MMA Mixed martial arts is considered a mixture of two or more martial arts styles.Modern MMA is a full-contact sport and can include techniques from martial arts forms worldwide and those from kickboxing, wrestling, and boxing. MMA Mixed martial arts is also called cage fighting, ultimate fighting, or no holds barred (NHB).This is the only sport to use an octagon-shaped ring which is sometimes referred to as the cage. The UFC octagonal ring is designed to keep players safe and could have been inspired by the movie Octagon starring Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris is not just a Hollywood star, but he has won many martial arts championships. Chuck Norris has also trained several celebrities in this MMA sport.The octagon fence surrounds a padded canvas combat area. The fence and shape of this ring make it different and unique from those used in other sports such as boxing. The standard octagon ring is commonly used and has a combat area of 30 ft (9.1 m). The smaller octagon is 25 ft (7.62 m) and used for small events. The first time this octagonal-shaped ring was used was in 1993.Although sometimes they might look similar, boxing and MMA are pretty different. The main difference between boxing and mixed martial arts is that you can only use punches and hit above the belt in boxing. However, as in MMA, various martial arts techniques are used; anything is acceptable.While men mainly dominate this sport, women too can participate in mixed martial arts. The first documented female fights were held in Japan in the mid-1990s. The Invicta Fighting Championships are solely for women. Other events where women can compete are the Bellator Fighting Championships and Strikeforce. A few well-known female fighters of this sport are Holly Holm, Miesha Tate, and Gina Carano.The Association of Boxing Commissions is known to oversee professional MMA in the United States. It is allowed in all states.Although this martial art form is growing in popularity, it is not a part of the Olympic Games.History Of MMAHere is a brief historical timeline of Mixed Martial Arts.On June 1, 648, the earliest competitive form of MMA was the ‘Pankration’ which can be traced to Ancient Greece. It was introduced into the Olympic Games held in 648 BC.On September 1, 1900, a Japanese man named Mitsuyo Maeda started teaching Judo to the Gracie children, a Scottish family settled in Brazil. When Maeda left, they adapted the Judo fighting skill, which was known as Jiu-Jitsu.On September 2, 1925, the Gracie brothers, Carlos and Helios, opened the first Jiu-Jitsu academy in Rio de Janeiro and set up the Gracie Challenge.On September 1, 1980, Helios’s son Rorion arrived in the United States to teach Brazilian or Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. He offered $100,000 to anyone who could defeat him or his brothers in a match.On November 3, 1989, the Gracie Academy, or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s official headquarters, was opened.On November 12, 1993, the first UFC tournament was founded by Rorion Gracie. Royce Gracie won the tournament after beating three men in a single night, including Ken Shamrock. Royce Gracie, a well-known name, is one of the most influential martial arts players.On April 5, 1994, Jiu-Jitsu was integrated into the combat training program of the United States Army.On October 17, 1995, a time limit was set for fights.On July 27, 1997, for the first time, gloves were made mandatory for fights in the UFC14.On September 2, 1997, Senator McCain started a campaign against this sport.On October 17, 1997, the rules were changed to prohibit hair pulling or scratching.On December 21, 1997, UFC arrived in Japan.On March 13, 1998, The UFC started the first lightweight division.On October 16, 1998, UFC arrived in Brazil. The first lightweight title match was fought.On September 2, 1999, The ten-point scoring system was integrated into the UFC.On December 16, 2000, The last UFC event in Japan was held.On June 16, 2001, the UFC made a comeback as a clean sport due to the efforts of Dana white and the Ferrito Brothers.On September 2, 2011, the best fight in the history of MMA was fought between Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock. Rules Of MMAThe rules of MMA competitions vary from one event to the next as each organization can create its own rules. However, the athletic commission rules of each state where the event is being held have to be followed. Also, Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts is the one that is most often observed in MMA competitions worldwide.The rules for mixed martial arts can be divided into three categories weight, rules for combat, and ways to end a fight.Weight is the base of all MMA rules. A male weighing 150 lb (68 kg) would be matched with someone similar for a fight. Fighters wanting to fight in a flyweight category need to weigh up to 105 lb (48 kg) for men, and for the super heavyweight fight, you need to be over 265 lb (120 kg). You can be disqualified from a match if you don’t make the weight class.MMA rules for a fight prohibit fighters from groin attacks, head butts, eye-gouging, biting, and kneeing your opponent in the head when they are on the ground.Also, hair pulling, grabbing of the throat, and manipulating the fingers are not allowed.You cannot grab the octagonal ring or throw your opponent outside the octagon or ring.If you do any of the above, you will be warned by the referee, and if your opponent is injured in your attack, they will be given time to recover.Three judges would decide the result if the combat lasted for all the rounds. Every event of this martial arts form has its own point system.Every time any one of the fighters makes an illegal move, he gets a warning. If he gets more than three warnings, he will be disqualified. Also, injury caused to an opponent due to an illegal move will result in disqualification.Fighters can forfeit a match before it begins if they are injured.If an MMA athlete loses consciousness due to their opponent’s strikes, it will be a knockout.If fighters break the rules or an unintentional action injures a combatant, it would be declared as no contest. This is very rare in MMA fights.If an MMA fighter manages to hold their opponent in a submissive grip, the opponent can accept defeat by tapping the fighter’s body or mat. If possible, they can make a verbal declaration. If they do not tap out and are incapacitated, the referee will end the fight.The referee