From small beginnings Mixed Martial Arts (MMI) has become a billion dollar business.
Its first appearance on network TV in June delivered 3 million households to the CBS network.
The sport mixes the moves of boxing, kick-boxing, wrestling, judo, jujitsu and other fighting formats.
It's played in an eight-sided ring which is enclosed by chain-link fencing which is why it's commonly referred to as cage fighting.
U.S. Senator John McCain once described it as "human cockfighting." In fact, it's illegal in 18 states.
The combatants are minimally protected, barefoot and wearing only boxer boxing shorts and padded fingerless gloves.
As the sport attracted more and more mainstream followers companies manufacturing and selling an ever-growing array of products aimed at the fans popped up.
One of those companies is California based TapouT that boasts a line of clothing, a magazine and even a reality TV show.
The faces of the brand are known as the TapouT crew who have big persona similar to wrestlers. Their leader and founder was known simply as "Mask". His real name was Charles Lewis Jnr.
I say "was" because he has just been killed when his speeding red Ferrari crashed into a light pole near Newport Beach, Cal.
Reports say he was street racing with a white 1977 Porsche. A female passenger in his car, believed to have been his girlfriend, was taken to hospital with broken bones including a broken arm.
The driver of the Porsche didn't stop but was arrested along with a woman passenger by police a little distance away.
Could have been a lot worse as the incident happened in a suburban area where there can be a lot of people about.Lucky it was 1am.
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