| The Ultimate Fighting Championship debuted on | | | | has one main goal in their mind which is to win. |
| November 12, 1993 under Semaphore | | | | Why is it brutal? Boxing for example, has had |
| Entertainment Group (SEG). In this tournament, | | | | several deaths in the past years related to injuries |
| experts in different martial arts disciplines would | | | | from the sport, while UFC has had none. Football |
| face off against one another to determine which | | | | and basketball, I believe has had more serious |
| style was best in a cage called "The Octagon". | | | | injuries than UFC. Despite the perception of UFC |
| The way to win is by submission, knockout, or | | | | as a brutal engagement, injuries are relatively |
| referree stoppage. Early UFC had few rules and | | | | minor and rare. According to the promoter and |
| restrictions which eventually lead to more | | | | president of UFC, Dana White, "we've never had |
| criticisms and scrutiny from critics. In 2001, SEG | | | | a serious injury", "and what I consider injury is |
| became bankrupt and was then taken over by | | | | something that changes the quality of your life", "I |
| Zuffa LLC. By then, Nevada State Athletic | | | | think the most serious injury we had was a |
| Commission oversaw UFC events and gave | | | | broken forearm". Is UFC a sport? Actually, when I |
| credibility to the media, particularly the cable | | | | watch UFC events, I see it as more than just a |
| companies who carry their pay-per-view events. | | | | sport. Fighters go out there showing respect to |
| Because of the more strict rules and restrictions | | | | each other. |
| that were modified from the early UFC, the | | | | I see more of the spiritual side of the game. I see |
| popularity of UFC increased tremendously, | | | | the art, I see the discipline, the courage, the |
| thereby shedding it's early brutality image. | | | | passion, and the competetiveness of each fighter |
| However, this does not totally wipe out criticisms | | | | very proud to represent their Art, the Art that |
| from the public. At one time, such critic was | | | | has been handed down and used many |
| United States Senator John McCain, a boxing fan, | | | | generations ago by the ancestral warriors who |
| thought UFC fights were similar to "human | | | | defended their land to attain justice and freedom. |
| cockfighting". | | | | UFC is more than just a sport, I visualize it as a |
| So, let me ask you readers again, Is Ultimate | | | | gathering and commemoration of spiritual skills, a |
| Fighting Championship, Brutality or Sport? Well, let | | | | mere memoirs of our ancestral brothers who |
| me give you my opinion. However, my opinion will | | | | once sacrificed their lives for their people. After |
| probably be biased due to the fact that I have | | | | reading my article, I would like to invite the |
| been an avid UFC fan since it began. I believe that | | | | readers to comment or vote on how they view |
| UFC is not brutal it is merely just like any other | | | | UFC, whether they see it as Brutality, or they |
| competition sports out there. The competitors go | | | | view it as a Sport. |
| through hard training, discipline, preparation, and | | | | |