History of the UFC

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the undisputed world champion when it comes to mixed martial arts promotion, producing more than 40 live events annually worldwide. MMA embodies disciplines from different martial arts and Olympic combat sports, like boxing, kick-boxing, karate, judo, jiu-jitsu, wrestling and muay thai. During the infancy of UFC, the brutality of its early rules drew a lot of attention along with criticism that led to ban and cable network cancellation. UFC became popular under Zuffa LLC with new rules inside the octagon cage, sanctioned by Nevada State Athletic Commission in 2001, bounced back to pay-per-view television and continue to grow in the digital age of internet and social media. Check out the origin and history of UFC – from the no-holds-barred Pankration, to the modern MMA and the birth and rebirth of the UFC – in a visual timeline. See also the Martial Arts Belts in Order.