2016+ ENDEAVOR ERA
WME-IMG buys UFC for $4 Billion
McGregor vs Mayweather spectacle
MAINSTREAM 2005+
Ultimate Fighter (2005) Saves UFC
1997 – Pride
1995-UFC-SEG ERA
Bob Meyrowitz takes the reigns
Criticized by Senator John McCain
Refined the sport by working with State
Athletic Commissions.
2001-ZUFFA ERA
Monetized MMA
Monopolizes market
(buys Pride, Strikeforce
merge WEC)
Fox Partnership (2010).
1993 UFC-WOW ERA
Global introduction of MMA: PPV
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu explosion
Key Players Art Davie, John Milius,
and Rorion Gracie
1986-SHOOTO SAYAMA SATORU
Shoot wrestling hybrid
1979 – TOUGH GUYS
Bill Viola writes the first codified set of rules
Birth of American MMA sport/league-1980
Introduction of organized/regulated MMA
1976-ALI VS INOKI
Boxer vs Wrestler contest
EARLY 1970’S BRUCE LEE
Enter The Dragon boom
1963-GENE LEBELL VS MILO SAVAGE
First televised mixed-fight contest
1920’S-VALE TUDO
NHB Mixed-fights “sideshows” popular
contests around the world including
catch wrestling.
1914-MITSUYO MAEDA
Prize-fighting Judoka settles in Brazil.
Teaches the Gracies Judo who in turn
morph the art into “BrazilianJiu-Jitsu.
648 BC
PANKRATION
TURN OF THE CENTURY KARATE JUDO SPREADS
Influenced by ancient Chinese and Indian
martial arts.
1992 Pancrase
Hybrid of pro wrestling and MMA
1983 – MMA OUTLAWED
Tough Guy Law” PA Senate Bill 632
bans the sport. Major setback.
First legal precedent in history.
Mixed Martial Arts Timeline and Lineage
| Endeavor Era | 2017 | 4 billion dollar price tag | |||||
| Mainstream | 2005 | Ultimate Fighter on Spike saves UFC | |||||
| UFC-Zuffa Era | 2001 | Moneitzed it | |||||
| Pride | 1997 | Competition to UFC | |||||
| UFC-SEG Era | 1995 | Refinded it | |||||
| UFC- WOW Era | 1993 | Gracie Jiu-Jitsu explosion | |||||
| Pancrase | 1992 | hybrid of pro wrestling and mma | |||||
| Shooto | 1986 | shoot wrestling hybrid | |||||
| Tough Guy Law | 1983 | PA Sentate Bill 632 Outlaws mixed martial arts | |||||
| Tough Guys | 1979 | Birth of American MMA sport/league | |||||
| Ali vs Inoki | 1976 | Boxer vs Wrestler reemerge | |||||
| Bruce Lee | Early 1970s | Enter The Dragon boom | |||||
| Gene LeBell vs Milo Savage | 1963 | First televised mixed-fight | |||||
| Vale Tudo | 1920s | mixed-fights sideshows popular around the world | |||||
| Mitsuyo Maeda | 1914 | Prize fighting Judoka settles in brazil. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | |||||
| Karate & Judo spread | turn of century | ||||||
| Pankration | 648 BC | ||||||
| Dawn of mankind | indigenous forms of hand to hand combat fighting | ||||||
| Roots of MMA | |||||||
During the early 20th century, various mixed-style contests and challenges took place throughout the Pacific rim, Japan, Taiwan and in the countries of the Four Asian Tigers. In 1980 CV Productions, Inc. created the first regulated MMA league in the United States, named Tough Guy Contest, and later renamed Battle of the Superfighters. CV (Caliguri and Viola) sanctioned ten tournaments in Pennsylvania. However, in 1983 the Pennsylvania State Senate passed a bill prohibiting the sport with the passage of the Tough Guy Law.
Timeline of major MMA Mixed Martial Arts events
| 2,000+ years ago | – Leitai | |
| – Pankration | ||
| Late 19th century | – Hybrid martial arts | |
| – Catch wrestling | ||
| Late 1880s | – Early NHB and Mixed Style contests | |
| 1899 | – Barton-Wright and Bartitsu | |
| Early 1900s | – Merikan contests | |
| 1920s | – Early vale tudo and Gracie Challenge | |
| 1951 | – Masahiko Kimura vs. Hélio Gracie | |
| 1950s–1960s | – Hong Kong rooftop street fights | |
| 1960s–1970s | – Bruce Lee and Jeet Kune Do | |
| 1976 | – Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki | |
| 1970s | – Antonio Inoki and Ishu Kakutōgi Sen | |
| 1979 | – First Mixed Martial Arts Company in America CV Productions Inc. | |
| 1980 | – First MMA League in America Tough Guys | |
| 1983 | – First Bill to Outlaw MMA Tough Guy Law | |
| 1985 | – Shooto forms | |
| 1989 | – First professional Shooto event | |
| 1991 | – First Desafio (BJJ vs. Luta Livre) event | |
| 1993 | – Pancrase forms | |
| 1993 | – UFC forms | |
| Mid/Late 1990s | – International Vale Tudo | |
| 1997–2007 | – PRIDE FC and UFC era | |
| 1999 | – International Sport Combat Federation founded as first sanctioning body of MMA | |
| 2000 | – New Jersey SACB develops Unified Rules | |
| 2001 | – Zuffa buys UFC | |
| 2005 | – The Ultimate Fighter debuts | |
| 2005 | – US Army begins sanctioning MMA | |
| 2006 | – UFC dominance and international growth | |
| 2006 | – Zuffa buys WFA and WEC | |
| 2006 | – UFC 66 generates over a million PPV buys | |
| 2007 | – Zuffa buys PRIDE FC | |
| 2008 | – EliteXC: Primetime gains 6.5 million peak viewers on CBS | |
| 2009 | – Strikeforce holds 1st major card with female main event | |
| 2011 | – WEC merged with UFC | |
| 2011 | – Zuffa buys Strikeforce | |
| 2011 | – UFC on Fox gains 8.8 million peak viewers on Fox | |
| 2012 | – International Mixed Martial Arts Federation was founded with support from UFC | |
| 2016 | – WMG/WME-IMG buys UFC for US$4 billion | |
| 2017 | – WMG/WME-IMG changed its holding name to Endeavor | |
| 2021 | – WMG/WME-IMG listed its shares on the New York Stock Exchange under symbol EDR |
