MMA stands for mixed martial arts. The belief that MMA is fighting without rules is a myth. Every sport has rules. Fights without rules can only be on the street or in private underground clubs.
Officially, MMA was on its feet in 1992.
The origins of this sport go back thousands of years. The Greeks practiced the Pankration art form, which originated before our era. Otherwise interpreted – the conduct of combat with the enemy without weapons. It was included in the first Olympic Games in Greece. In the future, the sport was transformed into entertainment among the rich, where slaves and prisoners participated.
In the modern world, everything is different. This is not just a fight in the ring, which was created as a show, but a harmony of physical and spiritual strength. A few worthy fighters adhere to the rule that MMA should not be used for violence. The sport allows you to decide which martial arts are best.
Mixed martial arts consists of different areas:
- boxing;
- karate;
- kickboxing;
- jujutsu;
- rowing and more!
The first tournament in the direction of fighting was held in 1993 in the USA. The organizers were the UFS, which have been entrenched to this day. All tickets for the first match sold out in 3,000 halls, and 86,000 viewers got access to the paid broadcast. After a large-scale event, it was decided to work out some of the nuances and create a full-fledged sport.
Basic rules of combat
The most important and general rule in MMA is to protect the health of fighters and prevent injuries that threaten the life of an athlete. In this way, they extracted the stereotype of fighting to the death, which prevented the development as a sport.
An integral part is the distribution of fighters by weight categories, which is important for compliance with the rules of life. But due to rigidity in a number of countries, MMA is banned, for example, France.
Let’s look at the rules themselves:
- distribution of fighters by weight categories. For the purposes of equality and health safety of fighters;
- strikes with elbows and knees are prohibited;
- blows to the groin, throat, back of the head, spine are prohibited;
- captures and manipulations of small joints are not allowed;
- Reception of “fish hooks” is prohibited. Finger attack with the aim of injuring the fingers, forming a tissue gap – mouth, eyes, ears;
- do not kick the lying person with your feet. Kicking a lying opponent is prohibited, but in some countries this rule has not been approved!
The fight itself consists of three rounds – 5 minutes each. The number of rounds has been reduced to a minimum because the fights are heavy. Endurance and physical strength of a person does not allow to endure more. Basically, the battles have the following outcomes:
- Voluntary surrender. The gesture signal of the outcome is tapping on the mat or the opponent.
- Knockout. Bringing the opponent to unconsciousness with the help of permitted techniques, blows.
- Technical knockout. Stopping the fight by a third person: referee, medic, coach. Often this leads to a conflict on the part of the fighter.
- The fight is watched by 3 qualified judges. Voting takes place at the end of three allotted rounds. But only the legends of sports live to see them. Basically, the decision is made after the first or second round. Their verdict leads to this outcome: a draw, the victory of one of the opponents.
- The judges have the right to stop the round by technical decision. Recognize it as invalid or cancel it altogether. The composition decides on disqualification in case of violation of the allotted rules.
During the tournament, the participants are wearing fist pads and sports shorts. the fight is carried out only by a barefoot in order to avoid injury to an already dangerous sport. The ring in fights without rules is called an octagan. It visually resembles an octagon, enclosed by a net from the outside.
Such a symbol of fighting in the common people is called a cage. If you start talking about the octagon, then it immediately becomes clear that we are talking about MMA.
Killer legends of fights without rules
In the history of the officially accepted sport, several fighters have stood out with their abilities. They distinguished themselves by the spectacularity of the tournament, the number of victories. Basically, the list includes athletes who have their own style in wrestling. You can talk about many participants, but the list only includes those who influenced the history of sports.
- Georges St. Pierre. He is awarded first place due to invincibility among welterweight for 4 years. The athlete stood out for decency and respect for the enemy
- Khabib Nurmagomedov. Young champion from Dagestan. To date, an undefeated MMA star.
- Anderson Silva. For a long time he kept the status of an undefeated fighter, regardless of the weight category. Nickname “Brazilian Spider”. He is considered one of the greatest all-around mixed martial artists. The riddle of his conduct of battle tactics has not been solved.
- Chuck Liddell. One of the first MMA fighters is an old school legend. He does not know what defense is, but only uses attack. In a short career, he became an absolute legend. spearheading the glory of the UFS.