Mixed Martial Arts is a combat sport that combines different fighting styles like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, Wrestling, Boxing, Judo and others. Each style contributes unique techniques and strategies that shape modern MMA competition. Understanding these styles helps fans appreciate each fighter’s toolkit and the evolving landscape inside the Octagon. Some fighters rely heavily on striking arts like Muay Thai and Boxing, while others dominate through grappling and submissions rooted in Wrestling or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The best competitors are often those who can blend multiple styles seamlessly, adapting to different opponents and fight scenarios.
Over time, MMA has developed into a sport where versatility and adaptability are just as important as raw power or speed. This evolution has also influenced how fighters train, with most athletes now practicing a combination of disciplines rather than relying on a single base. By exploring these popular fighting styles, we can better understand how MMA has grown into one of the most dynamic and strategic sports in the world. Sports betting has become a significant part of the MMA viewing experience, with fans placing wagers on everything from fight outcomes and round totals to specific methods of victory like knockouts or submissions. Online casinos now regularly feature live betting during major UFC events, enabling users to adjust their bets in real time based on fight momentum. As MMA grew globally, casino review websites like norgesspill.com list down casinos and sports betting operators that feature MMA themes games and promotions. Online casinos offer slot machines, virtual sportsbooks and fight prediction bonuses that allow fans to engage with the sport in exciting new ways.
Some platforms even provide detailed fighter statistics and performance history to inform betting decisions, blending analytics with entertainment. The presence of MMA-themed games and promotional tie-ins in the online gaming space has helped attract both seasoned bettors and casual fans. This growing connection between sports betting, online casinos and MMA reflects the sport’s expanding digital footprint and its role in shaping the future of interactive entertainment. As the global audience continues to grow, the connection between fighting styles and online engagement is likely to deepen further, reinforcing MMA’s place at the intersection of sport and technology.
Muay Thai
Muay Thai, often called the Art of Eight Limbs, incorporates the use of fists, elbows, knees and shins to deliver powerful and diverse striking attacks. It also emphasizes close-range clinch work, where fighters control the opponent’s posture and deliver devastating knees and elbows, making it a core striking discipline in MMA. In the UFC, Muay Thai-based techniques account for approximately 51 percent of all strikes thrown, illustrating its widespread application in modern competition. Clinch strikes, a signature of Muay Thai, are statistically 35 percent more likely to result in knockouts compared to traditional punches, due to the force generated by close-quarters leverage and momentum.
Technically, Muay Thai teaches fighters to maintain strong balance and posture while attacking, using techniques like teeps (push kicks) to manage distance and low kicks to damage the opponent’s legs and limit mobility. Anderson Silva exemplified Muay Thai mastery in MMA, with precise timing, surgical knees and a record-setting 60 percent striking accuracy during his reign as middleweight champion.
Valentina Shevchenko has demonstrated seamless integration of Muay Thai with grappling, often using spinning back kicks, head kicks and step-in elbows to control and finish fights. Jose Aldo, known for his powerful leg kicks and Joanna Jedrzejczyk, with her relentless volume striking and clinch dominance, both used Muay Thai fundamentals to dominate their divisions.
Muay Thai’s fast-paced and aggressive style has also made it popular among fans who engage in sports betting and online casino platforms. Many betting sites feature prop bets specifically tied to Muay Thai techniques, such as method of victory by elbow or leg kick. Online casinos even offer MMA-themed slots and live odds during major events, allowing fans to immerse themselves in the action while wagering on their favorite fighters. This intersection of combat sports and digital gaming has expanded the reach of Muay Thai beyond the gym and the cage, turning it into a key driver of engagement in online entertainment.
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Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), developed by Carlos and Helio Gracie from traditional Japanese Judo, focuses on ground control, positional dominance and submissions rather than striking. It emphasizes using leverage, technique and timing to neutralize opponents, allowing smaller fighters to overcome larger ones. Royce Gracie’s dominance in UFC 1 in 1993 proved the effectiveness of BJJ, as he submitted multiple opponents who were physically stronger and more aggressive.
