The modern sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) has roots tracing back thousands of years. This paper tracks the development of martial arts techniques to the modern day and seeks to map out how individual martial arts from around the world, including kung-fu, wrestling, pankraton, boxing, muay thai, jiu-jitsu and others, have come to lay the foundation for what has become a major sport. The origins of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the premier MMA organization worldwide, and how it has grown to become an international sensation, are also traced. An overview of the rules of mixed martial arts, in particular the rules of UFC itself, and the way the rules have developed and changed over time, are laid out. The global expansion of UFC is analyzed followed by a look into the major fighters and administrators of mixed martial arts and their impact on the sport that has exploded in popularity and visibility in recent decades.