The UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) is an American mixed martial arts promotion company and currently one of the largest in the world. It hosts most of the top-ranked fighters and produces numerous events worldwide. The UFC has seven weight-divisions and enforces the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. The president of the UFC is Dana White; Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta control its parent company, Zuffa, LLC.

The UFC is inspired by vale tudo tournaments in Brazil, the UFC and the sport of MMA have roots in the ancient Olympic combat sport of Pankration in 648 BC. In 1993, the UFC held its first competition in Denver, Colorado (see the history of the UFC). Showcasing fighters of different disciplines—including boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, Muay Thai, karate and other styles—the UFC sought to identify the most effective martial art in a real fight.

With a cable-television deal and expansion into Canada, Europe, Australia the Middle East, Asia and new markets within the United States, the UFC as of 2011 has gained in popularity, along with greater mainstream-media coverage. As of 2011 viewers can access UFC programming on pay-per-view television in the U.S., Brazil , Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Italy. UFC programming can also be found on Spike, Versus, and the Fox Network in the U.S., on ESPN in the United Kingdom and Ireland, as well as in over 130 countries and 20 different languages worldwide.