The sport of mixed martial arts has come a long way from the days of brutal vale tudo action in Sao Paulo gymnasiums and Tokyo concert halls. Fighters warming up in the corridors of Korakuen Hall and competing in multiple bare knuckle fights per night have become a distant memory.
Present day and MMA is aired live during primetime on Fox. Back in November UFC's debut event on the network - UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos - reached an average of 5.7 million viewers and a ratings peak of 8.8 million viewers. The most recent event on Fox - UFC on Fox: Rua vs.Vera - the numbers held steady, reaching 2.4 million viewers although had to compete with tough a competitive schedule that included summer Olympics coverage. The next event on Fox takes place in December and should see the best fight card on display in the final UFC on Fox event of 2012.
During the late eighties and early to mid-nineties promotions such as Shooto, Rings and Pancrase often held savage and ill-matched affairs, with embryonic UFC events staging lengthy, cross-disciplined bouts. However, legends were borne and Funaki, Suzuki, Sakurai, Rutten, Shamrock, laid the foundations for the world's fastest growing sport and would be placed alongside the most famous name in MMA, Gracie, as true pioneers, warriors, synonymous with mixed martial arts.
It was in 2001, with Zuffa's purchase of the UFC from Semaphore Entertainment Group that ushered in the era of weight classes, redesigned rules, stricter regulations and cooperation with athletic sanctioning bodies, putting behind them the US government criticism and 'human cockfighting' epithet that had dogged them, and the sport, in the preceding years. Sumo wrestlers versus kickboxers were a thing of the past and the UFC began its journey to becoming the $1 billion-plus business it is today.
Under the stewardship of the 'well-connected' Fertitta brothers, during Zuffa's tenure the UFC, from the brink of bankruptcy, conquered all before it, launching a reality TV series, which has run for fourteen seasons and has two planned for next year including one in Brazil, acquiring Pride, which at the time were suffering financially from lost TV deals and alleged Yakuza connections, and merging with the WEC and subsequently extending their weight divisions.
Inside the ring MMA has also evolved and flourished. All pre-conceived conceptions of fighting and combat sports, Kung Fu, heavyweight boxing, were dispelled as early on BJJ triumphed above all and changed everything as we knew it. Juiced up collegiate wrestlers and ex-Olympians would change the scene for a while as those with a sub defence ruled the roost. That is until strikers re-emerged, re-skilled with master game plans and came out on top as Muay Thai practitioners and even karatekas held the belts. Currently, in the UFC's light-heavyweight division, a young upstart, an MMA native, a multi-dimensional fighter with superb athleticism, holds the crown as well as the title of being the promotions youngest ever champion. Jon Jones, who capped 2011 in what is being hailed the best single-year campaign in MMA history with a ferocious submission of former champ Lyoto Machida, is the epitome of the future of the sport.
Jones has successfully defended his title twice in 2012 against Rashad Evans and Vitor Belfort, whilst the UFC has built upon its debut appearance on network TV and is now fully entrenched within US living rooms of men aged 18 to 34. Beyond this the UFC are thinking global with Brazil, Japan, Australia, Sweden, Canada and the UK hosting 2012 events, while Macao is in line as a destinataion for its debut event in November. Despite complaints of monopolistic practices, the UFC may need to merge with further promotions, Bellator for example, or at the least acquire fresh talent to add to their roster of 375 contracted athletes in order to fulfil their global ambitions, whilst simultaneously turning around the fortunes of dwindling PPV figures.
With the prize purse of UFC events exceeding $1 million including bonuses, mixed martial arts is fast becoming a legitimate career choice for athletes. MMA's continued path into the mainstream and in particular the UFC's movement towards becoming a global 'lifestyle brand', coupled with pending redresses in officiating to match MMA's growth in 2013, and mouth-watering contests between St. Pierre-Condit and dos Santos-Velasquez to see the year out, the future is certainly one to savour.