The History and Origins of Mixed Martial Arts
Mixed Martial Arts, or as it is more commonly known, MMA, is perhaps one of the newer fighting sport styles that has found its way into the spotlight in recent years, thanks to the fresh approach that it brings to the table. With traditional boxing, for instance, you know you can expect to see the competitors throwing punches, with anything even remotely takedown style or kicks being completely off limits. However, the fighting styles in MMA are what makes it so unique as a sport!
With a blend of not only combat but also self-defense, mixed martial arts allows a lot more flexibility in the styles of combat that can be used. With techniques from karate, judo, and taekwondo, just to name a few, the blend of these is what makes the game so distinctive, keeping both spectators and opponents on their toes – quite literally! Keep reading below to see where this form of combat style emerged from and the history behind it.
Featured Upcoming Bouts (Outside of UFC)
| Saturday, July 18th 2026: RIZIN LANDMARK 15 in HIROSHIMA | |||
 [#3 W105] Si Woo Park |  [#7 W105] Moeri Suda | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 11/23/2025 [DEEP] Last Opponent: [#34 W105] Saki Kitamura Last 5: W W W L W | Last Fight Date: 3/07/2026 [DEEP] Last Opponent: [#16 W105] Namiko Kawabata Last 5: W W W L W | ||
| Saturday, July 18th 2026: RIZIN LANDMARK 15 in HIROSHIMA | |||
| [#5 W105] Saori Oshima | [#13 W105] Ye Ji Lee | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 3/07/2026 [Rizin Fighting Federation] Last Opponent: [#11 W105] Keito Oyama Last 5: L L W L W | Last Fight Date: 5/24/2026 [DEEP] Last Opponent: [#32 W105] Eru Takebayashi Last 5: W L W L W | ||
| Thursday, September 10th 2026: Rizin FF - Super Rizin 5 | |||
 [#1 W105] Natalia Kuziutina | [#18 W105] Rena Kubota | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 4/12/2026 [Rizin Fighting Federation] Last Opponent: [#9 W105] Ayaka Hamasaki Last 5: W W W W W | Last Fight Date: 12/31/2025 [Rizin Fighting Federation] Last Opponent: [#2 W105] Seika Izawa Last 5: W L W W L | ||
Featured Fighters
| [#2 MW] |  Khamzat Chimaev | [#5 LW] |  Max Holloway | |
| [#1 LW] | Justin Gaethje | [#1 WW] | Islam Makhachev | |
| [NR] |  Conor McGregor | [#2 LW] |  Ilia Topuria | |
| [#10 W135] |  Jacqueline Cavalcanti | [#4 LW] |  Arman Tsarukyan | |
| [#19 W135] |  Alina Dalaslan | [#75 BW] |  Aleksandre Topuria |
Is Keoma-Ali Al-Ahmadieh’s Commonwealth Games medal the start of something special?
There’s a new name coming through the ranks of Canadian boxers. Yes, Keoma-Ali Al-Ahmadieh is a young man of great potential, and he is really looking to be the real deal, with a Commonwealth Games medal already to his name.
🥉 LE BRONZE POUR #ÉQUIPECANADA 🥉
Une médaille de bronze pour le boxeur canadien ! Keoma-Ali Al Ahmadieh remporte une médaille de bronze chez les hommes 57kg. 💪#OuiCANB2022 | #B2022 | @boxing_canada pic.twitter.com/UKZffyO4iz
— Commonwealth Sport Canada (@CwthSportCAN) August 7, 2022
The next big thing in Canadian Boxing?
At only 19 years of age, Al-Ahmadieh is still learning his trade. He still boxes as an amateur, where there is no need to rush him. Al-Almadieh is 1.72 cm high and fought in the Featherweight category (54-57 kg) at the recent Commonwealth Games – although there are obvious reasons why he might not stay at that weight, which we come to later.
Al-Almadieh has plenty of potential. Of that, there is already no doubt. But with all the potential, should come a note of caution.
6° COMBATE (Campeonato Continental de boxeo olímpico)
Keoma-Ali Al-Ahmadieh 🇨🇦 vs Jahmal Harvey 🇺🇸 (Semifinal peso pluma)
🔥 EN VIVO 🔥 por #ESPNKnockOut
📺 @StarPlusLA pic.twitter.com/GLDoGj1qEZ— ESPN KnockOut (@ESPNKnockOut) March 30, 2022
There’s been a drought of real top-quality Canadian boxers over the past 30 years, so it’s imperative that too much weight isn’t placed onto the shoulders of a young man just trying to find his way. Since the glory days of Lennox Lewis and Donovan Ruddock, there has been little to shout about.
