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. |
||
| 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:
“But oh, not the hills of Habersham,
And oh, not the valleys of Hall
Avail: I am fain for to water the plain.
Downward, the voices of Duty call—
Downward, to toil and be mixed with the main,
The dry fields burn, and the mills are to turn,
And a myriad flowers mortally yearn,
And the lordly main from beyond the plain
Calls o’er the hills of Habersham,
Calls through the valleys of Hall.”
—Sidney Lanier (1842–1881)
“What, then, does a chaste girl do?
She does not offer, yet she does not say “No.””
—Marcus Valerius Martial (c. 40–104)
“On every hand we observe a truly wise practice, in education, in morals, and in the arts of life, the embodied wisdom of many an ancient philosopher.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)