As the UFC continues to put on new shows and the rankings continually change, it can be hard to know where and how to start watching the UFC as a new fan.
You can start watching the UFC from anywhere, but it’s best from the early UFC’s and Ultimate Fighter shows to see how its evolved. New UFC fans should also watch the current champions of each division and their top contenders, plus get to know the styles used to really get involved as a UFC fan.
So, let’s jump in and see how and where’s the best place to start watching the UFC, including:
- Right at the beginning at UFC 1
- Catching up on the UFC’s current champions & contenders
- And finally, some other things you’ll want to know as a new UFC fan
Where & How To Start Watching The UFC
The UFC’s popularity nowadays is huge, meaning every year it attracts new fans from all over the world. But the early beginnings of the billion-dollar company stretch back over years, long before the mainstream fans, money, and media.
So, where and how should a new UFC fan start watching? The best place to start is to rewind back to those early days, you don’t need to watch every fight from every event, but it’s good to get an insight into how the sport started out and to see how it has evolved over time.
This will give you a solid foundation and appreciation for what the UFC is all about, and how far it has come from its basic beginnings. So, where better place to start than UFC 1.
UFC 1: The Beginning
In November 1993 in Denver Colorado USA, the UFC held their first event. The event was dubbed a “landmark martial arts event” with no rules, no judge’s scores, and no time limits, the venue was half empty and the mainstream media were nowhere to be seen.
Eight of the “world’s most deadliest fighters” were set to step into the cage to determine who was the “Ultimate Fighting Champion”. Back in those days, the question of which martial art was the best and which would win against another was a hot subject.
After years of martial art movies, live combat sports events, and a whole lot of misinformation, the world was about to find out.
UFC 1 looked nothing like the UFC we all know today. The event had eight fighters, each of which specialized in a single martial art/ fighting form, who went head-to-head in a tournament where only one winner would come out on top.
Nowadays, the UFC’s fighters use a complete mix of only the best martial arts and their most effective elements which has become its own style known as Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). This is because not all martial arts are effective or useful, to find out which martial arts are the best you can check out my other article.
The reason the sport of MMA adapted and evolved into the way we know it today, is because of UFC 1 and the way in which the fights unfolded. Therefore, for new UFC fans, the best place to start watching the UFC is right at the beginning at UFC 1.
“UFC 1 was a landmark martial arts event with no rules, no judge’s scores, and no time limits”
UFC’s Current Champions & Contenders
As mentioned above, there’s no need for you to watch all of the UFC’s previous fights leading up to the present day (plus it would probably take you years), but the best thing to do is to catch up on the current champions and their top contenders.
The UFC’s matchups are always to determine who moves up the ranks one step closer to a title shot. So, if you really want to get into the UFC as a fan, it’s best to know who is on top and who are the ones to watch as they work their way up the ranks to take them out.
To do this just head over to the UFC’s website to see who is the current champion of each division, and who is in the top 5-10 rankings below them. Then catch up on some of the champion’s previous fights leading up to their title win to get to know each champion and their fighting styles.
You can check out my other article on how to watch old UFC fights which also includes 5 must-watch fights for new UFC fans.
Things All New UFC Fans Should Know
For a new fan of the UFC, it can take some time to first get to grips with how the sport works and what a new UFC fan should know.
In general, the things new UFC fans should know are how the sport is structured within the year, including seasons, types of events, and the types of belts and titles. New UFC fans should also learn about the types of martial arts being used, who the fighters are, and how the rules and scoring work.
To help you out with some of these questions in relation to the UFC, I have written a couple of other articles which will help you get fully involved with the UFC as a new fan, including:
Final Thought
If you are completely new to the UFC and the sport of Mixed Martial Arts don’t worry, just tune in and start watching. You’ll be able to learn a lot about what’s happening inside the cage in terms of the different styles and techniques because the commentators give really clear explanations about what you’re seeing.
In general, you can pick the UFC up from anywhere really, the UFC does a great job of promoting each fight and telling the back story leading up to the fight, meaning you’ll soon get an insight into what’s going on and get hyped for the next live UFC event.
“You don’t need to watch all of the UFC’s previous fights, just tune in and start watching”
“For some must watch UFC fights & how to watch them, check out my other article: 3 Ways To Watch Old UFC Events (Plus 5 Must Watch Fights)”
