What is the difference between MMA and UFC
Many people think that the UFC and MMA are different sports. They are not. The UFC is an American promotion. MMA is a sport that is competed in within the UFC promotion.
What is UFC?
In 1991, businessman Art Davey decided to organize fights between representatives of various martial arts, and to broadcast the fights on TV.
At that time, the most famous family in the world of mixed martial arts was the Gracie clan – representatives of jiu-jitsu. Together they invented the octagon, which they called the octagon, and the tournament, where eight fighters have to determine the strongest during the evening.
The name Ultimatum Fighter Championship (UFC) was suggested by the television channel which broadcasted the tournament.
The winner of the first tournaments was Royce Gracie, a clan representative and black belt in jiu-jitsu. After that, everyone started to learn jiu-jitsu and wrestling. This led to the dominance of heavyweights over light fighters, so weight classes and rules were introduced.
What is MMA?
MMA is Mixed Martial Arts or mixed martial arts. By no means confuse mixed martial arts with bare-knuckle fighting! It was the latter term that almost doomed the UFC to oblivion and now no one would know Khabib, Anderson Silva or Conor McGregor.
A UFC representative said on one TV show that the tournament could be won by knockout, painful hold or kill. After that, the promotion was hunted down by senators. John McCain, who was rumoured to have protested the boxers, began pushing the UFC off the TV channels.
Thirty-six states backed him. Since then, the term “no rules fighting” has been glued to MMA. The promotion’s irreplaceable referee John McCarthy claims there were rules even in the first tournament. You can’t poke your eyes out and bite. That’s why the name has to be exactly MMA.
The abbreviation was also invented by John. He was a member of the Metropolitan Police. The form had to say what he was judging. John wrote Mixed Martial Arts.
MMA is no different from the UFC. It was the American promotion that came up with the rules, which other organisations have adopted. There are some minor differences in the shape of the octagon, for example.
Also the promotions have different formats. In the UFC there is a ranking of the top 15 fighters of the division, who fight each other to move up the ranks and become champions. In the PFL there is a grand prix in each weight division where the champion is revealed.
MMA rules
The main limitation of MMA is the weight divisions. Khabib Nurmagomedov cannot fight Francis Ngana, who is heavier by kilograms.
Weight classes:
- lightest weight
- slightly less lightweight
- Half light
- Light
- Intermediate
- Middle
- Intermediate
- Heavy
There are several women’s categories. A round cannot last more than 5 minutes and the break between rounds is one minute.
Fighters may not enter the octagon wearing shoes or clothing, and shorts must be inspected by the committee.
It is forbidden to stick fingers in any openings, scratch, do finger pain, hit the back of the head or spine, be elbowed in the head from top to bottom, kick a lying opponent, stomp on him, grab his shorts.
Conclusion
Mixed martial arts continue to evolve. They have yet to take on a definitive form. Promotions are already exchanging fighters, MMA could become an Olympic sport. European and world championships are being held, more and more bookmakers accept bets on boxing.
