MMA Training in Bloomsburg PA

Mixed martial arts was believed to date back to the ancient Olympic Games in 648 BCE, when pankration—the martial training of Greek armies—was considered the combat sport of ancient Greece. The contest combined wrestling, boxing, and street fighting. Kicking and hitting a downed opponent were allowed; only biting and eye gouging were forbidden. A match ended when one of the fighters acknowledged defeat or was rendered unconscious.

In 393 CE Roman emperor Theodosius I banned the Olympic Games, spelling the end of pankration as a popular sport. However, this style of fighting later resurfaced in the 20th century in Brazil through a combat sport known as vale tudo (“anything goes”).

During the late 1960s to early 1970s, the concept of combining elements of multiple martial arts was popularized in the West by Chinese-American martial artist Bruce Lee through his system of Jeet Kune Do. In 2004, UFC President Dana White would later call Lee the "father of mixed martial arts."

In the early 1990s, Art Davie proposed to John Milius and Rorion Gracie an eight-man single-elimination tournament called "War of the Worlds" that would be marketed as a style vs. style tournament.

Gracie accepted, as he was interested in showcasing and promoting his family's jiu-jitsu for a wide audience. Milius, a film director, screenwriter, and Gracie student, agreed to be the event's creative director. Davie drafted the business plan, and 28 investors contributed the initial capital to start WOW Promotions.

In 1993, WOW Promotions partnered with Semaphore Entertainment Group, a pioneer in pay-per-view television. WOW Promotions and SEG produced the first event, with the name chosen by SEG: Ultimate Fighting Championship.