Means mma. The main myths about mixed martial arts. Famous MMA fighters

MMA - completely sounds like Mixed Martial Arts, which translated into Russian means mixed martial arts. This term was coined by American Rick Blum in the mid-90s, who was then the president of Battlecade. Subsequently, this term became extremely popular not only in English-speaking countries, but throughout the planet.

Mixed martial arts is nothing new. The only thing new about MMA is the money and media that has recently acquired the sport. Before modern warfare was introduced, every culture had to master some form of martial arts or it would not survive. Combat types Sports developed in most civilizations as entertainment in peacetime and as a weapon of war at the outbreak of hostilities. While most cultures have had MMA in some form or another, we will look at the martial arts history of Egypt, Greece, Thailand, the Philippines, Japan, Brazil, and the United States.

East is a delicate matter

Asia is considered one of the main cradles of martial arts. The reason is quite simple - loyalty to tradition. Asian countries tend to maintain their martial forms longer than Western countries, where martial arts have not been passed down from generation to generation as successfully. Western cultures have tended to adopt modern knowledge in the form firearms instead of what they consider to be outdated forms of hand-to-hand combat.

The Great Pyramids preserve hieroglyphic inscriptions of Egyptians fighting and practicing martial arts that date back to 3000 BC. Wall paintings in tombs along the Nile show the same thing. There are reports of hand-to-hand combat techniques taught to soldiers in Mesopotamia and Sumer (3000 - 2300 BC).

By 700 B.C. (during the Greek city-states) wrestling, boxing and other combat sports were already part of the Olympics. The Greek pankration was introduced into the Olympic Games in 648 BC. The term "pankration" is based on two Greek words: pan, meaning "all", and krato, meaning "strength". Roman gladiators were the first to practice pankration (a combat sport combining boxing and wrestling techniques).

There are records indicating that martial arts were practiced in China as early as 200 BC. In Thai Siam, the martial art Muay was used for war and became a spectacular sport. These competitions became an important part of local festivals and were used as entertainment for the kings. It is now known as Muay Thai ( national species Sports of Thailand) and complies with many international boxing conventions. However, at first there were very few rules in Muay Thai. Clandestine MMA matches in Thailand, which continue to this day, have few or no rules.

The Philippines had several forms of martial arts and combat sports, including boxing (Panantukan), grappling (Dumog), kicking (Sikaran) and weapon-based arts (Kali and Eskrima). Before the Americans entered the Philippines in 1898, Filipinos settled their differences in duels using swords. In the 1930s, in an attempt to make combat more humane, duels became full contact, with combatants using rattan sticks. At close range, strikes with hands, elbows, knees and the butt of a weapon were allowed. Throws and grabs were also legal.

It looked like modern MMA, but the fighter held the stick in right hand and hit with his left hand. The winner was only declared when one of the fighters was either killed or could no longer continue. These events were also held in Hawaii by immigrant Filipinos in conjunction with cockfighting until Hawaii became the 50th US state in 1959. Many Filipinos who were experts in Cali and Escrima migrated to California to work as farm laborers but became boxers instead. Because there was more money in boxing than in working on a farm.

Japanese Shooto (Shoot Wrestling) is a highly developed combat sport; a mixture of sambo, catch wrestling, muay thai, judo and jiu-jitsu. Created by Satori Sayama (a famous Japanese professional wrestler) in 1983-1984, Shooto already resembled modern MMA with a polished percussion technique and struggle.

It predated the UFC by about nine years and was the predecessor to Pride FC. Pride FC's first event took place at the Tokyo Dome in 1997 and within ten years it had become one of the world's most popular MMA organizations. Pancrase is another Japanese MMA organization founded in 1993 by professional wrestlers, Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki.

However, Japan has a long tradition of mixed martial arts that dates back to the origins of these modern events. In the early 1900s, MMA fights pitting jiu jitsu masters against boxers were very popular throughout Japan, Europe and Brazil. The Japanese sent their best fighters abroad to participate in these events.

