Its Not Your Average Boxing Match

It's Not Your Average Boxing Match!

Despite is brutality and use of blunt physical force, mixed martial arts (MMA) cage fighting has risen to the top of spectator sports in popularity in recent years. The sport pits two competitors, based on weight class, against each other in an eight sided, fenced in arena called the “Octagon�. The fighters use absolutely no body protection aside from thin, finger-cut gloves with almost no padding and that easily cause bleeding and bruising on their opponent. The matches consist of up to five 5 minute rounds, but will end before that if one fighter is knocked out, or held down long enough to “tap out�; if neither happens, a panel of judges establishes a score and decides the winner.


For many of those who have seen a mixed martial arts cage fighting match, they may wonder how such a physically damaging sport ever came in to existence. The sport was somewhat underground around the globe until 1993, when a Brazilian Jui-Jitsu fighter by the name of Royce Gracie beat three separate opponents in a row in a total of less than five minutes. Once the public caught wind of this groundbreaking event, mixed martial arts cage fighting grew enormously in popularity, and in 1999 the International Sport Combat Federation (ISCF) was founded as the sports governing body. As we moved into the 21st century the sport began regular Pay Per View showings, and in 2006 the “Ultimate Fighting Championship� had sales rivaling those of some of the highest selling boxing matches of all time. In 2005, the United States Army, after recognizing the usefulness of mixed martial arts began the Army Combative Championships at the US Army Combatives School.


There are a few combinations of martial arts that have proven most effective and are thus used in the sport today, including “stand up�, “clinch�, and “ground� techniques. “Stand up� includes boxing, karate, Muay Thai, and kickboxing that address the fighter's punching, kicking, elbowing, and footwork. “Clinch� involves Greco-Roman wrestling, sambo, freestyle, and Judo to work on takedowns, throws, and clinching in the fighter's technique. The “ground� methods are shoot wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, and sambo to help with ground position and control, as well as defend against and successfully execute submission holds. MMA fighters must also have incredible cardiovascular capability, and often cross train their own sport with triathlons, speed drills, strength training, and flexibility exercises.


Despite the gruesome images the media chooses to display of MMA, it is actually quite injury free and safe for the participants. There had never been a death in the sport until 2007, when a fighter collapsed after being knocked out, and subsequently suffered a stroke in his brain, never regaining consciousness after. Because of mixed martial arts cage fighting's huge growth in popularity, schools have begun appearing all over the United States and other countries, promising a safe, fun environment in which students can build excellent physical fitness and confidence.