Although short-lived, the UWF spawned a number of successor "shoot-wrestling" promotions collectively nicknamed the "U-Kei", and also served as a predecessor for Japanese mixed martial arts, with many of its alumni founding proto-MMA organizations such as Shooto, Pancrase and RINGS, eventually leading to the creation of Pride FC.

In early 1984, UWF President Hisashi Shinma brokered a deal with the World Wrestling Federation which resulted in a UWF/WWF working relationship.

Through this working relationship, one of UWF's top stars Akira Maeda toured the United States with the WWF[1] and even won the promotion's International Heavyweight Championship.

After Akira Maeda was suspended without pay for intentionally shooting on Riki Choshu and eventually dismissed from New Japan for refusing to go on an overseas excursion to Mexico, Takada, Yamazaki, Yoji Anjo, and rookie Tatsuo Nakano agreed to leave the promotion in February 1988.

Future stars Masahito Kakihara and Yusuke Fuke debuted, and a new rulebook was devised in which the first person to score 5 knockdowns (in which the opponent could not get back up at once, similar to boxing knockout attempts) would win, giving the 5-knockdown situation the same weight as a submission.

This, and the general Japanese economic downturn of the era, prompted Newborn UWF to close its doors with a farewell card on December 1, 1990, in Matsumoto, Nagano.

Other natives who turned to martial arts fighting such as Tadao Yasuda, Kazuyuki Fujita and Kendo Ka Shin also have UWF inspiration.

In Japan, a professional wrestling and/or mixed martial arts organizations that derived from the idea of UWF are collectively referred to "UWF-kei", or "U-kei" for short.