Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
Founded | 2007 |
Headquarters | |
Key people | Joel Resnick, CEO |
Website | http://www.ruffchina.com/us |
Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation (RUFF) is the first Chinese mixed martial arts (MMA) organization sanctioned by the General Administration of Sport of China. The winners of the title fights will be crowned as the national MMA champions of China in their respective weight classes. RUFF held its first event in August 2011 in Shanghai, before presenting in Chongqing, Hohhot, Nanjing, and Sanya. In February 2013 RUFF awarded Championship belts in five weight classes, at their Superfight event. Together with the Championship belt, each winner was awarded 1,000,000 RMB. RUFF along with Mandt Bros. Productions produced and aired a 10 episode reality series RUFF: Journey leading up to the Superfight. A new episode will air each week and will be nationally televised across China [1] with TV viewership of over 30 million, over 10 episodes.
Founded in 2007 by businessmen Joel Resnick. From the outset, fighter safety was of paramount importance to RUFF. The company brought in well-known and C.O.M.M.A.N.D-certified referee, Jerin Valel to officiate at all events and to train local referees and judges from RUFF 1-8; and has continued its dedication to safety and fairness through training of referees and judges with the world's #1 referee Herb Dean. [2] On December 6, 2010, RUFF announced its partnership with China's Wushu Association of the General Administration of Sport, allowing them to award National Champions. RUFF is the first organization with the ability to award the title of National Champion in MMA. [3] Gaining credibility through their partnership with the government, RUFF was able to sign exclusive contracts with many of China’s best fighters.
In August 2011, RUFF Genesis was held in Shanghai. RUFF announced its partnership with the L.A. based Mandt Bros. Productions Company in January, 2012. [4]
On September 8, 2012, RUFF made headlines when RUFF 5 was aired LIVE on Chinese TV. The event also played online on PPTV and QQ/Tencent [5] and garnered an audience of over 1.3 million viewers. It was also the first time a combat event was televised live in China. [5] RUFF 4 was re-broadcast in the days before RUFF 5 and gained a total viewership of 4.25 million. Having recently signed deals with satellite and regional broadcasters, RUFF's #s continue to grow reaching 8 million viewer for RUFF 7 and livestream #s hitting 2 million views; with a total potential audience of well over 1.3 billion. [6]
RUFF has also been featured on the internet programs such as MMA Inside the Cage, MMA H.E.A.T and MMAMADHouse. [7]
▪ Flyweight: 55 kg
▪ Bantamweight: 60 kg
▪ Featherweight: 65 kg
▪ Lightweight: 70 kg
▪ Light Heavyweight: 93 kg
Division | Weight limit | Champion | Since | Title Defenses |
---|---|---|---|---|
Flyweight | 55 kg (121.3 lb; 8.7 st) | Zhang Meixuan | February 2, 2013 | 0 |
Bantamweight | 60 kg (132.3 lb; 9.4 st) | Irshaad Sayed | February 2, 2013 | 0 |
Featherweight | 65 kg (143.3 lb; 10.2 st) | Wang Guan | February 2, 2013 | 0 |
Lightweight | 70 kg (154.3 lb; 11.0 st) | Rodrigo Caporal | February 2, 2013 | 0 |
Light Heavyweight | 93 kg (205.0 lb; 14.6 st) | Zhao ZiLong | February 2, 2013 | 0 |
# | RUFF Event | Date | Venue | City |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | RUFF: Genesis | August 27, 2011 | Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena | Shanghai, China |
2 | RUFF 2 | December 17, 2011 | Jiangnan Sports Center | Chongqing, China |
3 | RUFF 3 | March 24, 2012 | Chongqing Indoor Stadium | Chongqing, China |
4 | RUFF 4 | June 30, 2012 | Hohhot People's Stadium | Hohhot, China |
5 | RUFF 5 | September 8, 2012 | Hohhot People's Stadium | Hohhot, China |
6 | RUFF 6 | November 3, 2012 | Hohhot People's Stadium | Hohhot, China |
7 | RUFF 7 | December 22, 2012 | Zifeng Tower | Nanjing, China |
8 | RUFF: Super Fight | February 2, 2013 | Hohhot People's Stadium | Hohhot, China |
9 | RUFF 9 | May 18, 2013 | MGM Grand Sanya | Sanya, China |
10 | RUFF 10 | August 24, 2013 | Hongkou Indoor Stadium | Shanghai, China |
11 | RUFF 11 | November 30, 2013 | Hongkou Indoor Stadium | Shanghai, China |
12 | RUFF 12 | March 29, 2014 | Hongkou Indoor Stadium | Shanghai, China |
13 | RUFF Fu | June 7, 2014 | Hongkou Indoor Stadium | Shanghai, China |
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA promotion in the world as of 2023. It produces events worldwide that showcase 11 weight divisions and abides by the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. As of 2022, it had held over 600 events. Dana White has been its president since 2001 and CEO since 2023. Under White's stewardship, it has grown into a global multi-billion-dollar enterprise.
Ken Shamrock is an American retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. He is best known for his time in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), WWE and other combat sports. An inaugural inductee into the UFC Hall of Fame, Shamrock is widely regarded as an icon and pioneer of the sport. He has headlined over 15 main events and co-main events in the UFC and Pride FC and set numerous MMA pay-per-view records. In the early part of his UFC career, Shamrock was named "The World's Most Dangerous Man" by ABC News in a special called "The World's Most Dangerous Things". The moniker has stuck as his nickname.
