Are you a fan of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) or mixed martial arts (MMA)? The now world-famous UFC started way back in the '90s, concocted by Art Davie and Rorion Gracie—quite a journey!
Davie had experience in martial arts and wanted to invent a competition simply to see which martial arts would survive. Things were quite brutal and unorganized at first, as there were little to no rules in the competition. Moreover, the competition actually ended up outlawed in many countries because people assumed that it encouraged violence.
After brothers Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta and Dana White bought the tournament in 2001, they set out to smooth things over and create more recognition and acceptance for the sport. The competition soon came to television in 2005 as "The Ultimate Fighter," and many matches took place globally.
The UFC went through a complete transformation, where people finally started seeing the sport for what it was. The growth of fighting sports had begun on a global scale—this change helped the sport get more viewers and fans.
It has only continued to grow since then and has been garnering fans all over the globe. You may have also come across this popular sport once or twice. Die-hard sports fans will understand the craze and the buzz that many UFC matches ignite.
The sport has caught plenty of attention (and no wonder—have you ever sat and watched a match?), and the fighters are due for a lot of the credit. Over the years, there have been many famous matches, but it's really the best fighters who have brought fans to the sport and turned it into a success.
In particular, there are several significant fighters among those who remain especially memorable. They've done justice to the sport but also played an important role in UFC—so let's take a look at those stand-out individuals in more detail!
Royce Gracie
It's probably not that surprising to hear that Royce Gracie is related to Rorion Gracie (did you see that one coming?). They're brothers, and what's more, they hail from a whole family of martial artists. Royce was an important competitor in multiple UFC tournaments, and he had the honor of winning the titles of UFC 1, UFC 2, and UFC 4! What a start for the fans to remember!
His incredible participation made him one of the most important and influential athletes in the UFC's history. He was a part of the championships from the beginning and played a major role in breathing life into the UFC. And guess who was the first inductee into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2003? Yes, Royce. That's quite a claim to fame in our book.
Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock was an athlete alongside Royce Gracie in UFC 1, but he faced defeat in that initial tournament. Even so, he wasn't beaten: he came back to the UFC and won the title in UFC 6 against Dan Severn. As Ken Shamrock was also one of the first fighters in the UFC, he became a well-known icon.
Along with his fighting skills, Shamrock also helped create the famous rivalries in the UFC—Shamrock-Gracie & Shamrock-Severn. His involvement in the sport brought much attention, which is why he is one of the most significant fighters in this area.
Forest Griffin
Forest Griffin can be considered quite an important figure in raising awareness of the sport. Forest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar's fight took place in the 1st season of "The Ultimate Fighter," and was recorded as one of the most exciting matches in history.
The fight between Griffin and Bonnar was memorable and stayed in people's hearts. Because of the amount of buzz it created, Griffin remains an important figure in the UFC.
Matt Serra
The UFC welterweight champion was the talk of the town in his era. There's no doubt that Matt Serra is an exceptional athlete with amazing skills, and he's been instrumental in raising the competition's profile, as well as having a big impact on other fighters' lives and careers.
Matt Serra competed in UFC 69 and won against George St. Pierre—a loss that St. Pierre took to heart. He saw this as a turning point in his career and began to take the sport more seriously, training harder to improve his skills. After much hard work, St. Pierre has found success and triumphs, which wouldn't have been possible without Serra.
Minoki Ichihara
While Minoki Ichihara is a well-known athlete and quite famous for his skills in karate, he has taught an important lesson to everyone—karate isn't the only powerful martial art. At one point, many people thought that karate black belts were essentially undefeatable by other styles, but Ichihara's famous defeat proved everyone wrong.
When Ichihara, a karate black belt, lost a fight with Royce Gracie, the popular myth came to a rest and showed another side of MMA to the audience.
Conclusion
Of course, this isn't a comprehensive list; there are many other fighters who have made significant contributions to the sport and aren't named here. The UFC has become a phenomenon worldwide, and millions of people watch the game regularly because of the skilled fighters.
Given the tremendous growth that has occurred in recent years, we expect to see the championship continue to expand, gathering even more fans to enjoy watching some of the best fighters throw their passion into the sport.
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