<P> In 1996, Senator John McCain (R - AZ) saw a tape of the first UFC events and immediately found it abhorrent . McCain himself led a campaign to ban UFC, calling it "human cockfighting", and sending letters to the governors of all fifty US states asking them to ban the event . </P> <P> Thirty - six states enacted laws that banned "no - hold - barred" fighting, including New York, which enacted the ban on the eve of UFC 12, forcing a relocation of the event to Dothan, Alabama . The UFC continued to air on DirecTV PPV, though its audience remained minuscule compared to the larger cable pay - per - view platforms of the era . </P> <P> In response to the criticism, the UFC increased cooperation with state athletic commissions and redesigned its rules to remove the less palatable elements of fights while retaining the core elements of striking and grappling . UFC 12 saw the introduction of weight classes and the banning of fish - hooking . For UFC 14, gloves became mandatory, while kicks to the head of a downed opponent were banned . UFC 15 saw limitations on hair pulling, and the banning of strikes to the back of the neck and head, headbutting, small - joint manipulations, and groin strikes . With five - minute rounds introduced at UFC 21, the UFC gradually re-branded itself as a sport rather than a spectacle . </P> <P> Led by UFC commissioner Jeff Blatnick and referee John McCarthy, the UFC continued to work with state athletic commissions . Blatnick, McCarthy, and matchmaker Joe Silva created a manual of policies, procedures, codes of conduct, and rules to help in getting the UFC sanctioned by the athletic commissions, many of which exist to this day . Blatnick and McCarthy traveled around the country, educating regulators and changing perceptions about a sport that was thought to be bloodthirsty and inhumane . By April 2000, their movement had clearly made an impact . California was set to become the first state in the U.S. to sign off on a set of codified rules that governed MMA . Soon after, New Jersey adopted the language . </P>

When did they start using gloves in ufc