10 MMA Fights That Changed The Business
2. June 26, 1976: Antonio Inoki vs. Muhammad Ali
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2LwZVTHwdcAntonio Inoki doesnt get anywhere near the credit he deserves for the influence he had on Mixed Martial Arts. As a disciple of Karl Gotch, Inoki was taught a great deal of shoot maneuvers as part of his professional wrestling training. His fascination with combat arts led to quite a few contests with practitioners of various fighting styles. The Japanese Strong Style of professional wrestling, which is a blend of choreographed moves and stiff strikes, was said to have originated from Inoki.
In 1975, Inoki reached out to Muhammad Ali to book a fight between the two on Japanese soil. After a short period of negotiations a date was set for June 25, 1976 at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan to feature Inoki as A Grappler against Ali as A Boxer. Being the first high profile contest of its kind, the match went through various rule changes and regulations. The biggest hang up for Alis camp was the fear that Inoki might abandon the work agreement and attempt to shoot on Ali and embarrass him. Ultimately, Ali was allowed to box, but Inoki was not allowed to attempt any takedowns or suplexes. This, of course, entirely negated the basic concept of a wrestler versus a boxer.
The 15 round draw played out in embarrassing fashion. As each round began, Inoki would take to his back and resort to kicking Alis legs until the closing bell would sound. The two fighters never adequately engaged each other, prompting a chorus of boos from the crowd and a demand of refund. In the years following, many Boxing journalists have reflected on the fight as being one of the low points of Alis career.
Regardless of the outcome, the clash between Ali and Inoki is widely regarded as the forefather of Mixed Martial Arts events. The fight itself may have been underwhelming, but it set the template for the modern MMA contest. Inoki would continue to cross-promote with MMA competitors through events in New Japan Pro Wrestling and his annual Inoki Bom Ba Ye show. Ali and Inoki became good friends after the fight in 76, with Ali even appearing at Inokis retirement match in 1998 against Don Frye.