Mma_Critic over at bloodyelbow.com has done every fan of mixed martial arts a huge favor and compiled a list of data that would intimidate even the most seasoned pencil pusher over at Nielson. Using data from the number one MMA site on the web, sherdog.com, he has created the following spreadsheet that organizes the results of every UFC fight since the inception of the sport, from UFC 1 in 1993 to UFC 116 in 2010. What’s amazing about this chart is how much the sport has changed since busting onto the fighting sport scene in the early 90′s. Obviously there have been rule changes that have made the sport safer (or what some would call more humane), but looking at this chart a few things become extremely clear. The biggest change in the sport is obviously the overall growth. 1993 only featured 8 fights whereas we already have 136 in 2010 and we are only halfway through the year! This is a testament to the growing popularity of the sport and the great job that the UFC bigwigs have done promoting it. Compare this growth to the steady downfall of boxing and you can easily see where the future of fighting sports is.

The biggest evolution in the sport is the steady rise of decision results over the course of the last 17 years. Hell, it took almost two years for UFC to have its first
decision result, and now almost 50% of fights go to a decision. I think that this is a testament to just how competitive the sport has become, and how the playing field has leveled out over the course of the last several years.
[BloodyElbow]

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