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| | [[Image:UFC logo.jpg |thumb|300px|League Logo]] | | [[Image:UFC logo.jpg |thumb|300px|League Logo]] |
| − | The '''Ultimate Fighting Championship''' is the largest [[Mixed Martial Arts]] organization on the planet after recently buying out their top competitor, PRIDE. Originally begun in the mid 1990's as a way to showcase martial artists of different disciplines facing each other, the sport has evolved into weight classes and extra rules so that it could be accepted by the mainstream. The fighters have evolved as well. It is rare to have a fighter practice only one discipline. The fighters that win are usually well rounded in all facets of fighting. The current president of the UFC is [[Dana White]]. | + | The '''Ultimate Fighting Championship''' is the largest [[Mixed Martial Arts]] organization on the planet after recently buying out their top competitor, PRIDE. Originally begun in the mid 1990s as a way to showcase martial artists of different disciplines facing each other, the sport has evolved into weight classes and extra rules so that it could be accepted by the mainstream. The fighters have evolved as well. It is rare to have a fighter practice only one discipline. The fighters that win are usually well rounded in all facets of fighting. The current president of the UFC is [[Dana White]]. |
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| | + | On July 9, 2016, the UFC announced that it would be sold to a group led by WME-IMG, its owner [[Silver Lake Partners]], [[Kohlberg Kravis Roberts]], and [[MSD Capital]], for $4 billion. Flash Entertainment (owned by the government of [[Abu Dhabi]]) will retain its 10% minority stake in the company, and White will also retain a stake.<ref name="nyt-ufcsold">{{cite web|title=U.F.C. Sells Itself for $4 Billion|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/11/business/dealbook/ufc-sells-itself-for-4-billion.html?_r=0|website=The New York Times|accessdate=July 19, 2016}}</ref><ref name="espn-ufcsale">{{cite web|title=Dana White on $4 billion UFC sale: 'Sport is going to the next level'|url=http://espn.go.com/mma/story/_/id/16970360/ufc-sold-unprecedented-4-billion-dana-white-confirms|website=ESPN.com|publisher=ESPN Internet Ventures|accessdate=July 19, 2016}}</ref> |
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| | + | ==Performance enhancing drugs== |
| | + | The UFC is subject to the worldwide regulation of athletes to regulate the use of performance-enhancing drugs. UFC athletes are tested for illegal drug use by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) which in turn is regulated by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The UFC Anti-Doping Program began July 1, 2015. Prior to WADA regulation, there was a widespread use of drugs by UFC athletes. The first three months of the program focused upon educating UFC athletes about what drugs are prohibited by WADA.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ufc.usada.org/first-round-athlete-test-history-ufc-anti-doping-program/|title=USADA Reports First Round of Athlete Test History for UFC Anti-Doping Program|date=October 1, 2015|accessdate=July 19, 2016}}</ref> Since then, a number of prominent UFC athletes have tested positive for illegal drug use, including: [[Brock Lesnar]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mmafighting.com/2016/7/19/12230962/brock-lesnar-also-failed-in-competition-drug-test-at-ufc-200|title=Brock Lesnar also failed in-competition drug test at UFC 200|date=July 19, 2016|accessdate=July 19, 2016}}</ref> Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (suspended for two years),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ufc.usada.org/mirko-filipovic-receives-doping-violations/|title=UFC Athlete, Mirko Filipovic Receives Sanction for Anti-Doping Policy Violations|date=November 25, 2015|accessdate=July 19, 2016}}</ref> Janigleison Herculano Alves aka Gleison Tibau (suspended for two years),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ufc.usada.org/gleison-tibau-accepts-doping-sanction/|title=UFC Athlete, Gleison Tibau Accepts Sanction for Anti-Doping Policy Violation|date=February 18, 2016|accessdate=July 19, 2016}}</ref> and Diego Brandao (suspended for nine months).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ufc.usada.org/diego-brandao-accepts-doping-sanction/|title=UFC Athlete, Brandao, Accepts Sanction for Anti-Doping Rule Violation|date=May 19, 2016|accessdate=July 19, 2016}}</ref> Matheus Nicolau Pereira accepted a one-year suspension from USADA for a positive drug test.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/UFC-Flyweight-Matheus-Nicolau-Accepts-1Year-Suspension-for-AntiDoping-Violation-119437|title=UFC Flyweight Matheus Nicolau Accepts 1-Year Suspension for Anti-Doping Violation|date=March 29, 2017|accessdate=June 3, 2017}}</ref> |
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| | + | Some of the drug suspensions did not arise from attempts to enhance performance. For example, Chad Mendes was suspended for two years when a cream he used to treat plaque psoriasis contained an ingredient that was a banned substance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Chad-Mendes-Blames-Failed-USADA-Drug-Test-on-Psoriasis-Treatment-Cream-109203|title=Chad Mendes Blames Failed USADA Drug Test on Psoriasis Treatment Cream|date=July 28, 2016|accessdate=July 29, 2016}}</ref> |
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| | + | ==Current Champions== |
| | + | [[File:Worsham nearly thrown from cage.jpg|thumb|right|"Big" John McCarthy referees as Tank Abbott puts Cal Worsham against the cage at Ultimate Ultimate 1996.]] |
| | {| class="wikitable" | | {| class="wikitable" |
| | |- | | |- |
| | ! Division | | ! Division |
| | ! Champion | | ! Champion |
| − | ! Last fight | + | ! Last Title Defense |
| | |- | | |- |
| | | Heavyweight | | | Heavyweight |
| − | | [[Brock Lesnar]]/[[Frank Mir]] | + | | [[Brock Lesnar]] |
| − | | TKO [[Randy Couture]]/KO [[Antonio Noguieira]] | + | | TKO [[Frank Mir]] |
| | |- | | |- |
| | | Light Heavyweight | | | Light Heavyweight |
| − | | [[Rashad Evans]] | + | | [[Mauricio Rua]] "Shogun" |
| − | | TKO [[Forrest Griffin]] | + | | KO [[Lyoto Machida]] |
| | |- | | |- |
| | | Middleweight | | | Middleweight |
| | | [[Anderson Silva]] | | | [[Anderson Silva]] |
| − | | TKO [[Patrick Cote]] | + | | [[Damian Maia]] by unanimous decision |
| | |- | | |- |
| | | Welterweight | | | Welterweight |
| − | | [[Georges St-Pierre | Georges St. Pierre]] | + | | [[Georges St. Pierre]] |
| − | | Def. [[Jon Fitch]] by unanimous decision | + | | Def. [[Dan Hardy]] by unanimous decision |
| | |- | | |- |
| | | Lightweight | | | Lightweight |
| − | | [[BJ Penn]] | + | | [[Frankie Edgar]] |
| − | | TKO [[Sean Sherk]] | + | | [[BJ Penn]] by unanimous decision |
| | |- | | |- |
| | |} | | |} |
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| − | ==External Links== | + | ==External links== |
| | | | |
| − | [http://www.ufc.org Website] | + | * [http://www.ufc.com Website] |
| | + | ==References== |
| | + | <references/> |
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| | [[Category:Martial Arts]] | | [[Category:Martial Arts]] |
| | [[Category:Ultimate Fighting Championship]] | | [[Category:Ultimate Fighting Championship]] |