Andreas Michailidis Becomes First Greek Fighter to Claim UFC Victory

Andreas Michailidis from Athens became on Saturday night the first Greek to ever win the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in mixed martial arts (MMA).

Michailidis managed to win 34-year old KB Bhullar from Canada in a game full of suspence.

The Greek player began his game full of determination, looking to get an early knockout against his Canadian opponent.

The 32-year old Greek fighter managed to hurt Bhullar halfway through the first round of the game, but the Canadian player was determined not to let things go.

Nonetheless, Michailidis soon managed to achieve a huge head kick and flurry, however, the game was not over yet, leading the two experienced players to a second, and even more crucial, round.

Bhullar managed to achieve a devastating strike very early in the second round, however, it was deemed to be an illegal one. After a short break for a rest, the two players came back to the game more determined than ever.

Michailidis started the pressure against his opponent straight away, but Bhullar was able to find make a few attacking moves of his own soon after.

During the third round of this spectacular match, Bhullar used the strategy of focusing on body and low kicks against his Athenian opponent. On his behalf, Michailidis seemed to be a bit more conservative in his moves, however this did not last long.

Soon, the Greek player showed his strength and managed to win momentum.

Later on, the two players went to a decision, with Andreas Michailidis defeating KB Bhullar by a unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28).

What is the UFC that Michailidis won

The UFC is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada, which is owned and operated by Endeavor Group Holdings along with Silver Lake Partners, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and MSD Capital via Zuffa.

It is by far the largest MMA promotion company in the globe and features some of the highest-level fighters in the sport on its roster. This is why Michailidis’ victory is so special for the Greek martian arts.

The UFC produces events worldwide that showcase twelve weight divisions (eight men’s divisions and four women’s divisions) and abides by the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts.

As of 2020, the UFC has held over 500 events around the world.

What is MMA

The Mixed Martial Arts is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorporating techniques from various combat sports and martial arts from around the world.

The first documented use of the term mixed martial arts was in a review of UFC 1 by television critic Howard Rosenberg in 1993, so it’s a relatively new term.

During the early 20th century, various interstylistic contests took place throughout Japan and in the countries of the Four Asian Tigers. In Brazil, there was the sport of Vale Tudo, in which fighters from various styles fought with little to no rules. The Gracie family was known to promote Vale Tudo matches as a way to promote their own Brazilian jiu-jitsu style.

In the West, the concept of combining elements of multiple martial arts was popularized by Bruce Lee‘s Jeet Kune Do during the late 1960s to early 1970s. A precursor to modern MMA was the 1976 Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki bout, fought between boxer Muhammad Ali and wrestler Antonio Inoki in Japan, where it later inspired the foundation of Pancrase in 1993 and Pride Fighting Championships in 1997.