The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Dana White serves as the president of UFC, owned by casino-moguls Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta. Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, owns and operates the UFC. The UFC focuses on the heavier weight classes in MMA, whereas its associate promotion, the WEC, focuses on the lighter weights.
The UFC began as a single-event tournament which aimed to find the world's best fighters, irrespective of their style (whether boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, karate, or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, among others). Although there were a limited number of rules, promoters marketed fighting in the UFC as no holds barred and contests were often violent and brutal. Early UFC fights were less sport than spectacle, which led to accusations of "human cock fighting" by Senator John McCain and others.
As political pressure mounted, the UFC reformed itself, slowly embracing stricter rules, becoming sanctioned by State Athletic Commissions, and marketing itself as a legitimate sporting event. Dropping the no holds barred label and carrying the banner of mixed martial arts, the UFC has emerged from its political isolation to become more socially acceptable, regaining its position in pay-per-view television.
