UFC 10
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | Las Vegas , United States |
Key people | Dana White (president) |
| Products | Mixed martial arts events |
| Website | www |
UFC 10: The Tournament was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on July 12, 1996. The event took place at the Fair Park Arena located in Birmingham, Alabama. It was broadcast live via pay-per-view across the United States and subsequently distributed on home video formats. An imaginary version of UFC 10 is depicted in the movie Virtuosity, showcasing fighter Ken Shamrock.
History
After utilizing single-match formats at UFC 9, UFC 10 marked the organization's return to the traditional tournament style. The event featured an eight-competitor tournament alongside two alternate bouts designed to address potential injuries and to extend pay-per-view programming.
Initially, the event was scheduled to occur at the Providence Civic Center in Providence. However, legal obstacles arose from Rhode Island’s Department of Business Regulation (DBR). A judicial decision permitted the tournament only if conducted under professional wrestling regulations. When UFC’s counsel contended that the WWF did not represent genuine wrestling, the judge rejected this argument. Since professional wrestling required licensing in Rhode Island and the UFC declined to obtain such a license, the DBR refused to grant authorization and maintained this ruling upon appeal. As a result, UFC 10 was relocated to Alabama.
The event marked the competitive debut of Mark Coleman, who secured victory in the tournament by overcoming popular contender Don Frye. Additionally, this event introduced Bruce Buffer as the Octagon’s announcer for the first time, succeeding Rich Goins, who had served in that role during UFC 8, UFC 9, and UFC 11. Bruce Buffer is also known as the brother of Michael Buffer, who handled announcing duties at UFC 6 and UFC 7.
Encyclopedia awards
In October 2011, fighters were recognized in the List of UFC encyclopedia award recipients#UFC Encyclopedia awards including:
- Fight of the Night: Mark Coleman vs. Don Frye
- Knockout of the Night: Mark Coleman (def. Moti Horenstein)