In the modern-day UFC, the heaviest a fighter can weigh going into a bout is 266lb - but it wasn't always that way.
Back when MMA began, there were very few weight classes, if any, and fighters were allowed, like boxing heavyweights, to tip the scale at whatever weight they pleased. It led to some giants competing, and perhaps none were as big as the 600lb behemoth Emmanuel Yarborough from New Jersey, who fought three times in various promotions.
The sport, called 'Ultimate Fighting' at the time was initially put together to find out which fighting style was most effective, drafting in karate, jiu-jitsu, boxing, wrestling and other martial arts experts. They would compete in one-night tournaments on pay-per-view, with BJJ practitioners such as Royce Gracie often coming out on top in the early days.
