Let Loose in the Ring

Sept. 19, 2007 — -- At 5'10'' and 155 lbs, Din Thomas looks like your average, fit 30-year-old, not a 10-year veteran of one of the nation's most violent sporting events, the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

This series of international, competitive mixed martial arts events known as UFC, as its name suggests, is not for the faint of heart.

The UFC began a little over a decade ago with the goal of determining the world's "Ultimate Fighting Champion." The organization rounded up the best-skilled fighters in the various disciplines of all martial arts, and held its first tournament.

"UFC actually originated in order to see which fighting style was the best, and, at that time, it wasn't mixed martial arts, but style versus style," said Thomas, in an interview with ABC News.

Over the past 14 years, however, the UFC has developed into a series of 12 to 14 annual matches, broadcast live on Pay-per-View throughout the U.S., and internationally.

Although still described as "in its infancy," the UFC, which is owned by Zuffa LLC, has grown exponentially throughout the years, attracting more than 19,000 people to a recent UFC event in Columbus, Ohio, and pulling in record ratings for a martial arts telecast.

In many households across the U.S., however, the sport of mixed martial arts, or MMA, is relatively unknown.

An intense combat sport — in which competitors use interdisciplinary forms of fighting, such as jiu-jitsu, judo, sumo, karate, boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, and many others, to their strategic and tactical advantage — MMA is constantly evolving, combining disciplines to develop new maneuvers and techniques.

"Most people have heard of the UFC," said Thomas. "However, they haven't studied it enough to really understand the rules, the regulations, or the procedures."

With relatively few rules, and virtually no padding worn by its contenders, the UFC is as tough as it gets, and so are its fighters. The violence and intensity of the sport are, in fact, the appeal for many UFC fans.