Mixed martial arts (MMA), also known as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, originally known as Vale Tudo, is a full-contact combat sport that incorporates techniques from diverse combat sports from across the world. The phrase "mixed martial arts" was originally used in a review of UFC 1 by television journalist Howard Rosenberg in 1993. The topic of who really coined the word is debatable.
Originally marketed as a competition to identify the best effective martial arts for real-world unarmed conflict, contestants from various fighting styles were put against one another in events with minimal regulations. Individual warriors then blended numerous martial arts into their fighting technique. MMA promoters were under pressure to establish extra rules in order to ensure participant safety, comply with sports laws, and widen the sport's popular acceptability. Following these modifications, the sport has grown in popularity, with a pay-per-view market rivaling boxing and professional wrestling.
Wrestling:
Due to its efficacy in mixed martial arts events, wrestling (including freestyle, Greco-Roman, and American folkstyle) has garnered considerable recognition. Wrestling allows competitors to control where the match will go: superior wrestlers can dominate the Clinch and take their opponents to the ground with excellent takedowns, especially against the legs, where they will transition into ground fighting and can either get a superior top position and start striking their opponent (a tactic known as Ground-and-Pound) or start grappling for submissions.
Women's mixed martial arts
While mixed martial arts is predominantly a male-dominated discipline, female athletes do exist. Promotions such as the all-female Valkyrie and Jewels are examples of female competitiveness in Japan (formerly known as Smackgirl). However, only a few large professional mixed martial arts organizations in the United States have traditionally invited women to compete. Strikeforce, Bellator Fighting Championships, the all-female Invicta Fighting Championships, and the now-defunct EliteXC are among them. Popular female fighters and personalities such as Megumi Fujii, Miesha Tate, Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos, Ronda Rousey, Joanna Holly Holm, and Gina Carano, among others, have raised awareness of women in mixed martial arts.
World Mixed Martial Arts Association
The World Mixed Martial Arts Association (WMMAA) was created in 2012 in Monaco by commercial promoters M-1 Global and is led by General Secretary Alexander Endelgarth, President Finkelstein, and Fedor Emelianenko. The World MMA Association supervises and develops mixed martial arts, defines rules and procedures, and stages MMA contests. The World MMA Association is made up of national MMA organizations that represent the sport and are registered in line with local legislation.WMMAA has 38 member states as of December 2013; in 2017, the World MMA Association had 83 members.
International Mixed Martial Arts Federation
The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) was founded on February 29, 2012, to provide international organization, growth, and support to mixed martial arts throughout the world. IMMAF was founded with the backing of the industry leader, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The IMMAF is a non-profit, democratic federation created in accordance with international federation principles to guarantee that MMA has the same recognition, representation, and rights as other major sports. According to their bylaws, the IMMAF is registered under Swedish law and is established on democratic values. As of March 2015, the organization had 39 members from 38 countries.
