Here’s a brief history of the UFC (1993-present)

Interested in learning more about the top MMA promotion before watching an event or fight? We’ve got you covered. Here’s everything you need to know.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has quickly become one of the most popular promotions in the world. From humble beginnings to ESPN, those three letters have gone through a lot, as it approaches its 26th birthday this November.

The UFC was founded by Art Davie, a New York businessman with a background in sales and marketing Who wanted to answer the question “Who do you think would win in a fight, a boxer or a wrestler?”

Eventually, Davie partnered with Rorian Gracie, the son of legendary Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner Helio Gracie and Campbell McLaren to create the first-ever, no-holds-barred competition, which became UFC 1: The Beginning. The event took place on Nov. 12, 1993.

The event saw future Hall of Famer, Royce Gracie, steamroll each opponent in his path, which earned him the tournament title. What people were awestruck by, however, was how he effortlessly beat his opponents by submission, and how all of his opponents significantly outweighed him.

Semaphore Entertainment Group, the original owner, saw glimpses of success during its tenure.

In 1995, however, the UFC took a turn into obscurity. Politicians were banning the sport from their respective states, and the UFC was taken off of cable pay-per-view. Events were held in gymnasiums across random cities. Where there was not a state athletic commission, the UFC would do everything it could to hold events and stay afloat.

By 2001, the owner of SEG, Bob Meyrowitz, was overwhelmed by the amount of money his company was losing. Meyrowitz sold the UFC to Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, who owned Palace-Station Casinos in Las Vegas, NV. The brothers would make Dana White, a former aerobics instructor, the president of the promotion. The price tag upon purchase: $2 million.

Zuffa LLC., the new parent company of the UFC, would slowly make MMA into a legitimate sport. Adding rules, weight classes, rounds and other things which helped the growth of the sport as the years followed.

Today, the UFC is owned by WMG-IMG. White is still the president and the UFC has turned its company from a $2 million dollar operation into $4 billion.

Some argue that it’s the greatest sports-business story ever, what do you think?