History of Modern MMA pt. 2
As mentioned in part 1 of the series, modern MMA sprung from a mixture of Japanese and Brazilian fighting styles, and was promoted almost exclusively by the Gracie family. Rorion Gracie was passed the torch by his father Hélio, and set his sights on the United States. Recalling his uncle Carlos' open invitation, the young fighter issued the Gracie Challenge once more in California. This time, anyone who could beat him or one of his brothers would receive $100,000. It was wildly successful, and caught the eye of a salesman named Art Davie. These two met with president of Semaphore Entertainment Group to form the "Ultimate Fighting Championship".
But UFC of 1993 was a far cry from its modern descendent. Almost totally unregulated, it was advertised as an underground bloodsport. There were no weight classes, very few rules, and a tournament style event. Tap-outs (when the fighter taps the floor three times), knockouts, and referee-stoppages were the only ways to end a fight. This meant fights would sometimes outlast the spectator's attention, as many fighters began to adopt the very effective Jiu-Jitsu grappling techniques popularized by Royce Gracie, Hélio's brother.
Even in its raw form, it averaged in the hundreds of thousands in pay-per-view tickets. The attraction of no holds barred fighting where anything was possible, including death, was portrayed effectively in a certain well-known film.
Needless to say, many were concerned about the unchecked violence of early UFC fights. In particular, Senator John McCain was deeply disturbed at what he termed "human cockfighting", and led a campaign to end the young sport.