Fighting Network Rings

Fighting Network Rings, trademarked as RINGS, was a Japanese combat sport promotion that has lived three distinct periods: shoot-stylepuroresu promotion from its inauguration to 1995, mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion from 1995 to its 2002 disestablishment, and a revived MMA event from 2008 onward, and continued holding events under the RINGS name until at least 2022.

RINGS was founded by Akira Maeda on May 11, 1991, following the end of the Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF), where Maeda had been the promotion's Ace and one of its leading figures. Founded in 1984, the UWF was a pioneering promotion in shoot-style, a form of professional wrestling that emphasized realistic-looking combat, legitimate martial arts techniques, and competition rather than the more theatrical style traditionally associated with professional wrestling. RINGS was established to continue and develop this approach, while differentiating from other UWF successors by hiring foreigners with experience in legitimate martial arts and combat sports rather than established pro wrestlers, particularly from the Netherlands and Eastern Europe, as Maeda implemented influences from Dutch kickboxing and Sambo. While initially mainly a professional wrestling promotion, RINGS ocasionally had shoot fights between its performers, and gradually began incorporating more legitimate combat sports into its events. In 1995, the promotion began fully transitioning to have only real fights under the RINGS ruleset, marking its transition towards the nascent sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).

RINGS expanded internationally during the late 1990s, creating a network of affiliated promotions in the Netherlands, Russia, Australia, and Georgia. The Japanese promotion ceased activity in February 2002, while RINGS Holland and other affiliated organizations continued independently. In November 2002, ZST was established in Japan, providing a new promotion for many former RINGS fighters who continued competing in MMA under RINGS' unique rules. RINGS Japan returned as an active promotion in 2008, hosting a series of events called The Outsider from 2008 up to 2022.