About
Mixed martial arts (MMA) combines striking (boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai) and grappling (wrestling, judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu) in a cage or ring. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), founded in 1993, popularized modern MMA; Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey, and Jon Jones became mainstream sports stars.
The UFC became the fastest-growing sports franchise in history, acquired by WME-IMG in 2016 for $4 billion. McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 (2018) drew 2.4 million pay-per-view buys — the most in UFC history. MMA's popularity has driven global growth in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, wrestling, and kickboxing gyms.
# Top 10 Mixed Martial Arts facts
- 1The UFC was purchased in 2016 for $4 billion — having been bought in 2001 for $2 million
- 2Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather in 2017 generated over $600 million in revenue
- 3Ronda Rousey was the first woman inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame and became a major mainstream celebrity
Fascinating Facts
- ◆The UFC was purchased in 2016 for $4 billion — having been bought in 2001 for $2 million
- ◆Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather in 2017 generated over $600 million in revenue
- ◆Ronda Rousey was the first woman inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame and became a major mainstream celebrity
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