Patrick Jay Miletich is a retired American mixed martial artist and former sports commentator. He is known for his fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he became the first UFC Welterweight Champion and UFC 16 Welterweight Tournament Winner. Miletich is also known as a highly successful trainer and coach, having founded Miletich Fighting Systems. This camp is considered one of the most successful in MMA history and has produced several world champions. On July 6, 2014, he was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
Strikeforce was an American mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization based in San Jose, California that operated from 1985 to 2013. It was headed by CEO Scott Coker.
UFC 6: Clash of the Titans was the sixth mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 14, 1995, at the Casper Events Center in Casper, Wyoming. The event was seen live on pay per view in the United States, and later released on home video.
UFC 7: The Brawl in Buffalo was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 8, 1995, at the Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, New York. The event was seen live on pay per view in the United States, and later released on home video.
UFC 9: Motor City Madness was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 17, 1996, at the Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The event was seen live on pay-per-view in the United States, and later released on home video.
World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion founded in 2001. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was made up of 3 weight classes: 135 lb (61 kg), 145 lb (66 kg) and 155 lb (70 kg). To accommodate the smaller fighters, WEC's cage was 25 feet (7.6 m) in diameter—5 feet (1.5 m) smaller than the standard UFC cage. The smaller cage is now used by UFC for selected events.
Marvin Lee Eastman is a retired American professional mixed martial artist and kickboxer. A professional MMA competitor from 2000 until 2013, he competed in K-1, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), World Fighting Alliance (WFA), Maximum Fighting Championship (MFC), Shooto, and King of the Cage (KOTC), where he was Super Heavyweight Champion.
Mearion Shonie Bickhem III, better known as Shonie Carter, is an American mixed martial artist. He is a former WEC Welterweight Champion, a UFC veteran, and a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 4 reality show. He has also competed in Pancrase, Shooto, King of the Cage, M-1 Global, KSW, and Bellator. He is known for his flashy dress, colorful vocabulary, outlandish personality and use of the spinning backfist in competition.
UFC 94: St-Pierre vs. Penn 2 was a mixed martial arts (MMA) pay-per-view event promoted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on January 31, 2009. The card featured five televised MMA bouts, as well as five un-aired preliminary bouts. It was the second UFC event of 2009 and took place on the weekend of Super Bowl XLIII.
Inside MMA was a live mixed martial arts news magazine, which aired on AXS TV, immediately following the network's live AXS TV Fights broadcasts. Hosted by Mauro Ranallo and UFC Hall of Famer Bas Rutten, the series provided an in-depth look at the world of MMA, with live breakdowns, talk, highlights, and analysis from major MMA organizations such as the UFC, Bellator, and the World Series of Fighting. Inside MMA debuted on AXS TV, then known as HDNET, in September 2007, and was the longest-running MMA news show on television.
Chris Haseman is an Australian mixed martial artist. Haseman is currently signed with Fighting Network RINGS and is a longtime veteran of the promotion (1995–2012). Regarded as a pioneer of MMA in Australia he competed in Australia's first MMA show along with events such as the UFC and the World Fighting Alliance.
Chris "The Westside Strangler" Brennan is an American mixed martial artist who last competed in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor from 1996 until 2012, he competed for the UFC, PRIDE, Cage Rage, King of the Cage and Shooto. He is a former King of the Cage Middleweight Champion and former King of the Cage Middleweight Superfight Champion. He is also one of 18 fighters to compete in the -77 kg division at the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships in 2005. Chris was also the founder of Nogi Industries, a Mixed martial arts clothing company. In 2014 Chris was inducted in to the Mixed Martial Arts Hall of Fame. Chris is the owner and founder of Next Generation MMA. After retiring from MMA competition Chris switched his focus back to grappling events and also entered and won the No-Gi Black Belt World Championships in 2013, 2014, and 2015. He was also the 2014 Nogi Pan American Champion.
Cage Warriors (CW) is an Irish-owned mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in London, England. The promotion was established in 2001 and staged its first MMA event in London in July, 2002.
Michael Mandt is an American television producer.
BAMMA (British Association of Mixed Martial Arts) was a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United Kingdom. It premiered on June 27, 2009, and was shown on the television channel Bravo. BAMMA events were shown live on ITV4 in the UK and Ireland, KIX in Asia (in Indonesia aired on tvOne), VEQTA Digital Broadcast Sports Network in India, Kwesé Sports in Africa, DAZN in Germany & Russia, FITE TV and UNILAD (Online). BAMMA events stream live on the UNILAD Facebook Page (Prelims) and ITV4 (UK) & Fite.tv (US) (Main Card). BAMMA 29 was shown on free to air channel Dave, and BAMMA 30 was also shown there on 7 July 2017 as was BAMMA 31. BAMMA 33 was shown on ITV4 on December 15 2017. The last BAMMA event was held in London on June 28, 2018.
Legend Fighting Championship (Legend FC) started as a Hong Kong-based mixed martial arts (MMA) organisation which invited national champion fighters from throughout the Asia-Pacific to compete for regional supremacy. Legend was unique among MMA tournaments in that it focused exclusively on native Asia-Pacific fighters. The company was sold in April 2014 to Kwokman Productions. The promotion re-launched in September 2018 as a China-based organization.
Australian Fighting Championship (AFC) was an Australian mixed martial arts (MMA) organisation based in Melbourne. In 2013, AFC was described as Australia's leading MMA organisation by MMA Kanvas and was part of Sherdog's list of top 50 global MMA organisations (2014). Since AFC 4, all events were successfully streamed live via pay-per-view.
Road Fighting Championship is a South Korean-based mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion which was officially launched in 2010. Prior to December 2016, Road FC had held 52 events in three countries - South Korea, Japan, and China.