HQ
MMA Headquarters
History of the UFC
UFC started in 1993, following the tradition and history of competitive MMA, dating back to the Greek Olympic Games event named "Pankration" which took place in 648 BC. "Vale Tudo", originating in Brazil around 80 years ago sparked interest in the sport and over the years, UFC introduced the sanctioned and organized MMA to the United States. Staging tournaments taking place in a single night, the goal was to find "The Ultimate Fighting Champion", featuring the best athletes in diverse disciplines including boxing, kickboxing, grappling, wrestling, sumo, karate, jiu-jitsu and other combat sports. UFC got a new ownership in 2001 and got restructured into a highly organized, sanctioned and controlled combat sport. UFC now produces over 40 live events every year that sell out world's most prestigious arenas consistently. Now it is broadcasted in 165 countries and in 40 languages, for over 1.1 billion households. The UFC was acquired by another company in 2016, making the acquisition the largest ever financial acquisition of a sports property.
Currently Running Organizations
UFC, also known as the Ultimate Fighting Championship is without a doubt the biggest MMA organization as it is the first organization that comes to mind when MMA is being talked about. Besides from UFC, Bellator FC is the second largest promotion in the sport, drawing attention with a tournament format unlike any other organization. ONE FC is also an organization which is the biggest promotion in Asia, mostly consisting of Asian fighters. It is also the fastest growing promotion in the sport. There is also an organization which is dedicated to woman's MMA, named Invicta FC. Even though it was thought to be a bad business move to include only female fighters, it turned out to be the opposite with cheap pay-per-views and great fights. It is now the home for every rising female fighter. There are also other minor organizations all over the world which has their own stars. With the sport's growing popularity, these organizations are able to get TV time on networks like Spike TV, AXS TV and Showtime.
How it dominated boxing
There is a rivalry between boxing and MMA that has been going forever. This is due to boxing fans' and figures' comments towards MMA. Boxing experts say that MMA is too brutal. They say that MMA is not eligible enough to be recognized as an official sport. As boxing is called "The sweet science", boxing's media figures say that MMA is nothing like art unlike boxing. However there are many boxing legends who happen to be huge MMA fans like Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez. Moreover, MMA happens to be the more popular combat sport than boxing. It is via media, the diversity of gyms and many fan related features that makes MMA more visible in the sports world.
