5 Fun Facts About MMA
Chaotic, exhilarating, and sometimes bloody, mixed martial arts (MMA) brings athletes together for full-contact combat. Here are some entertaining MMA facts you can share with friends when you gather for the next big UFC event.
It Started With 3 Rules
There were only three rules during the early days of the UFC. Fighters couldn't bite, aim for the groin, or poke opponents in the eye. Otherwise, each bout was a brutal free-for-all with no time limit, leading participants to battle until someone was knocked out or gave up. Not surprisingly, MMA earned a reputation for being barbaric, but after the UFC introduced fouls, weight divisions, timed rounds, and judges, the sport rose dramatically in popularity.
There Could Have Been Sharks
The UFC was created in 1993 to promote MMA in the United States, with the first event held in Denver, Colorado. Fighters from different martial arts backgrounds matched up in the now-famous Octagon cage, although organizer Rorion Gracie did consider an electric fence or shark tank instead. In the end, cage fighting was more than enough for participants — there were so many injured fighters, the event ran out of ambulances to take them to hospital.
Celebrities Are Financially Backing MMA
In 2016, talent agency and sports marketing giant William Morris Endeavor-International Marketing Group bought the UFC for $4 billion. The group's clients were given a chance to buy stakes in the company, leading to an array of actors, athletes, musicians, and other celebrities becoming UFC owners. Among the high-profile investors were Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Ben Affleck, Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, The Weeknd, LL Cool J, Mark Wahlberg, and Tom Brady.
Olympic Medalists Are Turning to MMA
MMA isn't an Olympic sport, but it does attract Olympic medalists. Sara McMann, the first American woman to earn an Olympic silver in wrestling in 2004, transitioned to MMA in 2011 and won six bouts in a row. She fell short of a UFC title after facing Ronda Rousey in 2014. Henry Cejudo, a gold medalist in freestyle wrestling in 2008, eventually won two UFC championships. Kevin Jackson, a 1992 wrestling gold medalist, earned one title.
The UFC Championship Belt is Made of Gold
Fighters who triumph in their title bouts are awarded the coveted UFC Legacy Championship Belt. The leather belts are decorated with gold and customized with the winner's name and weight division. A ruby-colored stone is added to the belt after each victory. Introduced in 2019, the Legacy Belt weighs over 10 pounds and is three times more valuable than the previous Classic Championship Belt. Each belt reportedly contains two pounds of gold.