| It’s easy to see where boxing leaves off and | | | | and triumphant return to the main stage with stricter |
| Mixed Martial Arts begins. Just one look at the UFC | | | | fight rules, pay per views, electric competitions and a |
| octagon, steel cage and frantic crowds and you | | | | show called “Ultimate Fighter.” This all proved to |
| instantly know that MMA is a world apart from the | | | | be a lethal combination that led the UFC and Mixed |
| boxing your grandfather once told you about. This is | | | | Martial Arts back to the limelight that it briefly shared |
| the world where different combat styles pit | | | | with professional boxing. |
| themselves against the rest to determine which one | | | | With the explosion of the Ultimate Fighter the UFC |
| remains supreme. It’s a brutal sport where the will | | | | was able to reach a new audience that has boosted |
| to fight has always been bigger than the will to bring | | | | sales of pay per views, MMA Fighter Gear, apparel |
| home a dollar. The athletes that put themselves into | | | | and ticket sales. The show has helped to breed some |
| the cage have a pride that has long been lost in the | | | | of the most entertaining and efficient fighters in Mixed |
| world of professional boxing. | | | | Martial Arts history. With fans running rabid to get a |
| It hasn’t always been that way. In MMA’s | | | | hold of merchandise sold by Tap Out: a company built |
| yesteryear the fighting that took place has been noted | | | | on the back of Mixed Martial Arts, the UFC has been |
| as human cockfighting by prominent government | | | | able to build long lasting business relationships that has |
| officials such as John McCain. It went from very few | | | | helped them with putting their stamp on the world of |
| states offering sanctioned fights to no states offering | | | | fighting. It is no wonder that pay per view sales have |
| sanctioned fights. Mixed Martial Arts rose to | | | | surpassed that of professional boxing. They also hold |
| prominence in the underground fight leagues and it | | | | their own against the pay per view sales of long |
| seemingly died right there. No one, not even the | | | | established professional wrestling, most notably, World |
| original owners of the UFC thought Mixed Martial Arts | | | | Wrestling Entertainment. |
| had the ability to survive mounting scrutiny of congress | | | | With a firm foothold in the 18-35 demographic there is |
| and the overwhelming dislike by state officials. It | | | | no indication that the UFC and Mixed Martial Arts will |
| seemed as though Mixed Martial Arts had died a | | | | fizzle out like it did in its previous incarnation. As the |
| premature death. | | | | fighters are strong and ready to fight at a moments |
| In 2001 under new ownership and with Dana White as | | | | notice, the leadership behind the sport is equally as |
| their outspoken and fight ready leader it made a quick | | | | hungry to remain on top of the world of fighting. |