International Fighting Championships
Encyclopedia
International Fighting Championships is an American
mixed martial arts
organization. Founded in 1996, the IFC was the vision of longtime martial artist and kickboxing promoter, Howard Petschler. Howard recognized that MMA would finally solve a lot of the problems
associated with martial arts as a spectator sport, and sought to establish the credibility it needed to be treated as a sport. Rules were established that allowed for the safety of the fighters without detracting from the action. Weight divisions for both men and women were developed, and soon
the IFC was working with athletic commissions throughout United States to bring prominence to MMA. The IFC became the first
MMA promotion to enact rules that were recognized by a state athletic commission(Mississippi/1996). These rules have since become the basis for the Unified Rules which have now been adapted by most the states and Canada. In Canada, a country that had once banned these events, the IFC rules were adapted by the Province of Québec. IFC shows on the Canadian network, RDS, were the first to be a regularly scheduled MMA weekly network program anywhere in the world.
Today the IFC still works to establish and expand the sport on a global scale.
One thing distinguishing the IFC from other MMA
organizations is the fact that it is the first organization to create a cruiserweight division. This new weight class allows smaller heavyweight
s to compete with people closer to their own size.
The IFC currently uses nine weight classes for men:
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
!rowspan="2"|Weight class name
!colspan="2"|Upper limit
|-
!in pounds (lb)
!in kilograms (kg)
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Bantamweight
|135||61.2
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Featherweight
|145||65.8
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Lightweight
|155||70.3
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Welterweight
|170||77.1
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Middleweight
|185||83.9
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Light Heavyweight
|205||93.0
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Cruiserweight
|230||104.3
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Heavyweight
|265||120.2
|-
|Super Heavyweight
|align="center" colspan=2|No weight limit
The IFC currently has champions in two weight classes for women:
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
!rowspan="2"|Weight class name
!colspan="2"|Upper limit
|-
!in pounds (lb)
!in kilograms (kg)
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Women's Middleweight
|135||61.2
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Women's Light Heavyweight
|150||68.0
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
organization. Founded in 1996, the IFC was the vision of longtime martial artist and kickboxing promoter, Howard Petschler. Howard recognized that MMA would finally solve a lot of the problems
associated with martial arts as a spectator sport, and sought to establish the credibility it needed to be treated as a sport. Rules were established that allowed for the safety of the fighters without detracting from the action. Weight divisions for both men and women were developed, and soon
the IFC was working with athletic commissions throughout United States to bring prominence to MMA. The IFC became the first
MMA promotion to enact rules that were recognized by a state athletic commission(Mississippi/1996). These rules have since become the basis for the Unified Rules which have now been adapted by most the states and Canada. In Canada, a country that had once banned these events, the IFC rules were adapted by the Province of Québec. IFC shows on the Canadian network, RDS, were the first to be a regularly scheduled MMA weekly network program anywhere in the world.
Today the IFC still works to establish and expand the sport on a global scale.
One thing distinguishing the IFC from other MMA
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
organizations is the fact that it is the first organization to create a cruiserweight division. This new weight class allows smaller heavyweight
Heavyweight (MMA)
The heavyweight division in mixed martial arts generally groups fighters between .Although many ambiguities exist within the lower weight classes regarding division naming and weight limits, the Heavyweight division is, for the most part, uniform...
s to compete with people closer to their own size.
Weight divisions
The following information is based on the IFC website's list of championsThe IFC currently uses nine weight classes for men:
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
!rowspan="2"|Weight class name
!colspan="2"|Upper limit
|-
!in pounds (lb)
!in kilograms (kg)
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Bantamweight
Bantamweight (MMA)
The bantamweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*The King of the Cage bantamweight class with upper limit at 145 lb...
|135||61.2
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Featherweight
Featherweight (MMA)
The featherweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*UFC's & Pancrase's featherweight division, which groups competitors within 136 to 145 lb...
|145||65.8
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Lightweight
Lightweight (MMA)
The lightweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:* The UFC & Strikeforce lightweight division with upper limit at 155 lb...
|155||70.3
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Welterweight
Welterweight (MMA)
The welterweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*The UFC's & Strikeforce's welterweight division, which groups competitors within 156 to 170 lb...
|170||77.1
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Middleweight
Middleweight (MMA)
The middleweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*UFC's & Strikeforce's middleweight division, which groups competitors within 171 to 185 lb...
|185||83.9
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Light Heavyweight
Light Heavyweight (MMA)
The light heavyweight division in mixed martial arts generally refers to competitors weighing between 186 and 205 lb . It sits between the lighter middleweight division, and the heavyweight division....
|205||93.0
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Cruiserweight
|230||104.3
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Heavyweight
Heavyweight (MMA)
The heavyweight division in mixed martial arts generally groups fighters between .Although many ambiguities exist within the lower weight classes regarding division naming and weight limits, the Heavyweight division is, for the most part, uniform...
|265||120.2
|-
|Super Heavyweight
Super Heavyweight (MMA)
The super heavyweight division in mixed martial arts has no weight limit but generally refers to competitors weighing above 265 lb .Across Europe and Asia, there are numerous promotions that feature open-weight competitions that can qualify as super heavyweight bouts.One such example is in Japan,...
|align="center" colspan=2|No weight limit
The IFC currently has champions in two weight classes for women:
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
!rowspan="2"|Weight class name
!colspan="2"|Upper limit
|-
!in pounds (lb)
!in kilograms (kg)
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Women's Middleweight
|135||61.2
|-align="center"
|align="left"|Women's Light Heavyweight
|150||68.0
External links
DVD releases
In the UK there have been several IFC Events released on DVD by Oracle Home Entertainment. There are some also released in the United States.- Global Domination - Filmed in Denver, ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
- Shogun - Filmed in HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
- Wariors Challenge Fresno - Filmed in FresnoFresnoFresno is the fifth largest city in California.Fresno may also refer to:-Places:Colombia* Fresno, TolimaSpain* Fresno, a ghost village in Nidáliga, Valle de Sedano, Burgos* Aldea del Fresno, Madrid* Fresno de la Vega, Ribera del Esla, León...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... - Eve of Destruction - Filmed in Salt Lake City, UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
- Battleground Boise - Filmed in Boise, IdahoIdahoIdaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
- Kombat in Kiev - Filmed in KievKievKiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, UkraineUkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia... - Mayhem in Mississippi - Filmed in Biloxi, MississippiMississippiMississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...