What is MMA? Mixed Martial Arts Explained For Beginners

Wondering “what is MMA”? Well…

Mixed martial arts is a combat sport that allows striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground.

The name “MMA” originated because the sport started out as a competition between a variety of fighting styles and techniques from different disciplines.

But MMA is a lot older than its modern name; the sport of pankration (which has very similar rules to MMA) dates back as far as the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Disclaimer: This article was published for entertainment and educational purposes. It should not be used as personal or professional or medical advice. Please consult your doctor before deciding to engage in any new exercise activities or nutritional regimen. Take care!

Are MMA and UFC the Same Thing?

No, MMA and UFC are not the same. MMA is the combat sport that UFC fighters participate in. The UFC is just one (albeit the most well known) of many promotions that put on mixed martial arts competitions.

Is MMA Dangerous?

Yes, MMA can definitely be dangerous. However, many precautions are taken to protect the fighters in modern MMA events. They wear gloves and tape to protect their wrists, and have Vaseline smeared on their faces to reduce the likelihood of cuts.

Of course, there is no precaution that can reduce the impact of a bad knockout or a severe beating, so MMA will always have an element of danger.

The Branches of MMA – Boxing, Wrestling, BJJ and More

There are many martial arts and combat sports that have been adapted into MMA, which gives the sport a variety of possible styles and techniques for competitors to use.

In the early days of the UFC, fights took place between combatants representing their style of choice. Over the course of the first ten or so events, four general schools of fighting emerged as particularly effective inside the octagon:

• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu / Submission Grappling
• Boxing
• Muay Thai / Kickboxing
• Wrestling

If you look at the early UFC events, almost all of the champions came from one of those four schools of combat. But as the sport matured, fighters from other disciplines learned to integrate aspects of MMA into their style and gained success.

Examples of this include Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida and “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey. Machida used his karate to knock out and frustrate many opponents on his path to the light-heavyweight belt. Rousey’s judo made her one of the most feared fighters in the sport, and she finished every opponent she faced until losing by knockout twice in a row and retiring.

What People Get Wrong About MMA

There are a lot of common misconceptions and myths about MMA. Let’s put them to rest right now!

Myth #1: All MMA fighters are jocks

While it’s reasonable to think that a decent percentage of MMA fighters have been athletes their whole lives, this isn’t always true. Some of the best MMA fighters were unathletic until they found the sport that eventually became their career.

In addition, many successful MMA fighters take a cerebral, strategic approach to the competition.

Myth #2: MMA is fake like pro wrestling

If you have ever watched an MMA fight live or been to a gym, you know how silly this is. Even so, some people think MMA is fake! While there may be some “fight promotions” out there that put on staged or semi-staged events, fights inside the UFC and most other professional organizations are extremely real.

Myth #3: All MMA fighters are on steroids

While there is an undercurrent of steroid users like in most professional sports, many MMA fighters are obsessed with their health and achieving results naturally.

Is MMA a Good Way to Learn How to Fight?

Yes, an argument can be made that MMA is one of the best ways to learn unarmed combative skills. It provides an excellent training ground for combat enthusiasts to condition and test themselves in a safe environment.

Of course, MMA training is not without its risks (see “Is MMA Dangerous?” above), but it’s usually much safer than taking up backyard sparring or fighting in the street! And if you are careful, warm up properly, and communicate with your training partners, you can reduce the likelihood of injury.

Is injury common in MMA?

Injuries are quite common in MMA – it’s almost inevitable that one or both combatants will get injured in an all-out fight.

Even with 4-ounce gloves and wrist tape, broken hands and knuckles are not uncommon. Since the gloves don’t cover the fingertips, eye pokes are another unfortunate frequent occurrence.

There are also some very nasty (though less common) injuries that can occur in MMA. A perfect example of this is Anderson “The Spider” Silva snapping his shinbone in his second fight against Chris Weidman.

Because fighters “check” kicks thrown at their legs by going shin-to-shin with their opponents, every once in a while someone’s leg breaks under the impact.

In the case of Silva vs. Weidman 2, Silva threw a heavy low kick and broke his shin against Weidman’s rock-solid check.

Weight classes in MMA

While some organizations may differ, in most MMA promotions the weight classes are as follows:

• Super heavyweight: No limit
• Heavyweight: 226 lbs. to 265 lbs.
• Cruiserweight: 206 lbs. to 225 lbs.
• Light heavyweight: 196 lbs. to 205 lbs.
• Super middleweight: 186 lbs. to 195 lbs.
• Middleweight: 176 lbs. to 185 lbs.
• Super welterweight: 171 lbs. to 175 lbs.
• Welterweight: 166 lbs. to 170 lbs.
• Super lightweight: 156 lbs. to 165 lbs.
• Lightweight: 146 lbs. to 155 lbs.
• Featherweight: 136 lbs. to 145 lbs.
• Bantamweight: 126 lbs. to 135 lbs.
• Flyweight: 116 lbs. to 125 lbs.
• Strawweight: 106 lbs. to 115 lbs.
• Atomweight: 105 lbs. and under

Most fight promotions (including the UFC) do not feature all of these weight classes because it would thin out the competition too much. But as the sport continues to grow in popularity, we can expect to see more of the classes listed above added to popular events.

FAQ

Here are some common questions MMA beginners often ask.

What does MMA include?

MMA is made up of many different styles of fighting, although the four with the heaviest influence are Brazilian jiu-jitsu, freestyle wrestling, boxing and muay thai. MMA typically includes an intense training regiment and hours spent preparing for competition.

What is the purpose of MMA?

If we follow its roots in pankration, MMA’s original purpose was to train and condition soldiers for battle. These days it is more of a sporting event for entertainment purposes, but the combative roots are clear to see.

How does MMA work?

MMA fights last for a predetermined amount of time and are monitored closely by an in-ring referee. In the event that the fight isn’t finished early by way of knockout (KO) technical knockout (TKO), or submission, ringside judges determine a winner via a unified scoring system.

What are the basic rules of Mixed Martial Arts?

Although there are quite a few rules in MMA (and some differ depending on the organization), you’re not allowed to bite, eye-gouge, kick to the groin, or use small joint manipulation. Other things like kicks to the head of a downed opponent are legal in some organizations and outlawed in others.

A Conclusive Definition: What is MMA?

Mixed martial arts is a sport that involves two athletes competing combatively inside a ring or cage. The primary objective of this sport is to defeat your opponent by way of knockout, submission, TKO, or judges’ decision.

Fights are divided into a predetermined number of rounds which are usually all the same length, and watched closely by a referee and judges.

MMA has gained popularity rapidly in the last few years, which is part of what inspired us to build this blog.