Yes, Canada has seen names like Adonis Stevenson come and go in that time, but by and large, the cupboard has been bare.
The Canadian public love boxing and they have been longing for another superstar to come along that they can get behind, with both vocal support, and financial for those who like a bet. Whether it be placing a boxing bet on a local fighter, or even on the blockbuster start to 2023 where Chris Eubank Junior is 2/5 to beat Liam Smith with the best Ontario sportsbooks, Canadians who love a boxing bet, would get behind their man.
Al-Almadieh – Already a Commonwealth Games medal winner
At the tender age of 19, Canadian boxing prospect Keoma-Ali Al-Ahmadieh already has a Commonwealth Games bronze medal to his name. And it could have been more, as the young prospect was forced to pull out of his semi-final fight against Northern Ireland’s Jude Gallagher for medical reasons.
Medical reasons are the official line stated, but it was due to Al-Ahmadieh not being able to make the weight. So could Al-Ahmadieh have got a different color medal if he had made the weight? Quite possibly.
His win over Keevin Allicock of Guyana in the quarter-finals was the highlight of the competition, although it wasn’t greeted with joy in all quarters, as the 4-1 split decision results in the Canadian’s favor was greeted with boos from the crowd. But everybody has their own view on how a fight went, and his victory over the Guyanan wasn’t treated with the same displeasure across the board.
The alternative view of that fight is that after a slow start, Al-Ahmadieh took over in the latter stages, and it was his strong finish that earned him the victory via a split decision. Split decisions in boxing are just that. Some go for you, some against you. And just because your opponent has the more vocal supporters in the arena, doesn’t mean they are right.
It could even be argued that Al-Ahmadieh’s win was all the more impressive, as he had to show a lot of heart to come back from behind and win in the face of such intimidation. It’s a great sign of character moving forward.
Sadly, we will never know now if Al-Ahmadieh would have beaten Jude Gallagher, and possibly gone on to win the gold medal. But one thing that is for sure, is that the two previous wins over Charlie Senior (3-2) of Australia in the preliminary round, and his win over Keevin Allicock (4-1) in the quarter-finals were impressive.
If anything, the win over Senior was the harder of the two. Well, at least that’s how the judges scored it!
Potential Rivals
Moving forward, there is potential for rivalries now. Jude Gallagher is only 21, and Allicock is 23. There will be plenty of opportunities for the men to fight in the future, like at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, and this will at some point give Allicock and his entourage the opportunity to prove that the Commonwealth Games split decision was wrong.
Also, Jude Gallagher won his semi-final and his Gold Medal match by walkover. The Northern Irishman has already stated that it wasn’t the way he wanted to win a gold medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, and he will want to set the record straight, and would no doubt relish a fight with Al-Ahmadieh somewhere down the road.
If either of these fights doesn’t happen in the amateur ranks, they could be fights that are made professionally at a later date. It could just now be the case, that with a bit of patience, Canada now has another boxing superstar on its hands.
Bellator MMA and RIZIN New Year’s Eve Event
Bellator MMA and RIZIN are set to stage a historical event on New Year’s Eve (January 31, 2022) at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The event will feature five fighters from each promotion facing off in a one-night spectacle. The co-main event will pit Bellator’s featherweight king, Patricio Pitbull, against champion Kleber Koike.
According to Bellator president Scott Coker, the two sides have agreed to hold two such events, with the other one taking place in 2023 in the United States under Bellator’s MMA rule set. Coker stated that the next event “has to be in the cage, and it has to be Bellator rules. It would be different. Whether in the US or somewhere else. I think Hawaii would be fun.”
The main event of the Bellator and RIZIN cross-promotion event on New Year’s Eve will be a lightweight bout between A.J. McKee and Roberto de Souza. McKee, who is ranked No. 3 in the Bellator pound-for-pound rankings, is known for his dynamic striking ability and submission skills, with 13 combined stoppage victories in his career. De Souza is the RIZIN featherweight champion and has a professional record of 14-2, with several notable victories in his career. The fight will be a non-title bout and will take place inside the four-sided ring at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Additional information about the rules set and other details of the fight have not yet been announced.
