Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a combat sport that involves full-contact fighting techniques such as striking, grappling, and ground fighting, incorporating techniques from various combat sports around the world.

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The term "mixed martial arts" was first used in a review of UFC 1 by television critic Howard Rosenberg in 1993.

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Throughout history, humans have engaged in wrestling and striking as a forms of self-defense and sport, with different types of boxing and wrestling competitions existing in various cultures.

 

For instance, Ancient China had a no-holds-barred mixed combat sport called Leitai, and in Ancient Greece, the sport of Pankration combined grappling and striking skills similar to those found in modern MMA.

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In the early 20th century, inter-stylistic contests took place throughout Japan and in the countries of the Four Asian Tigers; Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan.

 

In Brazil, Vale Tudo became known for unrestricted fights between various styles such as Judo/Brazilian jiu-jitsu, catch wrestling/Luta Livre, Muay Thai, and Capoeira.

 

Notably, the Ali vs. Inoki exhibition bout between boxer Muhammad Ali and wrestler Antonio Inoki in Japan inspired the foundation of Shooto, Pancrase, and the Pride Fighting Championships.

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The Gracie family played a significant role in introducing their Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu style to the United States, which led to the founding of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 1993.

 

The tournament was initially promoted as a competition to find the most effective martial arts for real unarmed combat, and it involved competitors from different fighting styles pitted against each other in contests with relatively few rules. Later on, individual fighters incorporated multiple martial arts into their style.

 

MMA promoters were pressured to adopt additional rules to increase competitors' safety, comply with sport regulations, and to broaden mainstream acceptance of the sport.

 

As a result, the sport has gained increased popularity, with a pay-per-view business that rivals boxing and professional wrestling.