On May 18, 1989, Shooto staged its first official mixed martial arts event at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. In the more than 24 years that have elapsed since, MMA promotions have sprouted all over the globe, from the Ultimate Fighting Championship in the United States, the International Vale Tudo Championship in Brazil and M-1 Global in Russia to the Maximum Fighting Championship in Canada, Cage Warriors Fighting Championship in England and KSW in Poland.

The UFC has assisted in carrying MMA’s torch for the better part of two decades, visiting 11 countries while promoting more than 250 events and giving rise to some of the sport’s greatest stars: Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, Anderson Silva, Matt Hughes, Georges St. Pierre, Jon Jones, Jose Aldo and Cain Velasquez are among those who have passed through the Octagon doors.

This infographic provides a historical timeline for the organizations that have helped build mixed martial arts as we know it:

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