It was the decade that gave us “Forrest Gump” and “Titanic,” “Friends” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Regulate.” Mickey Mantle, Walter Payton and Harry Caray died. Canelo Alvarez, Bryce Harper and Kyrie Irving were born. The Hubble Space Telescope launched, the Cold War ended and scientists cloned a sheep.
Mixed martial arts went from crawling to walking, as the Ultimate Fighting Championship was born in the United States and Pride Fighting Championships followed suit across the Pacific. Pioneers provided a foundation upon which the sport could be built.