Highest Paid Boxers From Nederland
There are a lot of additional revenue sources that open up for someone who becomes a famous athlete. You no longer have to be paid by your club, you can create your own business agreements with other companies. Famous athletes usually become brand ambassadors and promote all sorts of merchandise and services. Some of them promote sports equipment, gambling sites, fashion, or healthcare products. However, even if you are the very best that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get the best opportunities. Here we will focus on Dutch kickboxers, see how much they are earning and what side gigs they have in addition to their core profession.
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5 MMA Fighters set to rise through the rankings in 2023
Rankings give us the perfect assessment of a fighter’s form at any specific point in time. If we look at them over a period of a few months, we can also identify those who are in the ascendancy, along with the ones who might want to consider calling time on their careers.
The start of any New Year also gives us a perfect opportunity to make predictions. Who will be rising through the ranks in 2023 as they enjoy a stellar 12 months of MMA competition?
Paulo Costa Turned Down A Six-Fight Extension With UFC
Why Paulo Costa Turned Down A Six-Fight Extension With UFC?
When Paulo Costa began training in Muay Thai at age 9, he started his career in combat sports. Eventually, he introduced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to his repertoire and began martial arts training at the age of 17.
Early in the 2010s, Costa switched to MMA, and he faced Téo Esteves in his professional debut in 2012 at the MMA Total Combat: Santa Luzia. His combats have been a popular attraction for sports bettors online.
Paulo Costa doesn’t appear to be re-signing with the UFC except if he receives a better offer. The Brazilian fighter, who has an MMA record of 14-2-0, is unquestionably one of the best in the sport. In fact, reputed sports betting sites such as captaingambling.com have always kept their players informed with detailed updates on such News which could impact the outcomes of their betting ventures. Especially, when it involves star players such as Paulo Costa.
Derrick Lewis Illness and Fight Night 215 Cancellation
How Derrick Lewis Illness Promoted UFC Fight Night 215 Game Cancellation
UFC Fight Night 215 recently lost its headliner on the 19th of November 2022, hours before Sergey Spivak and Derrick Lewis were about to square off in the Octagon. In the midst of Saturday, UFC officials had announced that Lewis who was 26-10 MMA, 17-8 UFC had come down with an illness which resulted in a back-out from the game. The news was released since Lewis cited a non-weight, non-COVID-related illness for cancellation. Thus, a light heavyweight clash for three rounds took place where Ion Cutelaba stood against Kennedy Nzechukwu. It was unpredictable whether Spivak vs Lewis would be rebooked at a later date. Lewis is a two-time heavyweight title challenger. However, he has lost 3 out of 4 recent Octagon appearances. Recently, he also suffered a TKO defeat of 55 seconds at the hands of Sergei Pavlovich on the 30th of July at UFC 277. Spivak has won 5 out of 6 UFC competitions since 2020 and is 2-0 this year with a TKO against Greg Hardy and Augusto Sakai. For sports betting enthusiasts, such sudden game cancellations could be very concerning and disappointing. Bettors usually follow credible websites such as thegruelingtruth.com to have updated News and incidents that could impact their betting decisions.
The MMA Mania Gripping the Young Millennial Generations
MMA Mania Are Inspiring Millennial Crowd
The combat sport popular as mixed martial arts (MMA) combines elements of boxing, wrestling, judo, jujitsu, karate, Muay Thai (Thai boxing), and other disciplines. Although MMA was initially criticized as a cruel blood sport without regulations, it eventually lost its reputation for no-holds-barred combat. It became one of the fastest-growing spectator sports in the 21st century. All 50 states in the United States, and many other nations, sanction MMA events. Most on-shore and offshore sports betting websites also welcome bettors to lay wagers on their favorite fighters.
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Why UFC Fans Need a VPN
A VPN is being used by more and more people to browse the internet. It’s an easy way to ensure the three things that are crucial when using the internet: security, online privacy, and freedom. The subject may appear fairly challenging if you are not familiar with the idea of a VPN.
We’ll explain in detail how a VPN operates and why UFC fans need it, along with the benefits of using one.
You might be debating whether utilizing a VPN is vital for you. Nowadays, we do things online. We pay, communicate with friends and family, access our medical records, work, and watch our favorite movies and sports. It’s crucial that none of your information leaks to the public.
You run the risk of having more information about yourself revealed than you’d like if you don’t protect your internet connection from hackers, governments, websites, your work, and several other parties. Your data can be protected from each of these types of parties with the help of a VPN.
The Advantages of the Best Payout Online Casinos for Aussie Players
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