can declare a technical knockout if an MMA fighter cannot defend themselves. It can also be declared by a doctor or the fighter’s corner if it is dangerous to the fighter’s health to continue.In addition to the above rules, the general rules that also need to be followed for this martial art form are that every round of a fight has to be five minutes duration with a minute of rest between rounds.Nontitle matches should have no more than three rounds. Title matches can have five rounds.Participants must be dressed in approved shorts without foot padding or shoes for a fight. Participants cannot wear long pants and shirts.Gloves that allow the fingers to grab and grip are permitted. A mouth guard and protective cup are essential.These are checked by an official of the State Athletic Committee before the combatant enters the ring or cage.Also, leg protectors must be worn, and for women combatants, chest protectors are also compulsory.Different MMA Styles And TechniquesMMA fighting can be a combination of different styles of various combat disciplines and martial arts forms; some of these are:Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a common one. In addition to the guard position, various submissive holds such as chokes, compression locks, and joint locks are got from this discipline.Collegiate wrestling style offered takedowns and clinches.The hip toss often used in this kind of play is from Judo.Muay Thai, known as The Art of Eight Limbs, in the Muay Thai style of fighting, the elbows, hands, knees, and shins are used. Hence, Kicks and other knee and elbow moves in the MMA are got from here.Submission wrestling refers to the various head and arm holds used in MMA from wrestling, as are the mounts.Western boxing refers to the jab, uppercut, hook, and cross that are common strikes used in MMA fighting are from boxing.MMA wrestling and combat techniques can be classed as striking or grappling. Knee strikes, punches, kicks, and elbow strikes are all striking techniques. Submission holds, takedowns, and throws are a few grappling techniques.Sprawl and Brawl is a technique used in boxing and martial arts such as karate to keep standing and avoid a takedown.Ground and Pound refers to when a combatant is on top of their opponent in a grappling position after taking them down.Submission seeking technique is used widely in Judo, and this is used to force an opponent to submit after taking him down.Score fighting technique is most often used by those extremely experienced in wrestling. It is used to take down opponents with strikes to winClinch fighting refers to punches, stomps, elbow strikes, and more are used to take down an opponent. It is widely used by those with a background in wrestling in the MMAFamous MMA PlayersSome of the well-known players of MMA are:Bruce Lee, the greatest icon of martial arts cinema, is often credited as the first to practice MMA in the United States.Georges St. Pierre is considered by most to be the greatest fighter in MMA history. He has won both the middleweight and welterweight divisions of the UFC championships. He retired in 2013 with a record of 28 fights, of which he won 26 and lost only 2.At just 23 years old, Jon Jones is the youngest UFC champion and holds the record for being the youngest champion. He also holds many other records in the light heavyweight division, such as the longest win streak, most title defenses, and most wins.Khabib Nurmagomedov is the longest-reigning champion in the UFC lightweight division. He has been nicknamed The Eagle and has won all his 29 fights, a record in MMA.Anderson Silva has had 16 consecutive wins and held the UFC title for 2457 days, the longest ever. His skills in this martial arts sport have attracted the most viewers and fans. Anderson Silva, who is very skilled, is considered one of the best strikers in the world and is nicknamed The Spider. He holds the record for the most knockouts in The Octagon.Fedor Emelianenko, nicknamed The Last Emperor, has had 28 consecutive wins. He has never fought in the UFC and is among the best heavyweight fighters.Jeff Monson is a Russian American fighter known as The Snowman. He fights in the heavyweight category and has had 60 wins.A few interesting facts about some of the well-known players of the MMA are:Jacob Christopher Ortiz is the actual name of Tito Ortiz.Ken and Frank Shamrock aren’t actual brothers. Bob Shamrock adopted them.Tank Abbot has guest-starred in the episode of Friends titled The One with the Ultimate Fighting Champion.Melton Brown was the first fighter to wear gloves.Stefan Struve of the Netherlands is the tallest fighter, nicknamed The Skyscraper.Joe Pearson holds the record for the most triangle choke submissions in MMA.Matt Serra was the first American to get a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from Renzo Gracie.Igor Vovchanchyn has won 37 consecutive MMA fights.Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua worked as a model in Brazil before becoming a fighter.The first gold medalist of the Olympic games to take up MMA was Mark Shultz.A pioneer of this form of fighting was Carlson Gracie.President Theodore Roosevelt trained in the critical components of MMA, boxing, wrestling, and Judo.Bruce Lee is known as the Grandfather of modern MMA. He was the first mixed martial artist in the United States.MMA and UFC are different. MMA is a sport, whereas UFC is the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the organization that promotes MMA events.Shoot Wrestling or Shooto started in Japan and is among the oldest forms of MMA.The UFC Belt is made from actual gold and weighs 12 lb (5.4 kg). It was estimated to be worth $330,000 in 2010.The UFC theme song is Face the Pain by Stemm.The term mixed martial arts was first used by Howard Rosenberg, a television critic, in 1993.CV Productions Inc created the first regulated MMA league in the United States in 1980. It was called the Tough Guy Contest.Zuffa LLC purchased the UFC for $2million in 2001 and sold it for $4.2 billion in 2016The first MMA fight to be telecast on Cable television was the UFC 37.5 fight between Vitor Belfort and Chuck Liddell.The sport was banned in the state of New York till 2016, when Governor Cuomo signed a bill to lift the ban.MMA fighters are at a much higher risk of developing traumatic brain injury than athletes in any other sport, including football and hockey.
MMA Mixed martial arts is considered a mixture of two or more martial arts styles.
