What is MMA?

What is MMA?

Mixed Martial Arts, or MMA, is a combat sport that blends techniques from boxing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, karate, and more. While the term itself was coined in the United States in 1995, its roots stretch back to Ancient Greece. Around 700 BC, fighters competed in a discipline called pancration, testing their skills with almost no rules—except no weapons were allowed. Fast forward to the mid-1990s, and early MMA in the United States was often called “no-holds-barred fighting,” with bouts featuring strikes to the head of a grounded opponent, groin attacks, and other extreme techniques that today seem almost unbelievable.

The UFC was one of the first organizations to host these competitions, and back then, fighters relied mostly on their base discipline—be it boxing, wrestling, or martial arts—rather than a well-rounded MMA skill set. The goal was simple: find out which fighting style was most effective.

At the turn of the millennium, Japanese organizations like Pride FC took the lead. Under the guidance of businessman Nobuyuki Sakakibara, Pride introduced rules that were safer and more spectator-friendly, helping MMA evolve into the sport we know today. Pride also produced the first modern MMA stars, including Mirko Cro Cop Filipović, the Nogueira brothers, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Sergey Kharitonov, Mark Hunt, Kazushi Sakuraba, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Dan Henderson, and Fedor Emelianenko, who became a true symbol of the sport in the early 2000s.

MMA today is a fully developed sport with gyms and specialized training programs worldwide. Fighters can now train comprehensively from the start, and the sport boasts legends like Fedor Emelianenko, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, and Georges St-Pierre, who are recognized globally, much like stars in football, tennis, or hockey.

Russia has become a leading force in MMA, producing top athletes such as Islam Makhachev, and contributing greatly to the modern fighter’s profile alongside Fedor Emelianenko, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Oleg Taktarov.

MMA Series has been developing for four years in this highly competitive arena, showcasing Russian talent on a global stage. With broadcast reach across Russia, the USA, and Asia, MMA Series has quickly entered the elite of modern combat sports and continues to grow as a key player in the global MMA landscape.