UFC originated in the early 1990s when television producers created events to answer which fighting style was best by matching boxers against wrestlers and comparing disciplines like kung fu and karate. Early matchups drew major attention, but the organizers did not realize they were building a new sport. The idea that no single style is best led to the view that complete fighters need a mix of skills. UFC later adopted regulation after being acquired in 2001, with athletic commissions overseeing events in each state. The format features two fighters in an octagon under standardized rules designed to reduce stalling and improve competitiveness.
"UFC has what kind of rules? You get into this octagon, two men or two women, and then what? So what you're saying is exactly right. When you started pitting style versus style, it wasn't very exciting, and there was a lot of stalling. And when we bought the UFC back in 2001, we ran toward regulation, meaning to have the athletic commissions in each state oversee us."
Read at The New Yorker
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]