Washington DC — By Jon Rochetti on November 20, 2009 at 7:29 am

These Ultimate Fighting Guys are Tough

The modern day gladiators of the Ultimate Fighting Championship comes to the Washington, DC area for another set of hard-hitting bouts. The main event features a rematch of two lightweight mixed martial arts contenders, Gray Maynard and Nate Diaz.

The two fighters first met in the Octagon (ring) during the fifth season of the league, with Diaz (11-4-0) defeating Maynard (9-0-0, 1 NC) , on his way to being named the year’s “Ultimate Fighter”.

Ultimate Fighting Championship - Diaz vs. Guillard

The early bloody and no-holes-bared days of ultimate fighting were marred with objections from both politicians and fight fans, calling the sport too brutal. Billed as having no rules, the fights did in fact have a few. Pressure from Senator John McCain and a national campaign to outlaw ultimate fighting in it’s early days, calling them “human cockfighting”, resulted in the evolution of the rules, which continue to be modified each year.

Early fights allowed fights to continue even of a fighter was unable to defend himself. Matches ended only with a knockout or a referee stopping the fight.

At that time, fights showcased fighters and wrestlers from different schools of hand-to-hand combat – from classic martial arts to boxing. Today, fighters use a mixed martial arts style, incorporating multiple styles of fighting.

The rules and fighter protections were quickly expanded to reduce the risk of injury to the fighter and make the bouts more palatable to a wider in-person and pay-per-view television audience. The reality television show, The Ultimate Fighter on Spike TV quickly propelled the sport into the mainstream. And while still exceptionally violent, there is a loyal fan base.

Victories come in five ways – the classic knockout (or KO), submission by physical or verbal tapping out, by Technical Knockout (TKO) that includes stoppage of the fight by the referee or the doctor, or by judges decision.

Common fouls include head-butting, eye gouging, biting, and punches to the groin, throat, or back of the head.

UFC fights use an 8-sided octagon ring, with 5-minute rounds and a 1-minute rest between each. Title fights last up to 5 rounds, with non-title bouts going 3 rounds.

The main event at the Patriot Center features two of the best ultimate fighters, Gray Maynard and Nate Diaz, who will meet again in a rematch of the UFC fifth season battle won by Diaz, who went on to become the UFC champion that year.

Several other bouts will be included on the night’s card.

And while I feel ultimate fighting is a sport that is simply too violent and dangerous, some fans liken it to modern day gladiators.

What’s your take on ultimate fighting? Leave a comment and let us know.

Ultimate Fighting Championship
Patriot Center at George Mason University
4500 Patriot Circle
Fairfax, Virginia 22030 (map it)

Dates & Times - Monday, January 11, 2009. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. First bout – 6:15, main event at 9:00 p.m.

Tickets - $43.00 – $203 and are available online or by phone at 703-573-SEAT. Tickets go on sale Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 10:00 a.m.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Vienna/Fairfax-GMU – Orange line, then a 3½ mile cab ride. Note – cabs are generally not available after events so arrange for one in advance.

Parking – Parking is included.

Images – courtesy of UFC and Patriot Center