Wild West

The United States of America, being a “melting pot” of many ethnic cultures, is also not left without its sport. Even George Washington, the first President of the United States, participated in the Irish Collar-and-elbow. Other US presidents such as Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt also practiced American folk wrestling styles.

Famous American grapplers include Martin Burns (1861-1937) and Frank Goetsch (1878-1917), who competed professionally in traveling carnivals, wrestling all comers to please spectators. They both practiced catch wrestling, which was derived from American "Gouging" wrestling, Irish "Collar and Elbow" and English "Lancashire" wrestling, as well as from Japanese Jiu Jitsu and Indian wrestling (Kushti). The term "Gouging" refers to American style manners street fighting, dating back to the early 1700s, which allowed for boxing, grabbing, eye gouging, groin punching, hair pulling, etc. There were no rules. The winner was declared only after a knockout or submission. These brutal bouts were often referred to simply as "boxing matches."

Developed in America by Bruce Lee in the late 1960s, Jeet Kune Do (a mixed martial art based on kung fu, boxing, Muay Thai, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, etc.) is considered by many to have a strong influence on modern MMA . (More details)

Brazil is well known as the birthplace of Vale Tudo matches. In the early 1900s, Mitsuyo Maeda, a judo champion, immigrated from Japan to Brazil to establish a Japanese colony there.

Maeda became friends with Gastao Gracie and began teaching Gastao Gracie's son, Carlos Gracie, the art of judo. In 1925, Carlos and his brother Helio opened a jiu-jitsu school in Rio de Janeiro, announced an "open challenge" and began competing against all comers in more than 1,000 freestyle wali tudo matches.The bouts featured Brazilian practitioners of various martial arts styles, as well as many of the greatest Japanese champions. The matches eventually became so popular that they were played in large football stadiums and became the second largest sport in terms of ticket sales.

Helio Gracie's eldest son, Rorion, moved to the United States in the early 1980s. Along with his brothers Rickson, Royce and Royler, he launched the "Gracie Challenge" for all comers. Rorion offered $100,000 to anyone who could defeat him or one of the brothers in a Vale Tudo style match. This has definitely brought the Gracie family into the spotlight in the martial arts community.

The Gracies gained fame, but Rorion still dreamed of bringing Wali Tudo to the masses of America to help popularize jiu-jitsu. He eventually did so after co-creating The Ultimate with Art Davey and Bob Meyrowitz. Fighting Championship"—fights without rules for pay television.

The UFC became a huge success almost overnight. At least the slogan “There are no rules!” and brutality aroused a lot of interest, it also attracted a lot of criticism. It was eventually outlawed in many states and lost interest from cable television.

Zuffa LLC bought the UFC for $2,000,000, established new rules, resolved disagreements with the Nevada Athletic Commission, and returned to the PPV market in 2001. MMA became the fastest growing sport in America and eventually entered the mainstream. Since 2005, reality television began broadcasting on Spike TV. This helped bring a lot of attention to MMA and mixed martial arts appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine. In 2006, UFC's annualized revenue exceeded that of Pro Boxing and WWE. The UFC acquired its two main competitors: Pride FC and WEC, thereby establishing a definitive monopoly. In the summer of 2016, WME-IMG acquired the UFC for $4 billion.

Requirements for the ring or arena; use of video screens

According to the rules of MMA, mixed martial arts competitions or exhibitions may be held in a ring or arena.
According to MMA rules, a ring used for mixed martial arts competitions or exhibitions must meet the following requirements:
The area of the ring, limited by the ropes, must be not less than the area of a 20-foot square and not more than the area of a 32-foot square, on the inside of the ropes;

The floor of the ring must extend beyond the ropes at least 18 inches on each side. The ring floor must be covered with Ensolite foam or other similar closed cell foam. The minimum thickness of the foam layer is 1 inch. The flooring must extend beyond the ring ropes and beyond the edges of the area. A covering made of tarpaulin, strong canvas or other suitable material should be stretched tightly over it and secured with cords. Do not use material that bunches or folds.
The ring platform must not be more than 4 feet above the floor and must be equipped with special ladders used by the fighters.
The side posts of the ring must be made of metal with a diameter of no more than 3 inches, the height of the posts above the surface of the ring is a minimum of 58 inches. The side posts must be protected by a special coating approved by the Athletic Commission. The side posts of the ring must be positioned a minimum of 18 inches from the ring ropes.
On each side of the ring there must be five rows of ropes, at least 1 inch in diameter, covered with soft material. The distance from the ring surface to the bottom rope is 12 inches.
There should be no foreign objects on the surface of the ring.

