While many kinds of martial arts have been practiced for centuries, mixed martial arts and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) have become popular only in recent decades. Using fighting styles from a treasure-trove of different techniques creates some of the most powerful 21st century warriors one can imagine.

Mixed Martial Arts – The Beginnings

The name mixed martial arts was coined in the mid-1990s when the sport as an entertainment media had just taken off in mainstream culture. The UFC was first founded in 1993, where some of the greatest warriors of the sport began. People like Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, and Randy Couture were bouted against each other, showcasing the ways that different fighting styles could stand up against each other. Amongst many other fighting styles, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Muay Thai, and modern kickboxing and wrestling were showcased and eventually melded together to make explosive and unpredictable opponents.

When MMA and UFC first began, it was promoted as a way to test different martial arts against each other to see which is the most powerful. Royce Gracie and the Gracie family of Brazil brought a style of Judo from their country, what they deemed Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, or what is known now as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. While Gracie submitted leagues of opponents, other fighters emerged with wrestling and boxing backgrounds. The first UFC tournament was a success, with Gracie submitting three oppoonents in just five minutes. Once the rules and regulations were ironed out, the idea was poised to become a worldwide sensation.

Many modern warriors in the UFC and other fighting organization worldwide are required to train in multiple styles in order to stand up to the multitude of fighters they are pitted against. Fighters like Chuck Liddell, Georges St-Pierre, and Anderson Silva are all multi-talented in mixed martial arts and have competed against many fighting styles and came out victorious. While some of these warriors practice ground fighting and submission, others practice stand-up combat using boxing and kickboxing forms. The most powerful of fighters understand their style of choice to mastery, but can still incorporate other forms to protect against any foe’s style choice.

There are nine different weight classes in modern UFC which any warrior can fight in if they qualify. They are:

Flyweight: up to 125 lb. or 56.7 kg

Bantamweight: up to 135 lb. or 61.2 kg

Featherweight: up to 145 lb. or 65.8 kg

Lightweight: up to 155 lb. or 70.3 kg

Welterweight: up to 170 lb. or 77.1 kg

Middleweight: up to 185 lb. or 83.9 kg

Light Heavyweight: up to 205 lb. or 93 kg

Heavyweight: up to 265 lb or 120.2 kg

and Super Heavyweight: above 265 lb

Time limits were brought in when people realized that long fights were harder to market to the time structure of television. Generally, non-titled fights are three 5 minute rounds, and championship fights are scheduled for five 5 minute rounds. If one fighter is not submitted, knocked out, or deemed unable to fight by the referee, corner, or ring-doctor, the fight will be decided by three judges who score based on a criteria. This criteria measures four aspects of the fight: clean striking, effective grappling, control of the octagon (the eight-sided ring the fighters use), and effective aggressiveness.

The fighters are then evaluated on who won the round, and the point total decides who is the ultimate winner. While winners are named in most fights, there is the occasional draw that will be recorded on the fighter’s record. Generally the higher the win-draw-loss ratio, the more successful the fighter has been.

While the technical aspects of the fight as well as the fighting style can be daunting for new people to the mixed martial arts arena, the shear excitement of a fight can be enough to make up for any confusion. Seeing a fight between two equally talented fighters in many styles can be one of the most exhilarating times of your life.

Just like in any sport, fanatics rise out of the ashes to cheer on their favorite fighters and to critique them on complicated moves. An interest in combat is nothing new, people have been watching it for centuries, so kick back and enjoy the entertainment that is mixed martial arts.