Mixed Martial Arts History: Part 1

When considering the origins of Mixed Martial Arts all stories lead back to one dominant narrative- the Gracie family bringing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to the United States.
MMA grew as a posrt and a business both in the US as well as Japan. Where in America pro wrestling is largely considered entertainment and a bit of a joke in Japan a wholly different story arises.
Antonio Inoki was the biggest star of New Japan Pro Wrestling, and he brought in a variety of combat athletes to fight him in “mixed martial arts” bouts. The results were predetermined for Inoki to win and prove his supremacy, but his opponents were real athletes like judo star Willem Ruska and karate star Willie Williams. The most famous was Muhammad Ali, who decided upon his arrival in Japan that he didn’t want to lose to Inoki. That led to a shoot, where Inoki lied on his back and kicked at Ali’s legs.
The Japanese infatuation with reality in MMA grew insatiable and carried into the 1980s, with the rise of a new star, Akira Maeda. After being angered about the less realistic fighting style of New Japan Maeda broke for good with the company in 1988 and reformed the Universal Wrestling Federation.
The UWF promised a more realistic style than New Japan and promoted itself as if it were real. This perception was bolstered by Maeda’s chaotic history. Maeda was involved in pro wrestling matches that disintegrated into shoots with major stars including Andre the Giant, Satoru Sayama and Riki Choshu.
The crowning moment for the UWF was a sold-out show at the Tokyo Dome in November 1989 that drew 60,000 fans and grossed $5.6 million.
There was a power struggle, and the popular promotion imploded. Shinji Jin, the UWF’s promoter and president fired all the wrestlers and the promotion ceased to exist after a Dec. 1, 1990, show where Masakatsu Funaki beat Ken Shamrock in the main event. The UWF left behind a strong legacy; 27 of the 31 shows promoted by the UWF sold out, and the era of mixed martial arts was knocking at the door.

I’ll leave you with some classic Akira Maeda video. Enjoy.