Whether you’re an avid UFC viewer or learning mixed martial arts, there’s a lot to learn about the Ultimate Fighting Championship and how it secured such a prominent, global role in sports and entertainment.
What is the UFC?
While the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) hosts mixed martial arts competitions, it is not a sport; it’s a corporation. Endeavor, a holding company that represents clients active in talent and media realms, owns the UFC.
It is headquartered in Las Vegas, hosts over 40 live events annually, and broadcasts to more than 165 countries. The UFC provides the most pay-per-view events in the world and serves as a lucrative investment for many people, including several prominent celebrities.
The UFC was founded in 1993. The business strategies of its leaders, including president Dana White, have made it the biggest organization to host MMA fights, giving the sport a massive global following.
In MMA, fighters can perform striking and grappling techniques. Competitors often have experience in a range of martial arts, from jiu-jitsu to karate and sumo.
Fight Rules
UFC matches are not brawls in which anything goes. The corporation has a precise and detailed rulebook to promote the safety of its fighters and create standards for determining winners.
Inside the Octagon, a referee regulates the fight and steps in when fighters commit fouls, monitor knockouts, and determine if a match should end early to prevent a competitor from incurring further damage. Three judges evaluate every fight.
The UFC does not have a set number of rounds, but there are limits depending on the event.
For example, championship and main fight events often have a five-round maximum; other fights might cap at three rounds (with a rare fourth, sudden death round in the case of a draw). Each round can last up to five minutes.
Fighters receive one-minute breaks in between.
Fighters operate within weight divisions to ensure they compete against others with similar builds. Currently, there are eight divisions for men and four for women.
How a Fight Can End
Judges use a points system each round to select a winner.
Using a ten-point scale, judges score rounds individually, naming the fighter with the best performance overall the champion. However, there are several other ways for a competitor to end their fight early and earn the victor’s title.
Perhaps the most dramatic way to win a fight is via knockout. A competitor lands a blow that causes their opponent to temporarily lose consciousness, rendering them unable to continue the fight.
The referee or doctor may also deem it unsafe for a fighter to continue, resulting in a technical knockout (TKO) and victory for the opponent.
Submissions are another common way for a fight to end. At any point in the round, a fighter may tap the mat three times or provide a verbal submission, often occurring when they find themselves trapped in a choke or arm bar.
Just as there are surefire strategies to win a fight quickly, there are also many ways to lose. If a fighter intentionally and severely breaches the rules, they can be disqualified. They may also forfeit a match by stopping the fight for unclear reasons.
In rare occurrences, judges declare a no-contest, in which a fighter can’t participate long enough for them to make a decision, or they refuse to abide by the established rules. As it stands, there are 35 fouls in MMA.
What to Expect at a UFC Event
Though it’s always an option to watch skilled MMA fighters go toe-to-toe from the comfort of your couch, you might be looking to step up the excitement with UFC tickets to a live event.
Even if you throw at-home viewing parties for Fight Night, it’s safe to say you can’t replicate the dynamic environment of attending a fight in person. The cheers, boos, and walk-out songs are louder, and the intensity of the fighters is more visceral.
Not only do you get to watch the fighters directly in front of you, but you can also enjoy the close-ups and various angles provided by the screens set up throughout the arena. What’s more, fights aren’t limited to a single event.
If you buy tickets to attend, you’ll be able to show up hours before the main event begins to watch and cheer on other skilled competitors. The crowds during preliminaries will also be smaller, allowing you to enjoy more space.