According to MMA rules, an arena used for mixed martial arts competitions or exhibitions must meet the following requirements:

The arena must be circular or have at least six equal sides. The width of the arena must be no less than 20 feet and no more than 32 feet.
The arena floor must be decked with Ensolite foam or other similar closed cell foam, with a minimum foam thickness of 1 inch. A covering made of tarpaulin, strong canvas or other suitable material should be stretched tightly over the flooring and secured with cords. Do not use material that bunches or folds.
The arena area must not be more than 4 feet above floor level and must be equipped with special ladders for use by the fighters.
Fencing posts must be made of metal with a diameter of no more than 6 inches, and the height of the posts above the arena surface is 5-7 feet. Fence posts must be protected with a special coating approved by the Commission.
The arena fencing used must be made of a material that prevents fighters from falling outside the arena, onto the floor below the arena, or onto spectators, such as vinyl covered chicken wire fencing.
Metal parts of the arena must be protected with special coatings approved by the Athletic Commission and must not be dangerous for fighters.
The arena must have two entrances.
The fence surrounding the arena in which the competition is to be held must be free of foreign objects.

The organizer of mixed martial arts competitions or exhibitions must equip the fighting venue with at least two video screens that allow the events in the ring or arena to be monitored.

Duration of the fight

MMA rules stipulate the following duration of fights:

"Non-championship" mixed martial arts competitions and exhibitions last no more than three rounds.
Championship (title) mixed martial arts competitions, other mixed martial arts competitions or exhibitions considered by the supervisory authorities as a special event, last no more than five rounds.
The duration of a round at mixed martial arts competitions or exhibitions should not exceed 5 minutes. The rest period between rounds in mixed martial arts competitions or exhibitions is 1 minute.

(came into force on August 31, 2001; amended on October 27, 2009)

MMA rules regulate the division of athletes according to the following weight categories:

The current weight categories for athletes participating in mixed martial arts competitions or exhibitions and the weights for each category are listed below:

Flyweight
Flyweight up to 125 lbs.

Bantamweight
Bantamweight 125 to 135 pounds

Feather-weight
Featherweight 135 to 145 pounds

A light weight
Lightweight 145 to 155 pounds

Welterweight
Welterweight 155 to 170 pounds

Average weight
Middleweight 170 to 185 pounds

Light Heavyweight
Light Heavyweight 185 to 205 pounds

Heavy weight
Heavyweight 205 to 265 pounds

Super Heavyweight
Super Heavyweight over 265 pounds

Note. Some MMA organizations do not have weight classes under 145 pounds or over 265 pounds.

After the official pre-competition weigh-in, in the event of an overweight, the weight lost by athletes participating in a mixed martial arts competition or exhibition must not exceed 2 pounds.
The weight loss specified in the previous paragraph must occur no later than an hour after the initial weighing.

(came into force on August 31, 2001; amended on December 4, 2007)

Athletes' clothing

Athletes taking part in competitions or exhibition performances:

Must wear MMA approved shorts
During the competition, participants must not wear shoes or other materials covering their feet.

(came into force on August 31, 2001)

Judging methodology

According to the rules of MMA, each judge of a mixed martial arts competition or exhibition must evaluate the competition or exhibition and determine the winner using the following system:

The best fighter of the round receives 10 points, and his opponent receives correspondingly less.
If the round was equal, each fighter receives 10 points.
Fractional points cannot be awarded.
Points for each round are awarded immediately after the end of the round.

