This comes here?
I had to create this to give Cold Fracture a history and figured if I write it down someone else might use it as well.
Free Form Combat originates from street fights, cage matches and death matches. Enhanced Free Form Combatants are cybernetically (and some of the new guard may be genetically) enhanced humans voluntarily entering real and possibly lethal combat.
Showmanship outside the fight is a big part of the accepted style. Showmanship in a fight will earn fame if successful and ridicule when attempts at it fail.
All FFC fights are organized in lowsec space, simply because lowsec authorities are more likely to let small "misunderstandings" of empire laws slide.
There are hundreds if not thousands fight promoters throughout the cluster, titles range from planets to systems and even regional ones. There is good chance for several promoters be offering the same title AFFC, NFFC and IFFC Intaki championships for instance. -The same fighters may even be competing for all the local titles.
For a promoter there are two surefire ways to find themselves bereft of fighters. First is not paying for the fighters on work medical bills. And second is trying to create EVE cluster Championship title. -There are about a dozen EVE championships in circuit at any given time. Such titles are usually scorned by both the famous fighters as well as fans.
FFC circuit has only few rules for it to be FFC.
1. Only those capable of signing legally binding contract may enter a fight.
2. Anyone claiming to organize FFC in highsec can look forward to a visit from regional and system champions and promoters, "checking out the new outfit". Usually such highsec-promoters find it hard to keep their talent healthy.
3. Only Enhanced fighters may enter.
Large number of unwritten rules exist, likely to be different from promotion to promotion. Most common ones include, respect and aid across promotional boundaries between the fighters and even promoters.
Usually criminal organizations have been content on acting as betting agencies and supplying retiring and/or rehabilitating Fighters with opportunities for earning extra income.
Becoming an EFFC is an expensive career choice, both in beginning enhancements and accruing later medical expenses. Fighters can earn a decent living but especially the most famous/notorious are likely to have their fight income fall far behind on the advertisements and sponsorships money they can attract.
FFC is not the only style of fight promotion in EVE let alone the most popular, it however is considered by enthusiasts as one of the purer forms out there. Outside of sanctioned death matches, deaths are surprisingly rare. And even Death matches have the submissions which let both fighters live.