Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a fullcontact combat sport that allows awide variety of fighting techniques,from a mixture of martial arts traditionsand non-traditions, to be used incompetitions. The rules allow the use of striking andgrappling techniques, both whilestanding and on the ground. Suchcompetitions allow martial artists ofdifferent backgrounds to compete. Theterm may also be used, less correctly,to describe hybrid martial arts styles.

Free Fight : Sportman or Gladiator ?Photos by ©Alphonse Bernard Seny/LightMediation

Contact - Thierry Tinacci - LightMediation Photo Agency +33 (0)6 61 80 57 21 thierry@lightmediation.com

2169-37: A défaut de pouvoir organiser un événement de MMA en France, c'est en Espagne, à côté de la frontière Française, et dans une boite de nuit, qu'a été organisé le tout premier Furious Fighting Championship(FFC). Ici, le francais Laurent Bonafoux contre le bresilien Tulio Palhares. //As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC) fights event took place in Spain, nearby the

french boarder. The french fighter Laurent Bonafoux against Tulio Palhares from Brazil.

2169-01: pride Bushido in Tokyo, Japan. Finger gesture between RYAN GRACIE from Brasil andMINOWA from Japan.

2169-02: pride Bushido in Tokyo, Japan. Finger gesture between RYAN GRACIE from Brasil andMINOWA from Japan.

2169-03: pride Bushido in Tokyo, Japan. between two rounds, one wipes out the blood on the ring. 2169-04: Pride Bushido in Tokyo, Japan. MISAKI from Japan fighting against JORGE MACACO fromBrazil.

2169-28: A défaut de pouvoir organiser un événement de MMA en France, c'est en Espagne, à côté de la frontière Française, et dans une boite de nuit, qu'a été organisé le tout premier Furious Fighting Championship(FFC). //As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC) fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-05: Pride Bushido in Tokyo, Japan. SHAMOJI FUJII from Japan fighting against KIM JIN OH fromCorea.

2169-06: Pride Bushido in Tokyo, Japan. RICARDO ALMEIDA from USA fighting against RYO CHONANfrom Japan.

2169-07: Pride Bushido in Tokyo, Japan. TAKASE from Japan fighting against CARLOS NEWTON fromCanada.

2169-08: Pride Bushido in Tokyo, Japan. TAKASE from Japan fighting against CARLOS NEWTON fromCanada.

2169-48: A défaut de pouvoir organiser un événement de MMA en France, c'est en Espagne, à côté de la frontière Française, et dans une boite de nuit, qu'a été organisé le tout premier Furious Fighting Championship(FFC). //As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC) fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-09: Pride Bushido in Tokyo, Japan. KAZUO MISAKI from Japan fighting against JORGE MACACOfrom Brazil.

2169-10: Pride Bushido in Tokyo, Japan. KAZUO MISAKI from Japan fighting against JORGE MACACOfrom Brazil.

2169-11: Pride Bushido in Tokyo, Japan. JORGE MACACO from Brazil did lost against KAZUO MISAKI from Japan.

2169-12: Pride Bushido in Tokyo, Japan. SHAMOJI FUJII from Japan fighting against KIM JIN OH fromCorea.

2169-12: Le pride Bushido: temple du free fight: le japonais SHAMOJI FUJII, contre le coréen KIM JIN OH//Pride Bushido in Tokyo, Japan. SHAMOJI FUJII from Japan fighting against KIM JIN OH from Corea.

2169-20: A défaut de pouvoir organiser un événement de MMA en France, c'est en Espagne, à côté de lafrontière Française, et dans une boite de nuit, qu'a été organisé le tout premier Furious Fighting

2169-13: Pride Bushido in Tokyo, Japan. MIRKO 'CRO COP' FILIPOVIC from Craotia fighting againstKANEHARA. from Japan.

2169-14: Pride Bushido in Tokyo, Japan. MIRKO 'CRO COP' FILIPOVIC from Craotia fighting againstKANEHARA. from Japan.

2169-15: Pride Bushido in Tokyo, Japan. RALPH GRACIE from Brazil fighting against GOMI from Japan. 2169-16: Pride Bushido in Tokyo, Japan. RALPH GRACIE from Brazil fighting against GOMI from Japan.

2169-01: Le pride Bushido: temple du free fight, doigt d'honneur du brésilien RYAN GRACIE au japonais MINOWA.// pride Bushido in Tokyo, Japan. Finger gesture between RYAN GRACIE from Brasil and MINOWAfrom Japan.