After the end of the competition or exhibition performance, the commentator takes the cards with the points assigned by the judges from the table of the Athletic Commission.
The decision is made by a majority vote. If a majority is not reached, a draw is awarded.
After the panel representative has verified the scores, he or she communicates the decision to the commentator. The commentator communicates the decision to the audience through the speaker system.

(came into force on August 31, 2001)

Violation of MMA rules (fouls): points deducted

1. If an athlete, during a mixed martial arts competition or exhibition, violates the rules of his or her opponent, the referee may punish him or her by deducting his or her points, regardless of whether the violation was intentional or not. Unless otherwise stated, the referee may determine the number of points to be deducted on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the severity of the offense and the degree of damage caused to the opponent.
2. If the referee decides that a point or points must be deducted due to a rule violation, he or she must inform the offender of the penalty imposed.
3. As soon as possible after a violation of the rules, the referee must inform the judges and both athletes the number of points to be deducted from the offender’s account.
4. The point or points deducted for a violation are deducted in the round in which the violation occurred and cannot be deducted in subsequent rounds.

(came into force on August 31, 2001; amended on December 3, 2003)

Violation of MMA rules: unintentional

If a martial arts competition or exhibition is stopped because the rules were unintentionally broken, the referee will determine whether the athlete who was violated may continue to compete. If, as a result of the infraction, the athlete's chances of winning were not seriously jeopardized and if the infraction did not involve a blow to the head of the offended athlete, the referee may order the competition or exhibition to continue after a recovery pause of not more than 5 minutes. Immediately after the athletes have dispersed, the referee must inform the Commission representative whether the violation was unintentional.
If the referee determines that a mixed martial arts competition or exhibition cannot continue due to an injury resulting from an unintentional violation of the rules of MMA, the competition or exhibition will be declared a no contest if the rule violation occurs:

During the first two rounds of a competition or exhibition consisting of three or fewer rounds; or
During the first three rounds of a competition or exhibition consisting of more than three rounds.

If, due to an unintentional violation of the rules, the athlete cannot continue to participate in competitions or exhibition performances after:

completion of the second round of a competition or exhibition consisting of three or fewer rounds; or
At the end of the third round of competitions or exhibitions consisting of more than three rounds, the outcome of the bout is determined by scoring the completed rounds and the round during which the referee stopped the competition or exhibition.

If, subsequently, as a result of a legal blow, the injury resulting from the violation of the rules is aggravated, and the referee stops the competition or exhibition, the outcome of the match will be determined by counting the points for the completed rounds and the round in which the referee stopped the competition or exhibition.

(came into force on 08/31/2001; 12/03/2003; 12/04/2007)

Match outcome

According to MMA rules, mixed martial arts competitions can end as follows:

Voluntary surrender:

Physical submission (tapping the opponent's body or floor).
Verbal surrender.

Knockout (KO): as a result of a legal blow, the athlete is unconscious and cannot continue the fight.
Technical knockout (TKO):

The referee stops the fight.
The doctor stops the fight.
The fighter's seconds (corner) stop the fight.

Decision based on scoring, in particular:

Unanimous decision.
Non-unanimous (separate) decision.
Majority decision.
Draw, in particular:

Unanimous draw.
Draw by majority decision.
Split draw.

Technical solution.
Technical draw.
Disqualification.
Cancel.
Declaring the fight invalid.

(came into force on August 31, 2001; amended on December 4, 2007)

Note

Three judges award the round to one of the fighters, collectively assessing the effectiveness of their actions in the ring, such as:

Striking
Grappling (any wrestling actions and the use of painful and choking techniques)
Aggression
Control of the ring (arena) area

Prohibited actions

The following list of actions enumerates those that are considered rule violations during exhibition matches or mixed martial arts competitions:

