by Adam Jacquet

Created on: July 24, 2009

Mixed Martial Arts, or MMA, draws huge crowds of fans because it has a unique combination of two fascinating themes: traditional martial arts, with all of their mystery and legend, and hardcore bloody fighting from boxing and wrestling, which have long held Americans enthralled. These core themes are enhanced by the diverse competitors that the sport draws- everyone from street fighters to traditional martial artists has a shot in the arena.

In the early 1990s, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) emerged, bringing MMA to light in America. The point of the UFC was to bring together many diverse styles of fighting and ultimately declare a winner, who would gain not only personal recognition for his abilities, but also renown for his chosen style. Over the years, fighters learned that a winning stategy was most easily obtained when they used not one, but several combined styles in the ring. Anyone who held steadfast to a singular style of fighting was bound to be defeated, because all styles have their weaknesses. Many types of fighting rely on strikes and kicks to batter opponents at a distance, and should the enemy come in close for grappling, the fighter would be defenseless. Vice versa, any fighter trained only in grappling techniques would find victory in close quarters, but had trouble getting through their opponent's long-ranged attack zone.

Once styles began to combine and fighters became more rounded, their sport drew more and more attention. While it requires great discipline and strength to master a single martial art, it is far more difficult to learn several diverse styles at once and be able to employ all with devastating effect. MMA fighters quickly became some of the toughest, strongest, fastest men in competitive fighting, worldwide. Their titanic clashes brought in thousands of viewers, and the sport began its inexorable rise in popularity.

The fights in UFC and other MMA competitions have become increasingly aggressive and impressive as their participants become better and better in all of their techniques. Traditional strike-based fighting combined with grappling to create the infamous "ground and pound" move which is feared and practiced by all combatants in major MMA competition. Having thrown his opponent to the floor and gained an advantageous position, a fighter will begin to pound away at his prostrate opponent's head, body, and any available area in the attempt to gain points and win the match. This style of fighting attracts many people who enjoy watching hardcore fighting, and the ranks of MMA fans have swelled with fans of professional wrestling and boxing. However, much of the fight will still consist of upright kicking and punching, keeping fans of traditional martial arts in their seats.

Altogether, MMA has an enthralling mixture of hardcore fighting mixed with traditional martial arts style. Its athletes are impressive, its matches are bloody, and it continues to grow exponentially in popularity.

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