The UFC bouts were broadcast on pay per view and gained national attention, and not all of it was good. Thirty-six states banned the "no holds barred" version of fighting and ultimately, the UFC decided to work with the state athletic commissions to created a universal set of rules for UFC competitions. The Ultimate Fighting Championship worked hard to increase the popularity of its fights. By 2006, a UFC event gained more viewers than boxing and the WWE.
The UFC created its rules in conjunction with the New Jersey athletic commission. They called these rules the "Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts." These have become the standard rules for MMA competitions in the United States. One important rule put into place was the institution of rounds. Each match would now consist of three rounds of five minutes each, with a one minute rest period between rounds. Weight classes were also instituted. The UFC hosts fights in an arena surrounded by an octagonal cage called "The Octagon." This became standard for all bouts a few years ago. The clothing the competitors wear became standardized. Fighters wear shorts, but no shoes. They must also wear lightweight gloves.
The Ultimate Fight Championship played an important role in the development of the sport of MMAs. Standardizing the rules and upgrading its image have been important UFC accomplishments.
Your first step in making your dream come true in fighting at the UFC is to join a MMA school. If you live in the Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC area, you can check out Lloyd Irvin's, Mixed Martial Arts Academies. They offer a 30 day free trial program on any of the MMA programs. Join now, and get one step closer to your dream!
For more details about how you can become a UFC champ and a martial arts expert visit: http://www.lloydirvinlive.com. You can also enroll Mixed Martial Arts in Virginia, DC and Maryland 30 day free Mixed Martial Arts Program that will guarantee overall development.
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