The year 2012 has seen champions retain their belt, new champions crowned and new promotions begin their campaigns. As of March 30, 2012, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has held seven events with another fourteen so far reported to be held throughout the rest of the year. Bellator Fighting Championship began its sixth season containing tournaments in five different weight classes. A new Indian promotion, Super Fight League, arrived on the scene in 2012 with seven events scheduled throughout the year.
The British Association of Mixed Martial Arts (BAMMA) held its first 2012 event, BAMMA 9, on March 24, 2012. It was held at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England. In the main event BAMMA World Middleweight Champion Tom Watson faced Jack Marshman. Watson won his title from Matt Horwich at BAMMA 3 in May, 2010, and has since defended it three twice against Alex Reid and Murilo Rua. Marshman is the reigning, and first, BAMMA British Middleweight Champion winning it at BAMMA 7 in September, 2011, after defeating Carl Noon. In this bout, Watson defended his title by defeating Jack Marshman at 4:50 of the second round by technical knockout.
Jewels, the female mixed martial arts promotion, held its first event of the year, Jewels: 18th Ring, on March 3, 2012, at the Shin-Kiba 1st Ring in Tokyo, Japan. The main event saw Mika Nagano face Emi Fujino in a lightweight (52 kilograms (115 lb)) fight consisting of two five-minute rounds using Jewels official rules. The fight went the full two rounds with Fujino earning a unanimous decision victory.Takayo Hashi and Roxanne Modafferi fought each other in the co-main event. Both ladies in the past had fought for the Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Championship and were also past training partners. The fight was contested under Jewels special rules as a 58 kilograms (128 lb) fight of two five-minute rounds. Hashi defeated Modafferi by unanimous decision after the two rounds were completed.