In modern MMA, Jiu Jitsu continues to be one of the most successful grappling styles, with data showing that it results in about 20 percent more submission wins than other disciplines like wrestling or sambo. Statistically, around 27 percent of UFC main events have featured a fighter holding a black belt in BJJ, highlighting its consistent presence at the highest levels of the sport.
BJJ’s techniques include chokes, joint locks, guard passes and sweeps, all of which are crucial in controlling the pace and outcome of a fight when the action goes to the ground. Fighters like Charles Oliveira have demonstrated how BJJ can be adapted aggressively, leading to a record-setting 16 submission victories and 20 overall finishes in the UFC.
Demian Maia, another elite BJJ practitioner, showcased the art’s defensive and controlling aspects, often neutralizing strikers by taking them to the ground and limiting their offense. BJJ also allows fighters to recover from poor positions, with escapes and reversals turning the tide of fights, as seen in Oliveira’s comeback victories. In today’s MMA landscape, fighters without at least basic proficiency in BJJ are at a strategic disadvantage, making it an essential component of any well-rounded skill set.
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Wrestling
Wrestling, including both freestyle and Greco Roman styles, equips MMA fighters with powerful takedown techniques, positional control and relentless pressure that can dominate opponents throughout a fight. Wrestlers often transition smoothly into MMA due to their conditioning, ability to dictate where the fight takes place and their effectiveness in close-range clinches and ground control scenarios.
In the UFC, fighters with a wrestling base have shown notable success, achieving a 62 percent win rate and a takedown success rate of 65 percent. Wrestling is the most common foundational discipline among UFC champions, with 58 fighters identifying it as their primary background, compared to 11 champions coming from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Technically, wrestling allows fighters to maintain top position, neutralize striking threats and drain the opponent’s energy through constant pressure and positional dominance. For instance, Georges St Pierre used timed double-leg takedowns and positional control to neutralize dangerous strikers and dominate his division, defending the welterweight title nine times.
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s approach combined chain wrestling and wrist control, allowing him to rack up a UFC-record 29 takedowns in a single fight, smother opponents and deliver damage while minimizing risk. Heavyweights like Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez used high-crotch lifts, cage pressure and ground control to dismantle larger opponents and impose their will. Wrestling’s emphasis on balance, transitions and mat awareness continues to make it one of the most effective and reliable bases in MMA, especially when combined with submission defence and striking.
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Boxing
Boxing brings a unique set of striking tools to MMA, including crisp punch combinations, agile footwork, head movement and superior hand speed. These skills allow fighters to control distance, set traps and defend against incoming strikes with efficient movement and counters. In MMA, boxers tend to excel in striking exchanges due to their ability to read angles, manage timing and deliver accurate, high-impact punches with minimal telegraphing. Conor McGregor, a boxing-influenced southpaw, built his early success on a powerful and precise left hand, famously knocking out José Aldo in just 13 seconds with a perfectly timed counter. His upright stance, shoulder roll and pull-back counters are hallmarks of a traditional boxing approach adapted to MMA.
Technically, boxing focuses on economy of movement and punch placement, allowing fighters to conserve energy while delivering maximum damage. Fighters like Michael Bisping effectively used jabs, lateral movement and high-output striking to win decisions and wear down opponents. Vitor Belfort’s explosive combinations and hand speed made him a knockout threat in multiple divisions, particularly during his early UFC career. Francis Ngannou, though not a traditional boxer, demonstrated the power and timing associated with boxing by knocking out elite heavyweights like Alistair Overeem and Stipe Miocic with short, precise punches.
Boxing’s clear and measurable striking outcomes have also made it a natural fit for sports betting and online casino platforms. Fans regularly place bets on strike-based outcomes such as round-by-round finishes, knockouts or total significant strikes landed. Online gaming platforms often offer live betting options during high-profile fights, enhancing fan engagement with real-time wagers linked to striking success. In addition, casino-style boxing-themed games and virtual fight simulations attract fans who enjoy the strategic and statistical elements of the sport. As a result, boxing’s presence in digital entertainment continues to grow alongside its value inside the MMA cage.
