Like anything wildly successful, mixed martial arts has an origin story that will always be in some dispute. While the most commonly told history of the modern sport involves Art Davie, Campbell McLaren and the Gracie Train, there are countless mixed style matches such as Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki that pre-date the inaugural UFC event.
Among the most forgotten and the closest in both date and resemblance to UFC 1 is a promotion that was both wildly successful and short-lived.
On March 20, 1980, in blue-collar New Kensington, Pa., karate enthusiasts Bill Viola and Frank Caliguri produced an event that invited martial artists of all styles to compete against each other in a tournament designed to determine the most effective fighting style.