MMA, or Mixed Martial Arts, is a sporting discipline that combines techniques from different martial arts and combat sports.
It emerged in the 1990s and has grown in popularity thanks to organisations such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), which showcase the skills and talents of fighters from all over the world.
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MMA stands out for its versatility. Unlike other combat sports that focus on a particular style – such as boxing (fists only) or judo (throwing and submission) – MMA allows practitioners to combine several disciplines to be effective in all phases of a fight. There are three main dimensions to MMA.
Three dimensions
Stand-up: These are stand-up fighting techniques borrowed from disciplines such as boxing, kickboxing and muay Thai. They include strikes with the fists, feet, knees and elbows.
The clinch: This phase of the fight focuses on holds and close control, often inspired by wrestling or judo. Fighters try to keep their opponent off balance or find an opening to attack.
The ground: Here, grappling techniques, such as those derived from Brazilian jiu-jitsu or wrestling, come into their own. The aim can be to control the opponent, to submit him by a joint lock or a choke.
This wealth of techniques makes MMA an extremely complete sport that challenges the physical and mental limits of athletes.
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