UFC fights more than violent hitting
The Ultimate Fighting Championship isn’t just your standard no-holds-barred street or bar fight held in a cage – even though it may look that way.
The UFC is actually a continuation of a tradition of mixed martial arts fighting, which includes karate, jiu-jitsu, boxing, kickboxing and wrestling. And it’s held in a special cage called “The Octagon.”
Although the UFC started in 1993, mixed martial arts competitions have been around for hundreds of years. According to its Web site, UFC originally started out as a tournament to find the ultimate fighting champion, but popularity around the world turned UFC fights into major events.
During the fight’s three, five-minute rounds, the combatants receive points for striking blows with hands, feet, knees or elbows, and grappling, which includes submission holds, throws and takedowns. If the fight goes all three rounds – or five if it’s a title bout – the fighter with the most points wins. But fighters can also win by submission if their opponent taps out physically or verbally, by knockout, or if the referee stops the fight. The fight can also end in a draw.
Despite all the blood, violence and apparent chaos, the sport is heavily regulated. The fighters can only wear a pair of trunks, and four- to six-ounce gloves to protect their hands. The gloves give very little protection for their opponent. Also, no shirts or shoes are allowed because they could interfere with grappling and kicking.
There are also rules against head-butting, eye-gouging, biting, hair-pulling, throat-striking, spitting at an opponent and stomping an opponent on the ground – just to name a few. So, not everything goes in a UFC bout.
The fighters are put in one of five weight classes to match fighters up with someone their size, and there is a champion for each of these weight classes. Like in boxing, fighters have to work their way up by winning fights before they get a title shot.
In order to get into shape, the fighters go through intense training at any of the different mixed martial arts training camps. With “The Ultimate Fighter” television show on Spike TV, the public has been able to get an inside look at UFC training. The show chronicles the training and competition a group of fighters go through to earn a contract to fight in the UFC.
Many of the fighters in the UFC become colorful characters, developing rivalries and enemies. Also, many fighters have nicknames – some include “The World’s Most Dangerous Man,” “The Iceman,” “The Spider” and “The Natural.”
To get more information about the UFC, its fighters, television airtimes or upcoming fights, go to its Web site, www.ufc.com.
-dabake@cc.usu.edu