Head impacts are prohibited.
Any type of attack on the eyes is prohibited.
It is forbidden to bite an opponent.
It is prohibited to hold, pull or pull the opponent's hair.
Any attempts to tear apart the anatomical openings of an opponent with your fingers (for example, an attempt to tear the mouth) are prohibited.
Any penetration of fingers into anatomical openings, as well as into cuts and wounds of the enemy is prohibited.
Any type of attack on the groin area is prohibited.
Painful techniques on the opponent's small joints, such as fingers or toes, are prohibited.
Any blows to the back of the head or spine are prohibited.
A downward strike with the tip of the elbow is prohibited.
Any blows to the throat, as well as grabbing the trachea, are prohibited.
Scratching, pinching, and twisting of the flesh is prohibited.
Grabbing the collarbone is prohibited.
Kicks to the head of a lying opponent are prohibited (the opponent is considered lying if he touches any third point of the floor).
Knee strikes to the head of a prone opponent are prohibited (see previous paragraph).
Trampling a prone opponent (hitting with the sole of the foot) is prohibited.
Hitting the kidney area with the heel is prohibited.
It is forbidden to stick an opponent into the canvas upside down or on the neck (see the note on this point at the end of the list).
It is prohibited to throw your opponent out of the cage or ring.
It is prohibited to grab the opponent's shorts or gloves.
Spitting at an opponent is prohibited.
Any type of unsportsmanlike behavior that results in injury to an opponent is prohibited.
Grabbing and holding by the cage or ropes is prohibited.
Any kind of insults are prohibited in the cage or ring.
It is prohibited to attack an opponent during a break.
It is prohibited to attack an opponent who is being spoken to or examined by the referee.
It is prohibited to attack the enemy after the end of the battle.
Blatant disregard for the referee's instructions is prohibited.
It is prohibited to evade combat, including avoiding contact with the enemy, intentionally or repeatedly spitting out a mouth guard, or feigning injury.
Angle interference is prohibited.
It is prohibited to throw away the towel during the fight.

(effective 8-31-2001; amended 10-27-2009)

Note

At UFC 111, there was an incident when fighter Kurt Pellegrino, pictured below, suddenly straightened up and with a downward movement of his body, stuck his opponent, Fabricio Camoes, who had grabbed his neck, into the canvas. The Athletic Commission explained in this regard that the technique performed, according to the rules of MMA, is considered legal, and clarified that those situations where the fighter controls the position of the opponent’s body, and, having brought him into a vertical position upside down with his feet up, forcefully sticks him, are prohibited. his head into the canvas. In the situation in the photograph in question, Kurt Pellegrino had no control over the position of the opponent’s body, and therefore did not violate the rules of MMA , and the opponent, in turn, had the opportunity to avoid hitting the canvas with his head.

Mixed martial arts(Also MMA- from English Mixed Martial Arts) are martial arts (often incorrectly called “fighting without rules”), which are a combination of many techniques, schools and areas of martial arts. MMA is a full-contact fight using striking techniques and wrestling both in a standing position (clinch) and on the floor (grounds). The term "Mixed Martial Arts" was coined in 1995 by Rick Blum, president of Battlecade, one of the early MMA organizations, and subsequently found widespread use in non-English-speaking countries.

Origins of MMA

Origins of MMA go back to BC: even the ancient Greeks were the first Olympic Games competed in pankration, however, until the 1990s, MMA could not boast of significant popularity in the world. Only with the formation and development of such organizations as the “Ultimate Fighting Championship”, “Pride Fighting Championships”, etc., the popularity of MMA increased sharply, which was also facilitated by decline in the entertainment value of professional boxing.

Although early competitions had minimal rules, due to criticism of the sport as a "bloodbath", promoters introduced additional restrictions to improve the safety of athletes and attract new spectators. Thanks to these efforts, modern MMA is one of the fastest growing sports, as evidenced by pay-per-view sales of fights, media coverage, increased participation and increased sales of merchandise related to the sport. MMA.

Modern MMA

Modern mixed martial arts has its roots in two events: vale tudo (literally port. Anything goes) competitions in Brazil and Japanese shoot wrestling. Vale Tudo dates back to the third decade of the 20th century, when Brazilian jiu-jitsu exponents Carlos Gracie and Helio Gracie invited anyone to compete with them in wrestling. This was the so-called "Gracie Challenge", which was later supported by Gracie's descendants.