2169-17: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder. A fighter is training before the fight.

2169-18: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder. Fighters is training before the fight.

2169-19: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder. David Martin before the fight.

2169-20: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder. David Martin before the fight.

2169-07: Le pride Bushido: temple du free fight: le japonais TAKASE, contre le canadien CARLOS NEWTON// Pride Bushido in Tokyo, Japan. TAKASE from Japan fighting against CARLOS NEWTON from Canada.

2169-21: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-22: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder. The french fighter Malik Silla.

2169-23: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-24: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-15: Le pride Bushido: temple du free fight: le brésilien RALPH GRACIE, contre le japonais GOMI//Pride Bushido in Tokyo, Japan. RALPH GRACIE from Brazil fighting against GOMI from Japan.

2169-39: A défaut de pouvoir organiser un événement de MMA en France, c'est en Espagne, à côté de lafrontière Française, et dans une boite de nuit, qu'a été organisé le tout premier Furious Fighting

2169-25: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder. The back side of Aramis Alberti (Italie).

2169-26: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-27: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-28: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-31: A défaut de pouvoir organiser un événement de MMA en France, c'est en Espagne, à côté de la frontière Française, et dans une boite de nuit, qu'a été organisé le tout premier Furious Fighting Championship(FFC). //As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC) fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-29: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-30: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-31: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-32: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-33: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-34: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-35: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-36: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder. The french fighter Laurent Bonafoux.

2169-47: A défaut de pouvoir organiser un événement de MMA en France, c'est en Espagne, à côté de la frontière Française, et dans une boite de nuit, qu'a été organisé le tout premier Furious Fighting Championship(FFC). //As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC) fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-37: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder. The french fighter Laurent Bonafoux against

2169-38: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-39: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-40: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-41: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-42: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-43: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-44: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-51: A défaut de pouvoir organiser un événement de MMA en France, c'est en Espagne, à côté de la frontière Française, et dans une boite de nuit, qu'a été organisé le tout premier Furious Fighting Championship(FFC). //As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC) fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-45: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-46: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-47: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-48: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-49: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-50: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-51: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder.

2169-52: As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC)fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder. The french fighter Laurent Bonafoux.

2169-53: A défaut de pouvoir organiser un événement de MMA en France, c'est en Espagne, à côté de la frontière Française, et dans une boite de nuit, qu'a été organisé le tout premier Furious Fighting Championship(FFC). Ici le francais, Kussai Almuniem. //As MMA shows are sill unauthorized in France, the first Furious Fighting Championship (FFC) fights event took place in Spain, nearby the french boarder. The french fighter

Kussai Almuniem.

Free Fight : Sportman orGladiator ?

Modern mixed martial arts competition emerged in American popular culturein 1993 with the founding of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Initiallybased on finding the most effective martial arts for real unarmed combatsituations, competitors of various arts were pitted against one another withminimal rules for safety. In the following decade, MMA promoters adoptedmany additional rules aimed at increasing safety for competitors and topromote mainstream acceptance of the sport,. The name Mixed martial artswas coined by one of the developers of these rules Jeff Blattnick a formergreco roman wrestler and olympic gold medallist. Following these changes, the sport has seen increased popularity with payper view reach rivaling boxing and professional wrestling. The history of modern MMA competition can be traced to mixed stylecontests throughout Europe, Japan and the Pacific Rim during the early1900s; the Gracie familly vale tudo martial arts tournaments in Brazil startingin the 1920s; and early mixed martial arts matches hosted by Antonio Inokiin Japan in the 1970s. The sport gained international exposure andwidespread publicity in the US in 1993, when Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighterRoyce Gracie handily won the first Ultimate Fighting Championshiptournament, submitting three challengers in just five minutes, sparking arevolution in the martial arts.Meanwhile in Japan the continued interest in the sport resulted in thecreation of the Pride Fighting championships in 1997. The sport reached a new peak of popularity in North America in theDecember 2006 rematch between then UFC light heavyweight championChuck Liddell and former champion Tito Ortiz, rivaling the PPV sales ofsome of the biggest boxing events of all time, and helping the UFC's 2006PPV gross surpass that of any promotion in PPV history. In 2007, ZuffaLLC, the owners of the UFC MMA promotion, bought Japanese rival MMAbrand Pride BUSHIDO, merging the contracted fighters under onepromotion and drawing comparisons to the consolidation that occurred in

other sports, such as the AFL-NFL Merger in American Football.