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You might have heard or even be familiar with martial arts like judo or karate. But, are you aware that there is a sport called mixed martial arts?

Mixed martial arts differ from other martial art disciplines in that it uses various martial art techniques. It is a full contact combat type sport in which competitors try to take control of their opponents using the same or different techniques like punching and grappling while standing and when they are on the ground

Mixed martial arts or MMA was originally called Pankration when it was first introduced in the Olympic Games by the Greeks in 648 B.C. There are records that prove that a similar version of this sport was continued to be played through the 1800’s and 1900’s until it was introduced as the mixed martial arts in 1993 when the Ultimate Fighting Championship or UFC was established.

MMA was originally created when fighters of different discipline were gathered to find out which technique worked best in a combat. Initially there were only a few rules for this sport, but now more rules have been implemented to increase the safety of the fighters and also to help promote this growing sport.

Because of these rules many mixed martial arts competitions like the Ultimate Fighting Championship can now be viewed on television. Statistics show that the popularity of MMA is increasing tremendously and has more audiences than wrestling. This is evident in the number of people who prefer to watch the pay per view MMA channels over other two sports.

There five different weight categories of MMA that are approved by the UFC. They include the lightweight (67 to 70 kg), the welterweight (71 to 77 kg), the middleweight (78 to 84 kg), the light heavyweight (85 to 93 kg) and the heavyweight category (94 to 120 kg). There are four more categories of MMA which are not yet approved by UFC.

MMA differs from wrestling and boxing in many ways and one of them is the shape of the ring. In boxing and wrestling the competitions are held in rectangular shaped rings, while the ring for mixed martial arts has an octagonal shape. All the eight sides of the ring are made of metal chain link fence that has a black vinyl coating. The ring has entry and exits gates that are situated at the opposite ends. The top of the fence and the edges of the eight sides are well protected with adequate safety padding.

Appropriate attire has to be worn by competitors who enter the ring. Fighters have to wear approved shorts and gloves and no shoes. They should also have a minimum of one inch padding covering their knuckles in such a way that they can grab their opponents without causing injury to their hands.

In a mixed martial arts competition the match ends the instant when one of the competitors taps the ground or is knocked down unconscious. The fighter who is still standing wins the match. In case both the fighter are standing at the end of a match, the presiding judges choose the winner

Any kind of illegal contact by a competitor is declared as foul and the referee deducts points from the fighter who makes the illegal contact. The referee can also disqualify the fighter who made a foul intentionally or he can announce a no contest if the foul was unintentional.

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