In Japan in the 70s of the 20th century, professional wrestler Kanji “Antonio” Inoki organized a number of fights in mixed rules. In particular, on June 26, 1976, Inoki met with the famous boxer Muhammad Ali. Initially, a fight was planned according to mixed rules in the full sense, however, two days later a restriction was introduced that significantly influenced the outcome of the meeting: Inoki was allowed to kick only if he had one knee on the floor. As a result, Ali landed six punches, and Inoki spent almost the entire fight on the floor, not allowing Ali to approach him with low kicks. The fight ended in a draw, although the damage to Ali's legs nearly jeopardized his boxing career. As a result of the unspectacular fight, the opinion spread that fights according to mixed rules are impossible due to the lack of adaptation of the rules, and for a long time they were not carried out. However, Inoki continued to organize mixed martial arts fights from time to time, which were not widely recognized, but they led to the formation of the first mixed martial arts organization, known as Shooto, in 1986. Inoki himself had no relation to “Shuto”: the organization was founded by his former “colleague in the wrestling ring” - Satoru Sayama.

In the future, fate MMA developed in different countries differently. Popular in the USA MMA began to grow in 1993, when California businessman Art Davey and Brazilian jiu-jitsu school leader Rorion Gracie organized the first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) tournament, held in Denver, Colorado. The eight-participant tournament, which had a prize fund of $50,000 for the winner, included representatives from boxing, savate, sumo, karate and wrestling. To the surprise of the 2,800 spectators present in the hall, and another 86 thousand who bought a paid broadcast on cable television, the winner of the tournament was the Brazilian athlete Royce Gracie, who was significantly inferior to all his opponents in height and weight and won thanks to choke and painful techniques, little known at the time. Subsequently, Gracie won two more UFC tournaments, which widely popularized Brazilian jiu-jitsu - one of the key components in the training of many fighters MMA Nowadays.

In Japan in 1997, interest in mixed martial arts led to the creation of a large organization MMA- Pride Fighting Championships. As the sport developed, other organizations began to appear: Strikeforce, EliteXC, Bellator Fighting Championships, Bodog, Affliction, WEC, Dream, M-1 Global, however, in the face of fierce competition, some of them failed, while others were forced be content with little popularity and a relatively low level of fighters.

In Russia and the CIS countries, due to the collapse of the USSR, the development MMA was more chaotic in nature and mainly manifested itself in the form of individual tournaments or simply battles without tournament bracket, which began to be carried out in the mid-1990s. Due to the lack of structures governing the rules, medical support and the conditions for the fights, the level of competition depended solely on the willingness of sponsors to invest money in fights, which often led to fights being held in inadequate conditions. Significant improvement was noted with the emergence of the Japanese organization RINGS in Russia, where such fighters as Wolf Khan, Andrei Kopylov, Mikhail Ilyukhin and Nikolai Zuev have proven themselves well. RINGS also gave a start to Fedor Emelianenko, later a multiple world champion in MMA according to versions of various organizations.

To date, development MMA in Russia, as before, it is not moving as quickly as, for example, in the USA, where interest in UFC fights increased significantly with the purchase of the promotion by the owners of the Station Casinos casino chain, the Fertitta brothers, in 2001, and the appointment of former boxing promoter Dana White to the role of president of the company, which led to a massive passion for the sport, even in those states where MMA at that time was officially prohibited (for example, New York). This is due, first of all, to changes in the rules that made fights more spectacular, White’s aggressive policy aimed at popularizing the sport (more precisely, the UFC organization itself), and the evolution of fighting technology. In December 2006, the UFC's popularity reached its peak when Chuck Liddell's fight against Tito Ortiz generated pay-TV box office figures that rivaled the highest-grossing boxing fights in boxing history. In 2007, the Fertitta brothers bought out their main competitor, the Japanese "Pride", as a result of which the UFC became the largest organization in the world of MMA and, thanks to the arrival of the best Pride fighters, managed to increase the popularity of the sport in the United States even higher, as evidenced by the increase in the number of pay-per-view sales.

