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Mixed Martial Arts: 5 less known interesting facts

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Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, from a variety of other combat sports and martial arts. It includes Boxing, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Kyokushin Karate, Taekwondo, Sambo, Sanshou, Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, Judo, Jujutsu, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu etc.

Various mixed-style contests took place throughout Europe, Japan and the Pacific Rim during the early 1900s

Interesting facts about Mixed Martial Arts :

Let’s go through some less known but interesting facts about MMA.

5. Corner stoppage:

MMA-corner-stopage

Victory in a match is normally gained either by the judges’ decision after an allotted amount of time has elapsed, a stoppage by the referee (for example if a competitor cannot defend himself intelligently) or the fight doctor (due to an injury), a submission, by a competitor’s corner man throwing in the towel, or by knockout.

A fighter’s corner men may announce defeat on the fighter’s behalf by throwing in the towel during the match in progress or between rounds. This is normally done when a fighter is being beaten to the point where it is dangerous and unnecessary to continue. In some cases, the fighter may be injured.

4. Female fighter : Even Transgender !

female-MMA

While mixed martial arts is primarily a male dominated sport, it does have female athletes.popular female fighters and personalities such as Megumi Fujii, Miesha Tate, Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, Ronda Rousey, and Gina Carano.  Carano became known as “the face of women’s MMA” after appearing in a number of EliteXC events. This was furthered by her appearances on MGM Television’s 2008 revival of their game show American Gladiators.

Controversy arose in 2013, when UFC fighter Fallon Fox came out as a transgender woman. The case became a centerpiece of transgender debates concerning whether it was fair to have a trans woman competing against a natural women in a contact sport. Neither the UFC nor Invicta FC say they will allow her to fight, and current UFC champion Ronda Rousey says she will not fight her.

3. Injury rates and fatality : 

MMA-Injury-rates

In a recent meta-analysis of the available injury data in MMA, the injury incidence rate was estimated to be 228.7 injuries per 1000 athlete-exposures (one athlete-exposure is defined as one athlete participating in a single fight).

Judo (44.0 injuries per 1000 athlete-exposures), taekwondo (79.4 injuries per 1000 athlete-exposures), amateur boxing (77.7 injuries per 1000 athlete-exposures), and professional boxing (118.0-250.6 injuries per 1000 athlete-exposures).

There have been seven known deaths in MMA to date. There were no documented cases of deaths after a sanctioned MMA event prior to 2007. The first was the death of Sam Vasquez on November 30, 2007.Vasquez collapsed shortly after being knocked out by Vince Libardi in the third round of an October 20, 2007 fight at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The second death stemming from a sanctioned mixed martial arts contest occurred in South Carolina on June 28, 2010, when 30-year old Michael Kirkham was knocked out and never regained consciousness. He was pronounced dead two days after the fight.

2. Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki:

 

This is one of the most historical MMA match and the most criticized one.

Ali characteristically bragged toIchiro Hatta, president of the Japanese Amateur Wrestling Association: “Isn’t there any Oriental fighter who will challenge me? I’ll give him one million dollars if he wins”. This flippant remark made headlines in Japan, and Ali’s challenge was accepted by Inoki, whose financial backers offered the boxer $6 million for the fight. The deal was struck in March 1976, and the fight was scheduled for June 26 at Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan.

As soon as the opening bell rang, Inoki ran the 16-foot gap and slid at the legs of Ali, who sidestepped the attack. Inoki stayed on the ground for all but the first 14 seconds of the three-minute first round.

He started kicking at Ali and landing one clean hit to Ali’s right leg. By the third round, a wound had appeared on Ali’s left knee.

The fight, went the fifteen round distance and was scored as a draw. Inoki had been three points up but was docked all three for fouls. The result meant no one had to lose face; Inoki could claim he would have won had it not been for the penalties, whereas Ali could defend himself by saying his opponent had cheated.

1. Pankration:

MMA-Pankration

It was a sporting event introduced into the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC and founded as a blend of boxing and wrestling but with scarcely any rules. The only things not acceptable were biting and gouging of the opponent’s eyes. This shows the existence of MMA in ancient ages.

It was also part of the arsenal of Greek soldiers – including the famous Spartan hoplites and Alexander the Great’s Macedonian phalanx.

It is said that the Spartans at their immortal stand at Thermopylae fought (300 fame) with their bare hands and teeth once their swords and spears broke.

In Greek mythology, it was said that the heroes Heracles and Theseus invented pankration as a result of using both wrestling and boxing in their confrontations with opponents. Theseus was said to have utilized his extraordinary pankration skills to defeat the dreaded Minotaur in the Labyrinth. Heracles was said to have subdued the Nemean lion using pankration!


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