![]() This initial no rules environment soon gave way to the Unified rules, a transformation not unlike that seen in boxing when London Prizefighting gave way to the Marquis of Queensbury rules. The sport invented that day was originally referred to as "no holds barred" (since the phrase "mixed martial arts" or "MMA" wouldn't be coined until 1995), and was fought practically without any rules. The most widely accepted and commonly told story for the origins of mixed martial arts is that it was introduced to the world on November 12, 1993, when Gerard Gordeau stepped into the cage against Teila Tuli at the very first Ultimate Fighting Championship.Īs this version of the story goes, thanks to an inspired Rorion Gracie and Art Davies, for the first time - or at least the first time in modernity - two disparate styles of martial arts were pitted against one another in a contest of unarmed combat that allowed for both grappling and striking, and where victory could be attained by either rendering your opponent unconscious through blows or by forcing them to surrender from a submission hold. In comparison, the history of mixed martial arts is practically nonexistent - its date of birth not three centuries past, but less than two decades ago. Theirs is a tradition which regales us with the exploits of Hank Armstrong, Joe Louis, Willie Pep, and Sugar Ray Robinson, and recalls the glories of "The War", "The Fight of the Century", "The Rumble in the Jungle", and "The Long Count", while tracing the lineage of the heavyweight title from Wladimir Klitschko today, all the way back to 1729, where James Figg, the recognized father of boxing, was the first man to ever be crowned champion. If there is one aspect of boxing for which fans of mixed martial arts can be forgiven for envying, it is the long and rich history boxing holds over its sporting sibling. ![]() ![]() ![]() This is a revision of an article which was originally posted at the now defunct SBNation Blog, Head Kick Legend by John S. ![]()
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