MMA developed when different styles of martial arts from various cultures began to compete to see which martial art was superior.
Rising to prominence with the creation of promotions such as the UFC and Bellator, MMA has become a global phenomenon.
MMA offers fight fans a true spectacle of ‘no-holds-barred’ fighting where nearly anything goes.
Fighters combine a series of skills from striking to grappling to takedowns. Martial arts from various cultures are used such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, wrestling and Dutch kick-boxing.
The fighter’s goal is to outmanoeuvre their opponent as quickly as possible and force a submission or knockout within three or five rounds.
Fighters submit their opponent by choking them out, knocking them out with physical blows or exhausting them to a point where they are forced to yield.
If no referee stoppage occurs, a set of three judges determine a winner based on a system of round-by-round performance scoring.