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Judo and Sambo
Judo is a traditional Japanese martial art that emphasizes balance, leverage and momentum to execute throws and clinch takedowns. In MMA, judokas often use hip throws, foot sweeps and trips from the clinch to bring opponents to the ground while maintaining top control. Ronda Rousey exemplified the effectiveness of Judo in modern MMA, using techniques like the harai goshi (sweeping hip throw) to dominate her opponents and secure quick submissions via her trademark armbar.
Her 12–2 UFC record and seven title defences showcased how high-level Judo can be a fight-ending weapon when combined with ground control and submission transitions. Fighters with a Judo base can control the tempo in clinch exchanges, often neutralizing wrestling-heavy or striking-based opponents who are unfamiliar with Judo’s off-balancing techniques.
Sambo, developed in Russia, blends elements of Judo and wrestling while incorporating submissions and leg locks as part of its core strategy. Technically, Sambo fighters are known for their explosiveness, creative takedowns and strong positional awareness on the ground. A 68 percent ground control success rate among Sambo practitioners in MMA highlights their ability to maintain dominant positions and dictate fight pace once the action hits the mat.
Fedor Emelianenko, one of the most respected heavyweights in MMA history, used Sambo principles to overwhelm opponents with a mix of striking and submissions during his legendary run in PRIDE FC. Andrei Arlovski also demonstrated the utility of Sambo in his takedown defence and clinch striking, using its hybrid nature to compete effectively across multiple organizations. Both Judo and Sambo remain valuable disciplines in MMA, especially when combined with modern conditioning and cross-training.
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Taekwondo and Karate
While Taekwondo and Karate are less common as primary bases in MMA, they are known for their speed, unpredictability and dynamic kicking techniques. Taekwondo practitioners, for example, are capable of generating over 2,000 pounds of force with spinning and head kicks, making them dangerous from long range. Fighters such as Yair Rodriguez and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson have successfully integrated Taekwondo and Karate into their MMA styles, using techniques like side kicks, wheel kicks and blitz attacks to manage distance and land precise strikes without absorbing damage.
Karate’s linear stance and emphasis on counter-striking can confuse more conventional opponents, often leading to unexpected knockouts, as seen in Thompson’s wins over Johny Hendricks and Rory MacDonald. Lyoto Machida also famously used a Shotokan Karate base combined with takedown defence to win the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, showcasing the effectiveness of traditional martial arts when adapted with proper timing and cage control.
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Final Thoughts
Modern MMA demands a well-rounded mix of grappling, striking and wrestling. Fighters who blend Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, Wrestling, Boxing, Judo, Sambo and Karate carve their path to championships by adapting to every range and situation within a fight. For example, Kamaru Usman combines elite wrestling with improving boxing to dominate both grappling and stand-up exchanges, while Amanda Nunes integrates BJJ and Muay Thai for explosive finishes. These diverse styles not only influence competitive strategy but also resonate across pop culture, fitness trends and entertainment industries. MMA training routines have become mainstream in gyms worldwide, with striking pads, grappling drills and functional conditioning now part of everyday fitness programs.
As fighters continue to evolve, we are seeing more fluid style transitions within bouts such as feinting from karate stance into a takedown or switching from Thai clinch to a judo trip, making MMA a dynamic showcase of martial innovation. With promotions expanding globally and athletes refining their training with sports science, MMA’s future looks increasingly diverse and sophisticated.
The sport’s core styles will remain essential, not just for success in the cage, but for their continuing influence on how strength, skill and culture intersect in the modern world. Moreover, the rise of youth MMA programs and amateur circuits is nurturing the next generation of fighters who grow up training in multiple disciplines from an early age. As technology, media and global interest continue to grow, MMA is poised to become one of the most culturally influential and widely practiced combat sports of the 21st century.