| Cagefighters have been in existence since the | | | | by the Gracie family, as well as the mixed |
| time of the ancient Greeks, when unarmed | | | | martial arts matches hosted in Japan in the |
| combat, called pankration, was first | | | | 1970s by Antonio Inoki. The first mixed |
| introduced into the Olympic Games in the year | | | | martial arts organization, Shooto, was formed |
| 648 B.C. Pankration was known as the most | | | | in 1985. |
| extreme combat sports, and statues to honor | | | | |
| the top pankratiasts were erected in cities | | | | This concept of mixed martial arts was also |
| as late as the Early Middle Ages. | | | | popularized by Bruce Lee in the late 1960s |
| | | | and early 1970s, and Lee has come to be known |
| This tradition of no holds barred events, | | | | as the father of mixed martial arts. |
| while not always taking place in an actual | | | | |
| cage, nevertheless paved the way for the | | | | In 1993, after Royal Gracies victory in the |
| methods and techniques employed by cage | | | | first Ultimate fighting championship, |
| fighters. These no holds bare competitions | | | | cagefighters found a larger, more widespread |
| took place in the late 1800's, in arenas and | | | | platform for their sport, despite criticism |
| music hall challenge matches throughout the | | | | from those who deemed it too violent and |
| world, predominately in Europe. | | | | brutal. UFC bouts, as well as other MMA |
| | | | sanctioned cage fighting bouts, are held in |
| The first recorded major encounter between a | | | | an octagonal caged enclosure, or The Octagon, |
| boxer and a wrestler in modern recording took | | | | a structure with eight sided walls of metal |
| place in 1887, between John L. Sullivan, the | | | | chain link fence coated with black vinyl and |
| then heavy weight world boxing champion, and | | | | heavy foam padding around the sides. |
| William Muldoon, a Greco Roman wrestling | | | | |
| champion. | | | | Cagefighters are required to fight in |
| | | | approved shorts, and no shoes, shirts, gis, |
| Since then, there have been other pre WWI | | | | or any sort of foot coverings are allowed. |
| mixed martial arts matches, but this sport | | | | Fighters must also use approved light gloves |
| did not really gain any widespread popularity | | | | that reduce the risk of a broken hand while |
| until after World War I and the restructuring | | | | providing better grabbing and grappling |
| of professional wrestling to include to | | | | ability. |
| separate styles, shoot, which included actual | | | | |
| competition, and show, which later evolved | | | | While todays cagefighter may compete in a |
| into the modern sports entertainment | | | | different environment than that of the early |
| professional wrestling. | | | | Grecian combat fighters, the skill set |
| | | | needed, the methods, and the techniques have |
| Cagefighters in the modern sense began with | | | | remained relatively unchanged throughout the |
| the vale tudo tournaments in Brazil, hosted | | | | centuries of the sport's evolution. |