While it might seem like mixed martial arts has long been popular, the truth of the matter is that MMA has only been around since the early 1990s and for many years struggled to gain popularity. There are many pivotal moments in the history of the sport, such as UFC 1, which was held in 1993. Since that time, there have been many landmark moments and the following are just the tip of the iceberg.
While UFC 1 certainly was very important in the history of MMA, the audience was fairly small, with just 86,000 people paying for the fight on pay-per-view and less than 15,000 people in attendance at the event. It took some years, but in 2008, UFC 91 became the first MMA event to have a pay-per-view buy above one million. The event included a bout between Brock Lesnar and Randy "The Natural" Couture.
John McCain once referred to MMA as "human cockfighting," but MMA is not simply an expansion of a grisly Tyler Durden dream. There are real rules to the sport and all legitimate MMA organizations have always implemented at least a few rules. The United Rules of Mixed Martials Arts govern the sport and not only set up a structure for bouts, but also help to protect fighters from injuries. While it's true that these rules were not official throughout the country until 2009, state athletic commissions and MMA organizations did have rules, and while some might prefer a huge free-for-all in the cage, rules attach legitimacy to a sport and adopting these rules has only helped the sport progress.
Building an audience has been a big challenge in mixed martial arts, but there have been a few big steps along the way. In 2005, Spike TV began a show called The Ultimate Fighter (now filming its 18th season). Two seasoned MMA veterans, Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, trained young fighters for a chance to earn the title of Ultimate Fighter. The show has been a huge success, attracting early fans of MMA and earning new fans to the sport. In addition, it's notable because it truly showcases the work and high level of skill required by MMA fighters.
The introduction of women into the sport has been a slow process, and while women have competed for organizations such as Strikeforce and Bellator for several years, it took UFC much longer to get with the program and allow sanctioned MMA events for women. The 2009 Strikeforce bout between Gina Carano and Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos (now Justino) not only proved that people were interested in watching women fight, but that the ladies were great fighters.
Fortunately even Dana White can admit to his mistakes and finally allowed women to fight at UFC. The first women's event was held in February of 2013 between Liz Carmouche and Ronda Rousey. While Rousey won easily, it was still the highlight of UFC 157 and the women were listed at the main event of the night.
While UFC 1 certainly was very important in the history of MMA, the audience was fairly small, with just 86,000 people paying for the fight on pay-per-view and less than 15,000 people in attendance at the event. It took some years, but in 2008, UFC 91 became the first MMA event to have a pay-per-view buy above one million. The event included a bout between Brock Lesnar and Randy "The Natural" Couture.
John McCain once referred to MMA as "human cockfighting," but MMA is not simply an expansion of a grisly Tyler Durden dream. There are real rules to the sport and all legitimate MMA organizations have always implemented at least a few rules. The United Rules of Mixed Martials Arts govern the sport and not only set up a structure for bouts, but also help to protect fighters from injuries. While it's true that these rules were not official throughout the country until 2009, state athletic commissions and MMA organizations did have rules, and while some might prefer a huge free-for-all in the cage, rules attach legitimacy to a sport and adopting these rules has only helped the sport progress.
Building an audience has been a big challenge in mixed martial arts, but there have been a few big steps along the way. In 2005, Spike TV began a show called The Ultimate Fighter (now filming its 18th season). Two seasoned MMA veterans, Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, trained young fighters for a chance to earn the title of Ultimate Fighter. The show has been a huge success, attracting early fans of MMA and earning new fans to the sport. In addition, it's notable because it truly showcases the work and high level of skill required by MMA fighters.
The introduction of women into the sport has been a slow process, and while women have competed for organizations such as Strikeforce and Bellator for several years, it took UFC much longer to get with the program and allow sanctioned MMA events for women. The 2009 Strikeforce bout between Gina Carano and Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos (now Justino) not only proved that people were interested in watching women fight, but that the ladies were great fighters.
Fortunately even Dana White can admit to his mistakes and finally allowed women to fight at UFC. The first women's event was held in February of 2013 between Liz Carmouche and Ronda Rousey. While Rousey won easily, it was still the highlight of UFC 157 and the women were listed at the main event of the night.
About the Author:
Rod Bourgoine enjoys writing about mixed martial arts benefits. For more information about San Diego mma classes or to find a jiu jitsu gym in San Diego, go to The Arena MMA website today.
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