Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorporating techniques from various combat sports including boxing, kickboxing and martial arts from around the world. The first documented use of the term mixed martial arts was in a review of UFC 1 by television critic Howard Rosenberg in 1993. The question of who actually coined the term is subject to debate.
The original Japanese-based Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF) was a Japanese professional wrestling promotion from 1984 to 1986, formed by wrestlers who had left New Japan Pro-Wrestling. It was a pioneer in the shoot-style of pro-wrestling, which emphasized realistic moves. It was revived as the Newborn UWF in 1988. Newborn UWF lasted until 1990. It was revived again in 1991 as Union of Wrestling Forces International, which in turn lasted until 1996.
Kingdom, or Kingdom Pro Wrestling, was a Japanese shoot style professional wrestling promotion that held events in 1997 and 1998. It was considered a continuation of UWF International, having most of its former roster: Nobuhiko Takada, Yoji Anjo, Kazushi Sakuraba, Daijiro Matsui, Naoki Sano, Masahito Kakihara, Yoshihiro Takayama, Kenichi Yamamoto and Hiromitsu Kanehara.
Kazushi Sakuraba is a Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and submission wrestler, currently signed to Rizin Fighting Federation and Pro Wrestling Noah, where he is one-half of the former GHC Tag Team Champions with Takashi Sugiura. He has also competed in traditional puroresu for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and shoot-style competition for UWFi and Kingdom Pro Wrestling (KPW). He has fought in MMA competition in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Pride Fighting Championships, Hero's and Dream. He is known as the "Gracie Hunter" or the "Gracie Killer" due to his wins over four members of the famed Gracie family: Royler Gracie, Renzo Gracie, Ryan Gracie, and Royce Gracie. Sakuraba is famous for beating 13 champions of different top MMA organizations; opponents who were often many weight-classes above him.
Kiyoshi Tamura is a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. Once a student of legendary professional wrestlers Lou Thesz, Billy Robinson and Akira Maeda, Tamura was known for his skills in catch wrestling and is considered to be one of the greatest shoot wrestlers of all time.
Shoot wrestling is a combat sport that originated in Japan's professional wrestling circuit of the 1970s. Professional wrestlers of that era attempted to use more realistic or even "full contact" moves in their matches to increase their excitement. The name "shoot wrestling" comes from the professional wrestling term "shoot", which refers to any unscripted occurrence within a scripted wrestling event. Prior to the emergence of the current sport of shoot wrestling, the term was commonly used in the professional wrestling business, particularly in the United Kingdom, as a synonym for the sport of catch wrestling. Shoot wrestling can be used to describe a range of hybrid fighting systems such as shootfighting, shoot boxing and the styles of mixed martial arts done in the Shooto, Pancrase and RINGS promotions.
Akira Maeda is a Japanese mixed martial arts promoter, writer and retired professional wrestler of Korean descent. Maeda was also known by the ring name Kwik-kik-Lee during his time on the British wrestling show World of Sport (WoS). Maeda helped develop the shoot-style of professional wrestling during the late 1980s.
Nobuhiko Takada is a Japanese former mixed martial artist, retired professional wrestler, actor and writer. He competed in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF) and Union of Wrestling Forces International (UWFI) in the 1980s and 1990s, becoming one of the highest figures of the "shoot-style" movement.
Naoki Sano is a retired Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist most notable for being the generational rival of legendary Japanese pro wrestler Jushin Liger. During the last years of his career he went by the name Takuma Sano.
Akira Shoji (小路晃) is a retired Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. He is most known as being a regular in almost all the beginning Pride Fighting Championship Shoji was in Pride 1 to Pride 7, and was part of the first Pride open weight Grand Prix in 2000. Shoji was consistently a regular in Pride, and moved from Heavyweight to Light Heavyweight due to his smaller stature.
Lee Hasdell is a British martial artist, promoter and former professional kickboxer and mixed martial artist. Hasdell is considered by many to be a pioneer of mixed martial arts in the United Kingdom, particularly in the 1990s, when he drove a great deal of innovation in the field. Hasdell promoted the first professional mixed martial arts events in the UK and helped develop many of the standards within the British MMA scene of today.
Yoji Anjo is a retired Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist.
Katsuhisa Fujii,(born August 15, 1972) is a Japanese retired mixed martial artist and professional wrestler, mostly known for his work in Pro Wrestling Zero1 and Hustle.
Takayuki Okada, more widely known as Giant Ochiai, was a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. Okada's MMA record was 3-3-2 (Win-Loss-Draw).
Takenori Sato is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist and current Welterweight King Of Pancrase.
Martijn de Jong is a Dutch mixed martial artist. He competed in the Middleweight division.
Ryan Bow is a retired American mixed martial arts fighter from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Bow is a coach, author and entrepreneur. He fought in both the Lightweight and Welterweight divisions and is a black belt in Kodokan Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Bow was taught by prominent fighters such as former five times UFC Middleweight Champion Frank Shamrock, and was a member of the American Kickboxing Academy's professional fight team.
Rizin Fighting Federation is a Japanese mixed martial arts organization created in 2015 by the former Pride Fighting Championships and Dream Stage Entertainment president Nobuyuki Sakakibara.
The year 2015 was the 1st year in the history of the Rizin Fighting Federation, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 2015 started with Rizin World Grand-Prix 2015: Part 1 - Iza and ended with Rizin World Grand-Prix 2015: Part 1 - Saraba. It started broadcasting through a television agreement with Fuji Television.
The mixed martial arts fight between Kazushi Sakuraba and Royce Gracie was held in 2000 at PRIDE Fighting Championships. Due to its special rules, it lasted 90 minutes before ending with the victory of Sakuraba by TKO. It has been widely considered one of the greatest and most influential MMA fights of all time, as well as a vital part of the rivalry between the Gracie family and Sakuraba, who gained the nickname "Gracie Hunter" after the match. It was followed by a rematch in 2007 in K-1 Dynamite!! USA, where Gracie defeated Sakuraba by controversial fashion and tested positive for steroids after the bout.
