‘Minotouro’ Nogueira wants to KO Gustaffson Modern mixed martial arts (MMA) tournaments emerged as a popular phenomenon in 1993 with the introduction of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. These early tournaments were based on the concept of pitting different fighting styles against one another in competition with minimal rules, to determine which system would be more effective in a real combat situation. Over the years MMA has instituted more rules in an effort to protect fighters and to gain mainstream acceptance. The popularity of the sport has grown at an amazing rate, becoming fully regulated in forty-two states and setting impressive pay-per-view records.
The history of the modern MMA event can be traced to the Gracie family’s vale tudo (Portuguese for “anything goes”) martial arts tournaments in Brazil starting in the 1920s, as well as early mixed martial arts matches hosted by Antonio Inoki in Japan in the 1970s. The concept of combining various combat disciplines gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with the emergence of Bruce Lee and his philosophy of mixing various martial art styles, Jeet Kune Do. MMA gained international exposure and widespread publicity in the United States in 1993, when Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter Royce Gracie dominated the Ultimate Fighting Championship, sparking a revolution in the martial arts. In Japan, the rapid ongoing growth of interest in the sport resulted in the creation of the PRIDE Fighting Championships in 1997.
Today their are many MMA leagues including:
- UFC
- WEC
- STRIKEFORCE
- BELLATOR
- DREAM
- K1
- MFC
- RAGE IN THE CAGE
- SPORTFIGHT
- PFC
- TFA
- TOTAL COMBAT
- and many others.
MMA is televised worldwide on TV networks such as:
- SPIKE
- VERSUS
- ESPN
- SHOWTIME
- HBO
- Pay-Per-View
Fighters receive worldwide recognition though mainstream TV, online and print media such as:
- ESPN Magazine
- Sports Illustrated
- UFC Magazine
- Fighters Only
- FIGHT! Magazine
- Maxium
- Men’s Fitness
- Muscle & Fitness
- and many others.
