Changing The Game
In three decades UFC has grown from a phenomenon to an unrivaled force, creating some of the most memorable moments and recognizable stars in sports history and leaving others in our wake.
30 years in and our commitment to innovation has never been stronger.
We're just getting started
For 30 years UFC has innovated the world of mixed martial arts. Join us as we celebrate the past, present, and future.
30 years And Not Stopping
For 30 years, UFC has been the innovator in mixed martial arts. Where we lead, others follow. Experience the major moments in our sport.
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UFC 1
On November 12, 1993, the first UFC event was held at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado. The inaugural event featured featured an eight-man tournament with no weight classes, no judges and no timeouts. Royce Gracie won the tournament by submitting Gerard Gordeau by rear naked choke. -
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More Rules Introduced
Gradually, gloves, more rules and weight classes are introduced. -
World Championship Weight Classes
As its first event to feature weight classes, UFC 12 also crowned UFC's first heavyweight champion when Mark Coleman defeated Dan Severn by a neck crank. -
UFC Japan
UFC hosts its first event in Asia with UFC Japan: Ultimate Japan in Yokohama. -
UFC Ultimate Brazil
UFC Brazil was the company’s first event in South America, taking place in Ginásio da Portuguesa. The card featured bouts for the UFC lightweight and middleweight championships. -
UFC 30
In January 2001, Zuffa LLC purchases UFC, marking its shift into a premier sports organization. -
UFC 31
Carlos Newton becomes Canada’s first UFC champion at UFC 31 after defeating Pat Miletich via submission. -
UFC 33: Victory
UFC 33: Victory In Vegas was the first mixed martial arts event sanctioned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, under the Unified Rules of MMA. UFC had arrived in the Fight Capital of the World. -
UFC 35
Brazil gets their first UFC champion when Murilo Bustamante defeats Dave Menne for the middleweight title at UFC 35. -
First Event in Europe
UFC 38: Brawl at the Hall was UFC’s first event in Europe. It took place at Royal Albert Hall in London and was headlined by a UFC welterweight championship bout that saw Matt Hughes defeat Carlos Newton in the fourth round. -
UFC 47
Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell is the first UFC fighter to become a mainstream celebrity, breaking out with his highly anticipated first meeting with Tito Ortiz at UFC 47. Liddell won the fight at :38 seconds in the second round by KO. -
The Ultimate Fighter Season 1
The historic Forrest Griffin vs Stephan Bonnar fight in the finale of the first season drew millions of viewers to the show and launched MMA into the mainstream. The ongoing series has produced many notable winners including Michael Bisping, Nate Diaz, Tony Ferguson, Kelvin Gastelum and many more. -
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First UFC Event In Canada
Georges St-Pierre Made His Country Proud At UFC 83, The Company's First Visit To The Great White North -
Anheuser-Busch becomes the first blue chip sponsor to climb inside the Octagon. -
UFC Reaches Milestone UFC 100 Event
UFC 100 was the most-bought UFC pay-per-view of all time until UFC 202 broke the record. Stacked with stars like Brock Lesnar, Frank Mir, Georges St-Pierre, Michael Bisping and Jon Jones, the event cemented UFC's arrival and celebrated the rise to global prominence of any sport in history. -
UFC 110
UFC’s first trip to Australia did not disappoint, as 17,831 fans watched UFC 110: Nogueira vs Velasquez in a sold-out Acer Arena in Sydney. -
UFC 117
For two years, the rivalry between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen captivates the world. With their wild verbal sparring unsurpassed only by their fireworks in the Octagon at UFC 117 and then UFC 148, the venom between them is still regarded as one of the all-time great rivalries in the sport. -
Be First
On May 9, 2011, UFC becomes the first combat-sports promoter to offer accident insurance to all athletes competing inside the Octagon. -
UFC Arrives On Network TV
UFC on FOX debuts, confirming UFC’s place among the established television sports properties. -
All Around The World
The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes and The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil were filmed entirely outside of the United States, with finales in Australia and Brazil, respectively. It opened the door for more similar international seasons in Brazil, China, Canada, Latin America and more. -
UFC 152
Demetrious Johnson defeats Joseph Benavidez to capture the inaugural UFC flyweight championship. He would go on to defend the title a record 11 consecutive times in his UFC career. -
Ultimate Every Day
UFC GYMs and UFC merchandise spread throughout the world. -
UFC 157
