MMA Pioneers

CV Productions is the first documented company to promote mixed martial arts as a sport to the American public in 1980. Popular promotions such as UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) were not held until 1993. CV Productions developed a fight format to appeal to mainstream audiences. After major successes in the Pennsylvania region, the company laid the ground work to expand. They were negotiating a national sponsorship deal for a $100,000 prize finale set for Las Vegas in 1981. (To put the magnitude of the prize money into perspective, the average salary for an NFL pro in 1980 was $78,657. The championships garnered so much fanfare so quickly that they were slated for a nationwide tour that would have taken them to nearly every major US city.

CV Productions, Inc., is  considered the first MMA based company in the United States and responsible for creating the blueprint for modern mixed martial arts competition. CV promoted the first mainstream league of mixed martial arts style competitions beginning in 1980 with the intention of creating a new sport.  Regulated Mixed martial arts competitions were first introduced in the United States by CV Productions, Inc. The first competition named Tough Guy Contest was held on March 20, 1980, in New Kensington, PA. Later that year the company renamed the brand to “Super Fighters.”

The World Martial Arts Fighting Association (WMAFA) sanctioned all CV Productions events.  This was the first regulatory body for mixed martial arts and oversaw the “Super Fighters League” (SLF).