Because the angles in an Octagon are wider than those for each corner of a boxing ring, there is little chance for a fighter to get stuck in a corner with no way out. The Octagon was designed to avoid giving any one martial arts discipline an advantage. Various styles of fighting take place in different kinds of rings or mats - for example, boxing is in a square and wrestling is in a circle. The original UFC event was conceived as a way to match styles against each other to find which was best. Why does the UFC use an octagonal mat in the first place? According to Dana White, there are several reasons. Image courtesy © Ultimate Fighting ChampionshipĬompetitors are not allowed to go outside the Octagon during a bout, nor are they allowed to try and throw their opponents over the side of the cage (you might laugh, but UFC legend Tank Abbott once appeared to try and throw Carl Worsham over the fence in a UFC bout). Corner men can give their respective fighters strategic advice and help stop cuts and scrapes from bleeding. Between rounds, officials open the gates to allow a fighter's corner men to enter. When a fight is in progress, only the referee and the two fighters are allowed inside. Two gates lead into the Octagon, and they're secured shut at the beginning of each round. The mat is made of canvas, which is custom painted for each event and then never used again. Its walls are made of fencing material, with padding covering all the edges and corners, and it's 30 feet across. As you probably have guessed from its name, the Octagon is an eight-sided octagonal mat and cage. Image courtesy Josh Hedges/ © Ultimate Fighting Championshipįights in the UFC don't take place inside a ring - they take place inside the Octagon. In the next section, we'll look at the basics of the UFC, and learn where fights take place.įor more common questions and expert answers on sports and athletic performance, visit. If a fighter winsĪnd it is later determined that he used drugs, the commission mayĬhange the result of the fight to a no contest. In addition, the UFC adheres to the Nevada State Athletic Commission'sĭrug policy, which expressly forbids the use of recreational or performance-enhancing drugs.įighters who test positive for drugs before a bout are not allowed toįight and may face additional disciplinary action. A complete list of the fouls can be found on the UFC Web site. Inside the ring, fake an injury or drop your mouthpiece on purpose toĭelay the fight. NotĪll fouls are directly related to physical violence - for example, youĬommit a foul if you hold on to the fence, use abusive language while Martial arts exhibitions in the state of Nevada, identifies 31 fouls.Īthletes who commit fouls can be penalized or even disqualified. The Nevada State Athletic Commission, which regulates all boxing and Thanks to UFC President Dana White for his help with this article. Like boxing, the fights are divided into rounds and are under the supervision of a referee, although MMA events are more complex than a typical boxing match. Each bout is a fight between two different competitors. The UFC organizes, promotes and hosts MMA events, which feature several bouts. After nearly folding in the late 1990s, the UFC reinvented itself and attracted new legions of fans. The UFC bills itself as the premier Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organization, but its history is filled with highs, lows and controversy. I don't think any other sporting event stacks up to it." What sport tops basketball, football and boxing? According to its president, Dana White, it's the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). I've gone to big playoff games, and I've been to big fights here in Las Vegas. Unlike boxing, where athletes can only strike with their fists and only above the belt, the UFC's rules allow competitors to use punches, kicks, elbows, knee strikes, takedowns and submissions to win a contest.
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