World Of Swords

Mixed martial arts fighting is fast becoming one of the biggest sports in America. Will it ever be the number one sport? Well, I guess that depends on who you ask. I personally think the sport is just going to continue getting bigger. Im not sure if it will ever be the number one sport though. This sport does appeal to a lot of age groups, which could be why the sport is expanding at such an incredible rate

Why is, mixed martial arts growing so fast? Is it because of the short, fast paced, 5 minute rounds, which can be a non-stop adrenaline rush! With fights ending in knockout or submissions before the first round even ends. Is it because the sport appeals to so many different age groups or is it because its new and exciting, will it phase out in a few years?

With the UFC stars being noticed now for being athletes, that train just as hard, or even harder than normal athletes. Will this sport finally gain the respect it deserves? It used to be called a blood sport or cock fighting. In fact I believe some people still regard the sport as that. Do people realize the discipline involved now, the constant workouts for strength, conditioning and of course the martial arts training.

This sport has gone through some remarkable transformations over the years. The UFC has done remarkable things for MMA. What one was viewed only by a few thousand people at most, to now viewing live UFC nights to millions of people worldwide!

With impressive sales and huge demand, the UFC is the number one place for fighters to go to. If you want to fight the best fighters in the world you will have to break into the UFC ranks. Once there you will be able to make a very nice living, well if youre good.

So if youre new to this sport, and you have just starting to follow the UFC you are in for a great ride. If youre already a fan and have been following MMA Im sure you will agree with me. This is a fantastic sport which will only get bigger.

Brian Bowles used a counter right hook late in the first round to defeat Miguel Angel Torres by TKO and win the WEC Bantamweight title in the main event of WEC 42. Though Bowles entered as a highly respected, undefeated challenger his stoppage victory over Torres"a fighter who ranked high atop most pound for pound best lists"has to be considered one of the major MMA upsets of the year.

One day after a UFC 101 card that was lackluster at best and disappointing at worst, MMA fans were hoping that the WEC would deliver an exciting event as they almost inevitably do. They werent disappointed, and there really wasnt a bad fight on the card which featured several brutal knockouts along with tightly contested decisions. The event will be remembered for the main event and the shocking upset of Torres, whom commentator Frank Mir had been championing as the pound for pound best fighter in the sport of late. Torres certainly had the credentials"a fighter equally as dangerous on his feet as on the ground, hed compiled a 37-1 record entering the fight against Bowles. Since a 2003 decision loss to Ryan Ackerman, Torres had run off 17 straight victories including his most recent triumph by decision over a tough challenge from Japanese striking machine Takeya Mizugaki.

Bowles quickly announced his presence with authority rocking Torres with an overhand right and scoring a takedown within the first minute. After a groundfighting sequence, the two fighters exchanged punches again and initially it looked like Torres was getting the best of things as he landed a multiple punch combination that sent Bowles backing up. Almost out of nowhere, however, Bowles countered with a perfectly placed short right hook that sent the champion to the canvas. He followed up with some nasty ground and pound punches including a big left hand that knocked his opponent unconscious and forced the referee to wave off the fight.

In his postfight interview, Bowles sounded unsurprised by the outcome. His comments indicated that hed been very well prepared for Torres considerable skills and though he conceded that hed been stung by the punching barrage waited for the opening to throw the right hook that ended the fight. Bowles displayed considerable class in victory, and Torres conducted himself in a matter befitting a champion as he accepted the defeat.

A rematch between Bowles and Torres is almost inevitable, but theres plenty of talent in the WEC bantamweight division. The semifinal bout on the card pitted two of these competitors in what may have been an elimination match for #1 contender status as Dominick Cruz handed feisty Joseph Benavidez his first professional loss via unanimous decision.

Further muddling the picture in the bantamweight division was an earlier fight on the card, in which Takeya Mizugaki outlasted Jeff Curran to win a split decision victory. Mizugaki scored takedowns in all three rounds and did enough from the top position while fending off submission attempts to earn the verdict and make his claim for #1 contender status.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has introduced a form of fighting which it classed as no-holds-barred. In the beginning the Ultimate Fighting Championships had very few rules. There were no weight classes and no time limits or rounds. The only rules were that fighters could not eye gouge, bite, or fish hook, and fights could only end with a referees stoppage, knock out, or submission, which could be done verbally, or by a tap out, where the fighter must tap the mat, or his opponent three times with his hand or foot to signal that he submits.

The event was a one night tournament, where competitors would fight several times in one night, in a single elimination style tournament until a champion was named. The lack of weight classes was an obvious problem, when 415 pound sumo wrestler was allowed to fight 216 pound kick boxer. This scene was later repeated in the third UFC event, when 6-foot-8inch tall, 600 pound sumo wrestler, was allowed to fight 5-foot-11-inch tall, 200 pound karate fighter.

As the UFC gained popularity, it became a political topic, as one Arizona Senator launched a campaign against the UFC. As a result, in 1997, pay-per-view companys dropped the Ultimate Fighting Championship events from their line-ups.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship remained out of sight, without pay-per-view coverage, and banned from all but a handful of states for several years, until the franchise was purchased by Zuffa, LLC. Zuffa, a Las Vegas based media and casino management company owned by Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, took over the UFC franchise with the intention of returning it to its former popularity, and eventually gaining the sport mainstream acceptance. The Fertittas and Zuffa President Dana White sought to turn the UFC into a good, clean sport with actual rules, which allowed the sport to eventually become sanctioned. This would be a huge step for the UFC, as sanctioning provides a legitimization for the sport, according to Bruce Buffer.

Dana White and the Fertittas work hard work came apparent in 2001, when the UFC returned to pay-per-view, with record PPV sales, and record ticket sales at their live events. The new and improved UFC returned with a stricter set of rules, which included rounds, time limits, five weight classes, a list of 31 fouls, and 8 possible ways to win. The UFC fighters were very different from those that entered the Octagon in 1993. Current UFC fighters are among the best conditioned athletes in the world. Often, fighters train for more than six hours a day.

Today, the UFCs pay-per-view sales are rising quickly, and most of live shows are sold out at the arenas. A lot of fighters now spend a few years fighting in smaller events, getting experience before they go to the UFC. Mixed martial arts is also currently the fastest growing sport in the United States, as mixed martial arts events and training centers spring up all over the country, and the money the sport is making continues to grow at a nearly exponential rate.