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:
“What an antithetical mind!—tenderness, roughness—delicacy, coarseness—sentiment, sensuality—soaring and grovelling, dirt and deity—all mixed up in that one compound of inspired clay!”
—George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)
“To a surprising extent the war-lords in shining armour, the apostles of the martial virtues, tend not to die fighting when the time comes. History is full of ignominious getaways by the great and famous.”
—George Orwell (1903–1950)
“I should say that the most prominent scientific men of our country, and perhaps of this age, are either serving the arts and not pure science, or are performing faithful but quite subordinate labors in particular departments. They make no steady and systematic approaches to the central fact.... There is wanting constant and accurate observation with enough of theory to direct and discipline it. But, above all, there is wanting genius.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)