In February 2013, history is made when female fighters compete for the first time in the Octagon. The headlining bantamweight bout at UFC 157 between Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche was the first-ever women's fight in UFC history. -
The World's Largest Combat Sports Library
Digital streaming service UFC FIGHT PASS debuts. -
EA Sports UFC Debuts
EA Sports UFC is released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and later releases mobile versions of the game. Royce Gracie and Bruce Lee were available as bonus fighters. -
Reebok to become UFC’s exclusive global athlete
UFC signs a landmark six-year deal for Reebok to become UFC’s exclusive global athlete outfitter and apparel provider. -
The Ultimate Fighter Season 20
The Ultimate Fighter Season 20 is the first to feature only women fighters, and establishes the first women’s strawweight champion: Carla Esparza. -
UFC 185
Joanna Jedrzejczyk puts Poland on the map at UFC 185, becoming the first Polish-born champion in UFC history. -
Leveling the Playing Field
UFC announces its partnership with USADA to launch its UFC Anti-Doping Policy, the most comprehensive drug-testing program in professional sports. -
UFC 193
UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia becomes the highest-attended event in UFC history (56,214) and first UFC card headlined by two women’s title fights. In the main event, Holly Holm defeated UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey to capture the bantamweight title. -
A Place to Call Home
UFC breaks ground on a new corporate campus in Las Vegas, which includes the UFC Performance Institute, a 30,000 square foot facility that offers athletes training and rehabilitation resources. -
UFC 194
Conor McGregor defeats José Aldo at UFC 194 to become the undisputed UFC featherweight champion and first Irish-born undisputed champion. Less than a year later, he defeats Eddie Alvarez to become the UFC lightweight champion, and the first UFC athlete to hold multiple championships simultaneously. -
Athlete Safety is the highest priority
UFC announces five-year extension of partnership with Cleveland Clinic and its support of the Professional Fighters Brain Health Study. -
MMA legalized in New York
After a lengthy effort, UFC secures legalization of professional MMA in the state of New York and schedules its first event at iconic Madison Square Garden with three title fights. -
First UK Champion
Michael Bisping becomes the United Kingdom’s first champion at UFC 199 after defeating Luke Rockhold with a first-round knockout. -
UFC 200: An Unforgettable Milestone
UFC 200 in Las Vegas, Nevada marks a historic milestone topping off the most impressive International Fight Week to date. -
UFC Acquired For $4 Billion Dollars
In July 2016, UFC is acquired by Endeavor, the leading global entertainment, sports and fashion agency, together with strategic investors Silver Lake Partners and KKR. -
UFC 205
UFC holds its first-ever event in New York City. UFC 205, the global brand’s first-ever event in New York City, drew a record $17.7 million gate and set an attendance record with a sellout crowd of 20,427. -
Committing To Athletic Excellence
In May of 2017, the UFC opened its state-of-the-art facility to deliver elite-level programs that support MMA athletes with all their development, fight preparation, and rehabilitation requirements. -
UFC 213
Robert Whittaker wins a five-round split decision over Yoel Romero at UFC 225 to become the first champion from Australia. -
Dana White's Contender Series
The first episode of Dana White’s Contender Series aired on July 11, 2017. The show serves as a scouting platform for worldwide talent, with Dana White dubbing it “the world’s hardest job interview.” -
Mayweather vs McGregor
In August 2017, UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor faced boxing legend Floyd Mayweather at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV, in a highly anticipated 12-round super welterweight boxing match. The event recorded 6.3 million PPV buys worldwide, exceeding the previous record of 5.1 million. -
UFC 223
Khabib Nurmagomedov becomes the first Russian UFC champion after winning the vacant title against Al Iaquinta at UFC 223 in Brooklyn, New York. He went on to defend the title three times and had the longest lightweight champion reign in UFC history (1,077 days). -
UFC Fight Night: The Korean Zombie vs Rodriguez
On November 10, 2018, UFC celebrated its 25th anniversary by hosting an event from the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. The main event featured an incredible battle between The Korean Zombie and Yair Rodriguez. The bout's spectacular finish is one of the greatest knockout victories in UFC history. -
UFC 231
Valentina Shevchenko begins her reign as the UFC flyweight champion and the first UFC champion from Kyrgyzstan after defeating Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 231. She was the first woman to successfully defend the UFC women’s flyweight title. -
UFC 232
