MMA, short for Mixed Martial Arts, is nowadays one of the most dominant and comprehensive combat sports practiced worldwide.
Originating from Vale Tudo and Luta Livre
MMA originally developed from Brazilian Vale Tudo and Luta Livre. It is also sometimes referred to as cage fighting, free fighting, or No Holds Barred (NHB) fighting. Contrary to what is sometimes claimed, modern MMA and the major organizations have quite a few rules, and obviously not everything is allowed by any means.
UFC 1: a turning point in MMA history
The first time the term MMA was used was during what is now generally regarded as the most important moment in modern MMA history: UFC 1 (Ultimate Fighting Championship).
In the 1990s, the Gracie family from Brazil brought their adapted (Brazilian) Jiu-Jitsu style to the USA. This ultimately led to the very first major global MMA tournament: UFC 1.
Originally, the idea was to filter out the best fighting styles by allowing virtually everything. Since then, however, MMA has grown enormously, and many professional fighters have started cross-training in various fighting styles.
Regulation and popularization
To keep it safe and make the sport more mainstream and therefore commercially accepted, many more rules and weight classes were gradually introduced. This led to what is now an immensely popular sport and organization: MMA and the UFC.
Today, MMA is such a major global business, particularly in the USA, that it competes with the ever-popular professional boxing, pro wrestling, and kickboxing.
