UFC

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts (MMA) organization, currently recognized as the major MMA promotion in North America.

The UFC was started as a tournament to find the world's best fighter, no matter their style, and was based upon Brazilian vale tudo fighting. Although there was a limited number of rules, the UFC was initially known as no holds barred fighting and contests were often violent and brutal. Early UFC fights were less sport than spectacle, which led to accusations of brutality and "human cockfighting" by opponents. Political pressures eventually led the UFC into the underground, as pay-per-view providers nixed UFC programming, nearly extinguishing the UFC's public visibility.

As political pressure mounted, the UFC reformed itself, slowly embracing stricter rules, becoming sanctioned by athletic commissions, and marketing itself as a legitimate sporting event. Dropping the no holds barred label and carrying the banner of mixed martial arts, the UFC has emerged from its political isolation to become more socially acceptable, regaining its position in pay-per-view television. With a cable television deal and legalization of MMA in California, a hotbed for MMA fandom, the UFC is currently undergoing a remarkable surge in popularity, along with heightened media coverage. UFC programming can now be seen in the United States, as well as in Australia, Britain, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Brazil and Ireland.

The UFC is currently based in Las Vegas, Nevada, and owned and operated by Zuffa.

Rules

The current rules for the Ultimate Fighting Championship were originally established by the New Jersey Athletic Control Board. The "Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts" that New Jersey established has been adopted in other states that regulate mixed martial arts, including Nevada, Louisiana, and California. These rules are also used by many other promotions within the United States, becoming mandatory for those states that have adopted the rules, and so have become the standard de facto set of rules for professional mixed martial arts across the country.

Rounds

Every round in UFC competition is five minutes in duration. Title matches have five rounds, and non-title matches have three rounds. There is a one minute rest period between rounds.

Weight divisions

The UFC currently uses five weight classes:

• Lightweight: 146 to 155 lb (66 to 70 kg)
• Welterweight: 156 to 170 lb (77 kg)
• Middleweight: 171 to 185 lb (84 kg)
• Light Heavyweight: 186 to 205 lb (93 kg)
• Heavyweight: 206 to 265 lb (120 kg)

In addition, there are four other weight classes specified in the Unified Rules which the UFC does not currently utilize:

• Flyweight: under 125 lb (<57>
• Bantamweight 126 to 135 lb (61 kg)
• Featherweight 136 to 145 lb (66 kg)
• Super Heavyweight above 265 lb (>120 kg)

Cage

The UFC uses an octagonal caged enclosure, "The Octagon", to stage bouts. Originally, SEG had trademarked The Octagon and prevented other mixed martial arts promotions from using the same type of cage, but in 2001, Zuffa gave their permission for other promotions to use octagonal cages (whilst reserving use of the name "Octagon"). Their rationale was that the young sport needed uniformity in order to continue to win official sanctioning.

The cage is composed of an eight-sided metal fencing coated with black vinyl, with a diameter of 38 ft, allowing 30 ft of space from point to point. The fence is 6 ft high. The cage sits on top of a platform, raising it 4 ft from the ground. It has foam padding around the top of the fence and between each of the eight sections. It also has two entry-exit gates opposite each other.

The mat, painted with sponsorship logos and art, is replaced for each event.

Attire

All competitors must fight in approved shorts, without shoes or any other sort of foot padding. Shirts, gis or long pants (including gi pants) are not allowed. Fighters must use approved light gloves (4 to 6 ounces) that allow fingers to grab. These gloves enable fighters to use tremendous punching power with less risk of an injured or broken hand over bare knuckles.

Originally the attire for UFC was very open if controlled at all. Many fighters still chose to wear tight-fitting shorts or boxing-type trunks, while others wore long pants or tight wrestling suits. Multi-time tournament champion Royce Gracie wore a Jujutsugi in all his early appearances in UFC.

Match outcome

Matches usually end via:

• Submission: a fighter taps on the mat or his opponent three times (or more) or verbally submits.
• Knockout: a fighter falls from a legal blow and is either unconscious or unable to immediately continue.
• Technical Knockout: stoppage of the fight by the referee if the referee determines a fighter cannot "intelligently defend" himself; if warnings to the fighter to improve his position or defense go unanswered (generally, two warnings are given, about 5 seconds apart); or by ringside doctor due to injury.
• Judges' Decision: Depending on scoring, a match may end as:

• unanimous decision (all three judges score a win for one fighter),
• split decision (two judges score a win for one fighter with the third for the other),
• majority decision (two judges score a win for one fighter with one for a draw),
• unanimous draw (all three judges score a draw),
• majority draw (two judges score a draw).
• split draw (the total points for each fighter is equal)

A fight can also end in a technical decision, technical draw, disqualification, forfeit or no contest.

Judging criteria

The ten-point must system is in effect for all UFC fights; three judges score each round and the winner of each receives ten points, the loser nine points or less. If the round is even, both fighters receive ten points. In New Jersey, the fewest points a fighter can receive is 7, and in other states by custom no fighter receives less than 7.

Fouls

The Nevada State Athletic Commission currently lists the following as fouls:

1. Butting with the head.
2. Eye gouging of any kind.
3. Biting.
4. Hair pulling.
5. Fish hooking.
6. Groin attacks of any kind.
7. Putting a finger into any orifice or into any cut or laceration on an opponent. (see Gouging)
8. Small joint manipulation.
9. Striking to the spine or the back of the head. (see Rabbit punch)
10. Striking downward using the point of the elbow. (see Elbow (strike))
11. Throat strikes of any kind, including, without limitation, grabbing the trachea.
12. Clawing, pinching or twisting the flesh.
13. Grabbing the clavicle.
14. Kicking the head of a grounded opponent.
15. Kneeing the head of a grounded opponent.
16. Stomping a grounded opponent.
17. Kicking to the kidney with the heel.
18. Spiking an opponent to the canvas on his head or neck. (see piledriver)
19. Throwing an opponent out of the ring or fenced area.
20. Holding the shorts or gloves of an opponent.
21. Spitting at an opponent.
22. Engaging in unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to an opponent.
23. Holding the ropes or the fence.
24. Using abusive language in the ring or fenced area.
25. Attacking an opponent on or during the break.
26. Attacking an opponent who is under the care of the referee.
27. Attacking an opponent after the bell has sounded the end of a round.
28. Flagrantly disregarding the instructions of the referee.
29. Timidity, including, without limitation, avoiding contact with an opponent, intentionally or consistently dropping the mouthpiece or faking an injury.
30. Interference by the corner.
31. Throwing in the towel during competition.

When a foul is charged, the referee in their discretion may deduct one or more points as a penalty. If a foul incapacitates a fighter, then the match may end in a disqualification if the foul was intentional, or a no contest if unintentional. If a foul causes a fighter to be unable to continue later in the bout, it ends with a technical decision win to the injured fighter if the injured fighter is ahead on points, otherwise it is a technical draw.

Match conduct

• The referee has the right to stop the fighters and stand them up if they reach a stalemate on the ground (where neither are in a dominant position, nor are working towards one) after a verbal warning. This rule is codified in Nevada as the stand-up rule.

• If the referee pauses the match, the match is resumed with the fighters in the position they were before.

• Any grabbing of the cage will result in a verbal warning, followed by an attempt by the referee to release the grab by pulling on the grabbing hand. If that attempt fails or if the fighter continues to hold the cage, the referee may charge a foul.

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