The UFC from a Woman’s Point of View

by Celia Gomes

If you missed the last pay-per-view of The Ultimate Fighting Championship from January 19th, then you missed out on one of the best Main Event fights in my opinion. If you have no idea what I am talking about, then you really need to read on.

The UFC started back in 1993 and the goal was to find “the Ultimate Fighting Champion”. Skilled athletes in various disciplines of martial arts including jiu-jitsu, grappling, wrestling, karate, boxing, kickboxing, and other combat sports compete to be crowned the ultimate champion. Known as a “no rules” competition in which there were no weight classes, the UFC drew its share of controversy and was banned in a number of American states. In response, the UFC cooperated with state athletic commissions and redesigned its rules and introduced weight classes.

After a long battle and on the brink of bankruptcy, the UFC was purchased by Station Casinos executives Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta and boxing promoter Dana White in January of 2001 for 2 million and Zuffa, LLC was created as the entity which controls the UFC.

The UFC has been growing in popularity since then. A reality television show “The Ultimate Fighter” has emerged in which up-and-coming MMA fighters compete to win a contract with the UFC. It was also announced that an agreement had been reached in which the Fertitta brothers would be purchasing the PRIDE Fighting Championships. UFC has graced the covers of Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine and many of its fighters have lucrative endorsement and promotional deals.

Now that you know a little bit of UFC history and what it’s about you may ask yourself, “How does a girl get interested in the UFC?” Well, for me it started out with my husband channel surfing one Saturday night 5 years ago and we happened to catch one of the UFC events. I was intrigued by what was going on. These men weren’t just boxing, they were wrestling, karate, kickboxing and what I later learned was grappling. As my husband patiently explained about the Gracie Family and their jiu-jitsu legacy, I found myself curious to learn more. These MMA fighters had not only knock out power but submission moves also. After watching some more of these events and getting to know the arm bar, the guillotine and the kamura (all submission moves), it became apparent to me that there is absolutely no shame in tapping out. After all, the fighters’ health and safety are the number one priority in this sport.

I think one of the best parts about watching the UFC for me is that there are so many talented fighters involved and as I get to know the fighters and their different styles I have found myself having a few favorites. I love the fact that these men come from different backgrounds and countries, the wide range of ages and their different personalities. Let’s just face it – I love everything about the UFC and I look forward to watching their events. The fact that these fighters are in the best shape and don’t look so bad in their shorts doesn’t hurt either... (hey, this is from a woman’s point of view).

Now as for the last pay-per-view… Let’s just say that B.J. Penn proved once again that he is a force to be reckoned with in the Octagon when he beat Joe “Daddy” Stevenson to become the Lightweight Champion. Penn has the most amazing flexibility that I have ever seen and he joins “Randy Couture as the only two men in UFC history to win titles in two different weight classes”.

The next live event will be on February 2nd and Frank Mir will be taking on Brock Lesnar in the main event (you may remember that name from the WWE). Should be interesting to see Lesner’s MMA skills and what he brings into the Octagon.