2. The Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the best run MMA organisation in the world and, apart from the Gracie family, is the main reason the sport has become what it is today. The early days of the UFC however were a far cry from the organisation as it is now. It used to pride itself as a no holds barred combat sport and was plagued by mismatches in its early days. This all changed when Zuffa took over the organisation in 2001, rebranded it into what it is today and sought the approval of athletic commissions. It is now the pinnacle of the sport and the home of the most talented pool of fighters in the world. To be the best mixed marital artist in the world you need to be the best in the UFC; it is that simple. Contrast this to boxing which has multiple organisations and is riddled with corruption, greed and the politics of promoters. There are literally hundreds of belts and champions with a number one in each division generally coming down to a subjective opinion rather than objective fact. The sport has also been plagued by shady characters such as Don King and rumoured associations with criminal organisations such as the mafia. It serves as an example to the MMA world as to what can happen when money and fame become more important than the principles on which combat sports pride themselves on such as honour, discipline and respect. Boxing is its own worst enemy and where it has failed the UFC has succeeded and gone on to catapult the sport of Mixed Martial Arts to the prominent position that it currently holds.