OTL has been monitoring the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the largest promoter of "ultimate fighting" in the U.S., for two years. When it began in 1993, it was promoted as "no holds barred" with no time limits, no weight classes (a 160-pound karate expert could take on a 450-pound sumo wrestler), with fights ending by knockout or by submission. In 1996, Senator John McCain embarked on a state-by-state crusade to ban ultimate fighting, and shortly thereafter the Ultimate Fighting Championship was dropped from pay-per-view TV. In 2001, new owners purchased the UFC hoping to bring ultimate fighting into sports' mainstream. In its quest for legitimacy, the UFC has made rule changes to appeal to a larger audience and subsequently, returned to pay-per-view in 2001. While it has gained popularity in the United States, the organization faces challenges from critics who think it is too violent, and from states that still won't sanction its fights.
What are your thoughts about this?
What are your thoughts about this?
Comment