| Mixed Martial Arts, as we know it today, was | | | | The concept of proto-MMA continued on through |
| developed from the Ultimate Fighting Championship, or | | | | European history and led to a match between a |
| UFC, starting in 1993. The UFC was formed initially to | | | | wrestler and a boxer in the United States in 1887. In |
| discover the ultimate fighting style, which led to various | | | | the early 1900’s, there was a duel between an |
| hybrids of older fighting traditions. However, the | | | | Italian wrestler and a Japanese fighter skilled in various |
| concept of mixing fighting styles in combat situations is | | | | Asian forms. From there, it expanded to Japan and |
| much older than the UFC. | | | | other countries in the Pacific Rim. |
| It can be said that the search for the ultimate fighting | | | | In the late 1960's and early ‘70s, the quest for an |
| technique predates history, as even the apes use | | | | ultimate fighting style blending older forms and adding |
| unarmed combat. The earliest documented accounts | | | | new styles had a resurgence. The legendary martial |
| of mixed fighting styles we have is from the Olympics | | | | artist, Bruce Lee, with the development of his style of |
| held in Greece in 648 BC, then called the pankration. | | | | fighting called “Jeet Kune Do” returned the |
| This later developed into the Etruscan and Roman | | | | concept of MMA to the American mindset. |
| pancratium, as showcased in the Colosseum. | | | | |