Amanda Nuñes defeated Cris Cyborg at UFC 232 to win the women's featherweight title, becoming the first women's to claim double champion status in UFC history. She became the bantamweight champion in 2016 at UFC 200. -
UFC on ESPN 1
ESPN becomes the broadcast home to all UFC events in the United States. -
UFC 235
Kamaru Usman of Nigeria became the first African-born UFC champion after defeating Tyron Woodley at UFC 235 on March 2, 2019. He had five successful title defenses following his victory over Woodley. -
The Pinnacle Of Production
The UFC APEX building was purchased in 2018, with the official opening coming on June 18, 2019. The first event to be held there was the season three premiere of Dana White’s Contender Series. -
UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs Zhang
Zhang Weili becomes China’s first UFC champion at UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs Zhang after defeating Jessica Andrade via TKO 42 seconds into the bout. -
UFC 242
UFC and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi announced a five-year partnership. The first event to take place under this partnership was UFC 242: Khabib vs Poirier where more than 14,000 fans watched Khabib Nurmagomedov defend his belt. -
UFC 249
UFC became the first major professional sport to return to live events during the COVID-19 pandemic with UFC 249: Ferguson vs Gaethje on May 9, 2020, in Jacksonville, Florida. -
UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs Burns
The first UFC event held inside the APEX took place on May 30, 2020, for UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs Burns. -
UFC 251
On June 9, 2020, UFC announced the first-ever UFC Fight Island which was held on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island. It was headlined by UFC 251: Usman vs Masvidal, along with three additional fight nights. UFC Fight Night events were held at the du Forum. -
UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs Kattar
The main card of UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs Kattar marked the UFC’s first-time broadcast on ABC. The event took place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. UFC on ABC returned on April 10, 2021, for Vettori vs Holland and on July 16, 2022, for Ortega vs Rodriguez. -
Evolution Of Fight Apparel
A staple in the Octagon in the pre-Reebok years, VENUM returned as the UFC’s exclusive global outfitting and apparel partner in April 2021. UFC and VENUM signed a multi-year renewal in September 2022. -
UFC 261
The first UFC event that was held with fans during the COVID-19 pandemic took place in Jacksonville, Florida on April 24, 2021, for UFC 261: Usman vs Masvidal 2. There were 15,269 people in attendance at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. -
UFC 263
In his second match with Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 263 on June 12, 2021, Brandon Moreno won the UFC flyweight championship via third-round submission. With his victory, Moreno became the first Mexican-born UFC champion. -
Breaking Barriers
Laura Sanko became the first woman to provide color commentary in the Zuffa Era, doing so on Dana White’s Contender Series and Road to UFC. -
Emergence of Asia in MMA
Road to UFC is a win-and-advance tournament that allowed top MMA prospects in Asia to earn a UFC contract. Four weight classes were featured: flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight. Participating athletes came from Japan, Korea, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, India, and China. -
UFC 275
Jiří Procházka becomes the first champion from the Czech Republic after submitting Glover Teixeira in the fifth round at UFC 275 in Singapore. -
UFC Fight Pass
UFC announced the launch of UFC Fight Pass Brazil beginning January 1, 2023. It will be the ultimate destination in Brazil for live events, original programming, and the largest combat sports library in the world. -
UFC 278
On August 20, 2022, at UFC 278, Leon Edwards won the UFC welterweight title when he knocked out Kamaru Usman at 4:04 of the fifth round. Edwards became the first Jamaican-born UFC champion. -
UFC launches co-branded footwear with Dwayne Johnson's "Project Rock"
UFC launches its first ever co-branded footwear with Project Rock, a performance brand created by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. -
UFC Fight Night: Gane vs Tuivasa
The world-famous Octagon touched down for the first time ever in France on September 3, 2022, for UFC Fight Night: Gane vs Tuivasa. A sold-out Accor Arena (15,405) watched Gane defeated Tuivasa via TKO in the third round. -
UFC 283
Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon meet for a historic fourth meeting at UFC 283: Teixeira vs Hill in a battle for the undisputed flyweight title. Moreno comes out victorious due to a doctor's stoppage at the end of the third round. -
UFC 285
Alexa Grasso became the first Mexican-born women's champion after submitting Valentina Shevchenko in the fourth round at UFC 285.
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