MMA, short for Mixed Martial Arts, is one of the most dominant and complete combat sports practiced worldwide today. MMA originally originated from the Brazilian Vale Tude and Luta Livre. Sometimes it is also called cage fighting, Freefight or No Holds Barred (NHB) fighting. Contrary to what is sometimes claimed, there are quite a few regulations in modern MMA and the large organizations and of course not everything is allowed.
The first time the term MMA was used was during what is now widely regarded as the most important event in modern MMA history , UFC 1 (Ultimate Fighting Championship).
In the 1990s, the Gracie family from Brazil brought their modified (Brazilian) Jiu-Jitsu style to the United States. This eventually led to the first major global MMA tournament: UFC 1.
Originally, the idea was to filter the best fighting styles by allowing almost anything. However, MMA has since taken off and many professional fighters have started cross-training in various fighting styles. In order to keep it safe, to make the sport more mainstream and therefore commercially acceptable, many more rules and weight classes were gradually introduced into what is today a wildly popular sport and organization: MMA and the UFC.
Today, MMA is such a big business worldwide, and especially in the USA, that it rivals the ever popular professional boxing, pro wrestling and kickboxing.
