Mixed Martial Arts
The following is a list of major noteworthy MMA events during 1996 in chronological order.
It should be noted that before 1997, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was considered the only major MMA organization in the world and featured much fewer rules then are used in modern MMA.
| Date | Event | Alternate Name/s | Location | Attendance | PPV Buyrate | Notes |
| February 16 | UFC 8: David vs. Goliath | Bayamón, Puerto Rico | 13,000 | 160,000 | UFC rule change, timed rounds were changed to two 10 minute rounds for first two rounds of the tournament and a single 15 minute round in the tournament final and superfights. Introduction of judges. First MMA event to draw criticism from politicians. | |
| May 17 | UFC 9: Motor City Madness | Detroit, Michigan, US | 10,000 | First UFC event not to feature a tournament, however it was not the last.
Closed fisted strikes to the head were banned for this event only, however this was not enforced. |
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| July 12 | UFC 10: The Tournament | Birmingham, Alabama, US | 4,300 | This event was originally going to be held at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island. | ||
| September 20 | UFC 11: The Proving Ground | Augusta, Georgia, US | 4,500 | |||
| December 7 | The Ultimate Ultimate 2 | Ultimate Ultimate 1996 UFC 11.5 |
Birmingham, Alabama, US | 6,000 | UFC rule change, introduction of "no grabbing of the fence" rule.
In promotion for this event, Ken Shamrock appeared as a guest on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. |
Read more about this topic: 1996 In Sports
Famous quotes containing the words mixed, martial and/or arts:
“It seems to me that our three basic needs, for food and security and love, are so mixed and mingled and entwined that we cannot straightly think of one without the others. So it happens that when I write of hunger, I am really writing about love and the hunger for it, and warmth and the love of it and the hunger for it ... and then the warmth and richness and fine reality of hunger satisfied ... and it is all one.”
—M.F.K. Fisher (b. 1908)
“Let the martial songs be written, let the dirges disappear. Let a
race of men now rise and take control!”
—Margaret Abigail Walker (b. 1915)
“Each of the Arts whose office is to refine, purify, adorn, embellish and grace life is under the patronage of a Muse, no god being found worthy to preside over them.”
—Eliza Farnham (1815–1864)