In Russia, the situation is radically different, mainly due to the lack of adequate coverage of sports by the media and the still prevailing opinion among a large part of the population that MMA- This is a “blood sport”. The sport is also not funded by the state and does not have a development program, as a result of which the evolution takes place at the expense of a few enthusiasts.

On September 26, 2012, the commission of the Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation officially recognized MMA an independent sport.

In other countries (for example, England, Australia and Germany) MMA is also a growing sport, while in France - MMA prohibited.

564 BC

The final in pankration (a sport close to MMA) at the 54th Olympics is remembered even after two and a half thousand years: while defending the champion title for the third time, Arikhion from Figalei faced worthy opponent. The fight was brutal and ended with Hippostratus holding a choke, and Arikhion a painful one. Both techniques worked: Arikhion died by suffocation, but his opponent, without realizing it, gave up, unable to bear the pain of his ankle being broken and held in a death grip.

1951

Gracie clan - Adam and Eve MMA. These masters of Brazilian jiu-jitsu brought the Brazilian competition of Vale Tudo (translated from Portuguese - “anything is allowed”) to the world level. In 1951, Helio Gracie challenged the best fighters in the world to fight, and some responded. Judoists led by Kimura arrived from Japan. In the fight with Masahiko, Gracie lost, but amazed everyone with his willpower. He continued to fight even with a broken elbow until his seconds threw a towel into the ring. The Japanese went home with the idea that such battles were an extremely interesting spectacle.

1976

It was assumed that in this fight the Japanese martial artist and champion boxer would show everything they were capable of. But the fight turned into a travesty. Two days before the fight, a restrictive amendment was made to the rules: Inoki was allowed to use kicks only from a stand on one knee. As a result, the entire fight, which ended in a draw, saw Ali jumping around Inoki, who was kneeling, and he was hammering his legs with low kicks. Promoters no longer allowed boxers to approach karatekas.

1993

The first UFC tournament (Ultimate Fighting Championship - “absolute fighting championship”) was conceived as a “Gracie Challenge”: a master of Brazilian jiu-jitsu from the Gracie clan invited representatives of other martial arts (boxing, karate, sumo, kickboxing, savate) to identify the strongest. The first place fight, in which Royce Gracie defeated Savate champion Gerard Gordeau, was watched by 86,000 people on a pay-per-view channel. Videotapes provided an even larger audience. The success was such that within four months another UFC took place. Now, 21 years later, the UFC (USA) is the richest promotional company for MMA fights.

3-5 rounds of 5 minutes with minute breaks continue in MMA fights. In the first tournaments, the battle continued until someone won.

Death Leagues

The world of MMA consists of professional organizations of various calibers (promotions) involved in holding tournaments (they are called “events”).

The fighters enter into contracts with them that prohibit them from fighting with their competitors. Elite MMA consists of two American organizations: UFC (the oldest and largest) and Bellator (its main competitor). All the best end up there sooner or later - moving on their own or together with their entire organization (as was already the case with the Japanese Pride FC and the American Strikeforce, bought by the UFC). The strongest organization in Russia is M-1 Global.

MMA (Mixed Martial Art - mixed style fighting) - these three letters were first put together by the president of the now defunct Battlecade league, Rick Blum. This was in 1995.

Strategies

The fighter, depending on his qualities and the qualities of his opponent, either fights in a standing position, trying to hit the enemy with punches and kicks, or tries to take the fight to the ground as quickly as possible and win using wrestling techniques.

At the dawn of MMA, each fighter had a clearly visible technique of the type of martial arts from which he came, but as “fighting without rules” developed, the styles mixed, and now MMA is a style in itself, combining all the best from different martial arts. Schools have opened that teach exactly this technique.

