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The Evolution of the UFC
by Greg Roberts
Almost ten years ago, on November 12, 1993, the foundation of martial arts in the United States was rocked by the first Pay-Per-View showing of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Or was it the Ultimate Fighting Challenge? The bad broadcasting of old aside, UFC 1: The Beginning was a landmark event for No-Holds-Barred fighting. In the aftermath of Royce Gracie's repeated dismantling of opponents that were almost always substantially larger than him, anyone who considered themselves a 'martial artist' had to reevaluate their ability to actually win a fight against an opponent of another  discipline. In the subsequent 2 UFC's, practitioners of the most prominent martial arts in America at the time (Karate, Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do) were shown their inadequacies when it came to fighting an opponent skilled in grappling and submissions.
Now, almost ten years later, the UFC is still going strong, though the format has changed significantly. There have been many changes from the old days of the UFC, when one could see teeth flying and a bloody Fred Ettish crumpled on the floor. Many fans recall with glee the infamous Keith Hackney groin punches to Joe Son and Art Jimmerson fighting with one boxing glove on. In 2003, however, the once shocking spectacle has been replaced by a sanctioned, regulated combative competition, vying for recognition alongside the staples of the U.S. combative sports such as the lucrative arena of professional boxing and the widespread practice of amateur wrestling. Now, mixed martial arts has gained a certain degree of legitimacy, albeit through the numerous regulations which have been added to the competition in order to make it more of a sport than a spectacle. Throughout, the UFC has been the premier venue for the sport, and as its tenth anniversary show, aptly named UFC 45: Revolution, quickly approaches, the fans of the UFC are given an opportunity to reflect on where we started, where we are, and where we're going.
The last of the eight man tournaments were fought long ago, and included names we still see on fight cards in other venues today; names like Frye, Coleman, and Goodridge. But gone are the days of the fights without time limits, the headbutts, the groin punches, and guys fighting in a gi. No more 18 minute fights between the oldie-but-goodies like Oleg and Tank. Now there are three, five-minute rounds, and an array of rules to protect the fighters and (hopefully) keep the fight from becoming boring. Although the fight card that Dana White and Zuffa have put together for this event may lack the potential to match the excitement of some of the recent shows the UFC has put on, it is nonetheless a solid indicator of the current state of affairs in the UFC.
Matt Hughes is lined up to defend his title for the umpteenth time against Frank Trigg. While Trigg is an excellent wrestler and experienced fighter, Hughes is at the top of his game and will most likely deliver Trigg to the ranks of the welterweights that have been overcome by his relentless domination of the weight class.  The colorful characters of the UFC are in force in the personas of "The New York Bas Ass" Phil Baroni and the ever-good-for-a-show Tank Abbot. While these flamboyant individuals may add a bit of pro-wrestling feel to the show, few could dispute that they are nonetheless entertaining. To be fair, they both possess the potential to deliver a quick, vicious knockout, and isn't that what we pay to see? A decisive win via a smooth submission a la Frank Mir (who is rumored to have a rematch with Wes Sims on this fight card) or brutal KO handed out by someone like "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (also rumored to be on the fight card versus Chris Lytle) is how fans want to see every fight end. Unfortunately, the UFC has had cards that were plagued by tedious 3 round decisions. The match up between Din Thomas and Yves Edwards, two lightweights striving to gain notoriety among the ranks of the 155-pounders, is likely to end as such. While both fighters are talented and skilled, their similar styles and abilities may make for a 15 minute snoozer, not unlike the Penn-Serra match in UFC 39.
The frequency of such fights, as well as the difficulties involved with finding a true, undisputed champion (at least one that will stick around unlike Pulver or Bustamante, anyways) in the light, middle, and heavyweight categories, have been the thorns in Zuffa's side since they bought the UFC from SEG sports. However, some of these complications have arisen from the rules that have been implemented as a necessity in order to make MMA legitimate as a professional athletic competition, and the resultant opportunity for a large paycheck therein. So far, steady progress has been made to legitimize and popularize the sport, to include sanctioning by the Nevada and New Jersey State Athletic Commissions, putting it the UFC one step closer to parity with boxing, and in the notable locales of Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
So where do we go from here? Unfortunately, events like the UFC will always have difficulty overcoming the negative stereotypes of being brutal and bloody spectacles. When the sport one is passionate about is recurrently attacked by senators, the media, and everyone else that is ignorant to the ins and outs of the UFC and its MMA brethren, it can be a bit disheartening. To be fair, watching mixed martial arts competitions isn't for everybody. However, the potential for the sport to grow is there. Hopefully, the difficulties that are being experienced now are only growing pains on our way to the mainstream. Media attention, a wider fan base, big name sponsors, et cetera are all possibilities for a show as entertaining as the UFC. As long as Zuffa can continue to put together quality cards with exciting fighters like Mir and Lawler, colorful personalities like Tank, and class acts like the Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture, the UFC has nowhere to go but up. After all, if bull riding, cheerleading, and all the rest of the random, unexciting spectacles have themselves a timeslot on ESPN 2 through 5, then MMA has a fighting chance, right?
* Article by Greg Roberts.
* Back to Issue #4 Frontpage
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