Mixed martial arts, or MMA, is a sport that combines elements of boxing, wrestling, and many other styles of unarmed fighting. In an MMA contest, two athletes fight inside a ring or a fenced-in area. The action may include fighting both from a standing position and on the ground. The fighters wear small, padded gloves with open fingers. They also wear mouth guards to protect their teeth.
Athletes competing in MMA use a wide range of striking and grappling techniques. Striking techniques involve punches, kicks, knee strikes, and elbow strikes. Grappling techniques focus on controlling the opponent’s body and achieving a dominant position, often by using leverage. Among the styles commonly used in MMA are boxing and kickboxing; traditional Asian martial arts, such as karate, taekwondo, and judo; freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling; and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Brazilian jiu-jitsu involves a wide range of grappling techniques, including submission holds that can be applied while fighting on the ground. Submission holds may also be applied from a standing position.
An MMA match consists of a certain number of timed rounds. Many fights have three rounds of five minutes each. At any time during the match, a fighter may win by knockout or technical knockout (TKO). A TKO occurs if a referee or other official decides that a fighter cannot continue. A fighter may also win by submission if the opponent quits as the result of a choke hold, arm or leg lock, or other maneuver. If a match lasts through all scheduled rounds, judges at ringside determine the winner. Fighters generally compete to win championships within classes based on weight.
Mixed martial arts has roots dating back many years. As early as the 600’s B.C., a combat sport known as pancratium or pankration combined boxing, wrestling, and kicking in the Olympic Games. However, modern MMA did not gain widespread popularity until the 1990’s and early 2000’s. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), founded in 1993, is a leading MMA organization.