Dominant techniques in MMA:

Kickboxing
Thai boxing
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Combat Sambo
Judo

*% of 455 competition participants

In 2012, Russia was the first in the world to recognize MMA as an official sport, hold a national championship, and a year later host the world championship. Today, MMA is officially recognized in most countries of the world, but there are exceptions - for example, fighting according to the rules of mixed martial arts is prohibited in France and the state of New York.

Rules without rules

How younger sport, the tougher it is. Always, as a species develops, the set of rules becomes thicker. Someone will get killed in a competition, some organization will be outraged - and you will get a couple more items on the “don’t” list. MMA has already faced this, but has not yet gone too far from its main idea: victory at any cost and by all available means. At the first UFC tournament, it was only forbidden to bite and gouge out eyes; there were no other restrictions - the fighters fought regardless of the difference in weight. Not much has changed since then: athletes were divided into weight categories, required to wear gloves, and the following techniques were banned*:

headbutts
gouging out eyes in any way
bites
hair pulling
cheek grabbing
attacks to the groin in any way
inserting fingers into holes in the body
cutting or wounding an opponent
manipulation of small joints
collarbone grip
downward strikes with a sharp elbow point
blows to the spine or back of the head
blows to the throat in any way, capture of the trachea
scratching, pinching, or twisting the skin
kicking a prone opponent to the head
hitting a prone opponent with knees to the head
trampling a prone opponent
heel strikes to the kidneys
pushing an opponent into the mat upside down with their head or neck
throwing an opponent out of the ring or fenced area
holding an opponent's shorts or gloves
spitting at an opponent

*Intentional violation leads to an immediate stoppage of the fight and disqualification of the offender.

So what is the difference between MMA and UFC?

It is impossible to find the difference, since both are incomparable concepts. It's like comparing football and English football premier league. Is it possible to compare a sport with one of the championships in this sport? It's clear that no. So in our case, MMA, which is a separate species sports, it is impossible to compare with the UFC, which is a championship in this very sport. UFC is just a part of MMA and nothing more.

Then why are they so often confused with each other?

UFC, on this moment, is recognized as the strongest MMA championship on the planet, in which all the strongest fighters in the world strive to compete. Participating in the organization’s tournaments is not only an honor, but also financially beneficial, since here you can earn more money than anywhere else.

The participation of the best, recognizable fighters guarantees spectacular fights and increased interest in UFC tournaments from the audience.

Video highlights one of the UFC tournaments:

The organization holds such fights all over the world, has high incomes, as well as powerful media support. This is the most popular world championship in mixed martial arts, and it is not surprising that many people learn about the UFC first, and only then about MMA, often misinterpreting these two concepts. This results in a situation where a person knows about UFC, considering it a separate sport, and knows nothing about MMA, or knows that “besides UFC, there is some kind of MMA.”

On the other hand, MMA is a fairly young sport that has not yet become widely known and, at the same time, cannot, for obvious reasons, engage in self-promotion like the UFC. It even turns out the other way around: the UFC, relying on its own financial capabilities and popularity, helps promote both its own brand and the entire sport at the same time. Many viewers might never have shown interest in MMA and would not have become fans of it if it weren’t for the UFC, because when people start to become interested in mixed fights, as a rule, the first thing they find is information about the more popular UFC than about the sport itself sports And out of ignorance, people begin to think that UFC is MMA (in the broad sense of the word). This is how the situation turns out: “I say UFC, but I mean MMA, or I say MMA, but I mean UFC,” followed by the logical question “How do they actually differ from each other?” By the way, for a person who has even the slightest knowledge of this sport, it is simply impossible to confuse these two concepts.

In the future, when mixed martial arts as a sport gains more fame and popularity, the situation will change and the question “How is MMA different from UFC?” will become obvious to everyone and will disappear by itself.

conclusions

Thus, we draw the main conclusions:

Both MMA and UFC are directly related to mixed martial arts.
MMA is mixed martial arts(sometimes incorrectly called “fights without rules”).
UFC is just a part of MMA, although a very important one and even more famous than MMA itself.
MMA and UFC cannot be compared - it goes against common sense.