MMA

What is MMA?

MMA stands for Mixed Martial Arts – literally a mix of different martial arts.

It's a modern hybrid combat sport that allows both striking and kicking techniques and grappling and wrestling, both standing and on the ground.

In a single MMA bout you might see a Muay Thai kickboxer trading punches and kicks with a black-belt karateka, or a wrestler taking a boxer to the ground and applying a choke.

The aim is to defeat your opponent using any effective martial arts technique, within a unified set of rules.

The term “mixed martial arts” was first used in 1993, when a television critic described the first Ultimate Fighting Championship event as “mixed martial arts”.

The name reflects the core idea: fighters combine techniques from different martial arts to compete on equal terms.

In other languages MMA is often described as “free fighting” or “all-encompassing fighting”, highlighting that it isn't limited to a single style.

Unlike traditional martial arts with ancient roots, MMA as a sport is relatively new – it emerged in the late 20th century – but the concept of mixing styles goes back to ancient times.