What do you need to know about Mixed Martial Arts?

What do you need to know about Mixed Martial Arts?

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is gaining popularity day by day by attracting fans and supporters across the globe from all walks of life. One of the factors attributed to this is the ever-expanding availability of facilities and gyms that offer MMA training. Moreover, there are many sponsors coming on board, which motivates more of the martial arts practitioners to make it a career sport.

However, to some people, sport is still kind of new and they have pressing doubts about it. Have you ever played poker online for the first time, and you felt lost? Well, that is how you look at MMA if you don’t know many of the facts surrounding this sport. Here are the essential things that you should probably know as a Mixed Martial Arts fan:

UFC is not the sport

Should we say that the name Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is greater than the name MMA? It’s no surprise that to many UFC defines the sport; even in basketball, fans are more inclined to follow the NBA instead of the sport as a whole. Well, at least now, you should know that UFC is the organization while MMA is the sport. It would be an embarrassment if you participate in a conversation with a knowledgeable fan and refer to UFC as the sport. Now you know how to call it.

What arts constitute MMA?

The name itself is Mixed Martial Arts. Therefore, it is a mixture of different martial arts, most of which originated from Asia. Martial arts that build up the bigger MMA include Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Muay Thai, Kickboxing, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Olympic sports that are a part of MMA include wrestling, boxing, and judo.

Weight classes in MMA

MMA fighters are grouped according to their weight. Fighters weight in usually between 24 to 36 hours prior to a match, to make sure they are within the allowed limit for their weight class. The classes include the following:

• Flyweight (up to 125 lbs)
• Bantamweight (125 to 135 lbs)
• Featherweight (135 to 145 lbs)
• Lightweight (145 to 155 lbs)
• Welterweight (155 to 170 lbs)
• Middleweight (170 to 185 lbs)
• Light Heavyweight (185 to 205 lbs)
• Heavyweight (205 to 265 lbs)

Are there organizations other than UFC?

Just like Texas Hold ‘Em is the most popular type of poker, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t other poker online games. The same applies to the organizations associated with MMA. UFC is the leading organization, but there are other organizations as well. However, in terms of coverage and fan-base, UFC is a giant. Other, smaller organizations include Bellator Fighting Championship and Cage Warriors.

Fighting cage

Finally, it would astonish you that the fighting cage is among the founding rules of the sport and is mainly in place for the protection of fighters. While some places still have bans on cage fighter, it’s good to know that professional MMA today mostly takes place in caged rings. UFC recently revisited a unified rule which says that “The fighting canvas area shall be enclosed by a fence made of such material as will not allow a fighter to fall out or break through it onto the floor or spectators”. Therefore, it is apparent that players need some sort of “protection” from cheering crowds, especially in any sport which involves grappling or ground-work.