UFC 2026 — Pay-Per-View Hub

The Ultimate Fighting Championship was founded to answer a question that martial artists had argued about for generations: which fighting style is most effective in a real fight? Rorion Gracie — who had brought Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to the United States from Brazil — partnered with TV producer Campbell McLaren and promoter Bob Meyrowitz to create a no-holds-barred tournament. UFC 1 was held on 12 November 1993 at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado.

Royce Gracie won the inaugural tournament, defeating three opponents in a single night — including much larger strikers — by using submission grappling. The event shocked the martial arts world and launched a new combat sport. Early UFC nearly collapsed when US Senator John McCain campaigned against it as 'human cockfighting,' and most state athletic commissions refused to sanction events.

The turning point came in 2001 when Dana White and brothers Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta purchased the UFC for $2 million through Zuffa LLC. They hired professional matchmakers, sought regulation through state athletic commissions, and in 2005 launched The Ultimate Fighter reality show on Spike TV. Forrest Griffin vs Stephan Bonnar in the TUF 1 finale — called by many the greatest fight ever — placed the UFC on the mainstream map. From $2M in 2001, the UFC was sold to entertainment giant WME-IMG for $4 billion in 2016.