Ultimate Fighting Championship

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is a mixed martial arts promotion founded in 1993 that stages professional fights and operates the UFC brand.

Mixed martial arts: A combat sport in which athletes use techniques from multiple fighting disciplines, including striking and grappling. The UFC stages professional contests within this broader combat sport.
Dana White: An American sports executive who became UFC president in 2001. As president, White has led the promotion through major changes in scale and ownership.
Bellator MMA: An American mixed martial arts promotion founded in 2008 and later acquired by the Professional Fighters League. Bellator has competed with the UFC for fighters and audiences while operating under different ownership.
Mixed martial arts regulation: The laws, commissions, and standards that govern professional mixed martial arts competitions. Regulatory acceptance allowed the UFC to hold events in jurisdictions that once barred it.
Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts: The standardized rules governing professional mixed martial arts contests in many jurisdictions. These rules define legal techniques, fouls, rounds, and judging for most UFC bouts.
Rorion Gracie: A Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner and promoter who co-founded the Ultimate Fighting Championship. His family’s fighting system shaped the UFC’s early identity and first events.
ONE Championship: A Singapore-based combat sports promotion that stages mixed martial arts, kickboxing, and Muay Thai events. Its multi-sport format and Asian-centered market differ from the UFC’s promotion model.
New Jersey Athletic Control Board: The state agency that regulates professional combat sports in New Jersey. Its adoption of unified rules in 2000 helped establish a regulatory framework used by the UFC.
UFC weight classes: The divisions that group UFC fighters by body weight for competition. Weight limits structure matchmaking and determine which titles fighters can contest.
Conor McGregor: An Irish mixed martial artist and former UFC champion in two weight divisions. McGregor became one of the UFC’s most prominent stars and a major pay-per-view draw.

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