Early Ultimate Fighting Championship tournaments lacked rules, leading to brutal fights that attracted pay-per-view audiences. Due to pressure from state athletic commissions, however, Ultimate Fighting Championship has undergone significant change over time by adding weight divisions and gloves as well as banning certain forms of striking including hair pulling, groin shots and headbutting.
UFC 300 features several Canadian fighters, such as middleweight champ Sean Strickland and challenger Dricus Du Plessis from Canada as well as debutante women’s bantamweight contender Kayla Harrison who makes her UFC debut.
History
The UFC is one of the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organizations, boasting one of the highest viewership numbers worldwide. Millions watch it every week; its influence can even be found within popular culture; many sports fans have adopted its aggressive style as their own.
Beginning in 1993, business executive Art Davie and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master Royce Gracie collaborated to launch a martial arts tournament pitting different fighting styles against one another. The inaugural competition featured practitioners of karate, boxing, sumo wrestling and kickboxing; with Royce Gracie emerging victorious over all competitors.
The UFC enjoyed tremendous growth in the 2000s thanks to the reality show “The Ultimate Fighter.” Athletes such as Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz and Georges St-Pierre achieved star status within their sport’s arena.
Rules
UFC rules are designed to safeguard fighters and uphold the integrity of the sport. They are developed through cooperation among regulators, promoters and fighters and serve to establish a standardized set of MMA regulations.
Missing weight for a fight can result in fines and forfeitures to their purse, along with potential ineligibility to fight in future bouts. To enter UFC fighting successfully, local talent needs to shine in local tournaments or through The Ultimate Fighter (TUF).
Dislike between combatants can make for good drama, helping sell tickets and pay-per-view purchases. A fight featuring two opponents who dislike each other has the potential to generate millions in profits for promotion companies.
Pay-per-view events
MMA draws many avid supporters who can afford the events. There are also casual fans that may lose interest after watching their favorite fighters fight 15 or 16 times annually, making it important for these casual viewers to have access to live UFC events via streaming services like YouTube TV.
YouTube TV provides more than live fight streaming; subscribers can watch reruns of past events anytime they please. Furthermore, its cloud DVR service enables subscribers to record and watch favorite events later – an especially handy feature for fans living in busy areas or who find it hard to attend live events themselves.
Prize money
Fans often believe MMA fighter pay is inadequate; however, in reality these athletes earn some of the highest wages in sports. UFC fighters make not only fixed fight salaries but also bonuses based on performance in the octagon; depending on popularity and recent results they could make anywhere from half a million to five million dollars depending on performance bonuses alone.
At UFC 300’s pre-fight press conference, Dana White made an exciting announcement: fighters winning Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night will receive $300,000. This bonus money amount is SIX times greater than previous events and should serve as an extra motivation for competitors this weekend.
Equipment
UFC has long had partnerships with numerous equipment providers. This allows fighters to have access to customized gear for training and workouts – from shoes and t-shirts, all the way down to workout pants! Once in their host city for an event, fighters receive their bag of equipment which includes Reebok gear that they try on on a trial basis and may adjust on demand, taking priority for fight night attire over other clothing items.
UFC and VENUM’s partnership is an ideal match. Both brands understand a fighter’s specific training and competition needs intimately, making the VENUM | UFC line of equipment 100% fighter-centric; even its details like expandable sleeves and pant cuffs were created specifically with fighters in mind.