Your football club is not having a great season or your favourite basketball league is over? Why not take this opportunity to branch your betting activities to another sport? Betting over and over again on the same sport can become a routine after a while and the outcomes can even be predictable. This repetitiveness can remove all the adrenaline and fun out of sports betting. That is why today we are talking about MMA fights and why would this be an exciting sport for you to bet on.
Definition and History of MMA
What is MMA actually? MMA, which is an abbreviation for “Mixed Martial Arts”, is a full-contact combat sport. As its name states, MMA is a unique sport since it combines different techniques from combat sports but from martial arts as well.
The origins of the modern-day MMA can be located in Ancient Greece, where a sport named pankration was popular. Different combat styles found their way into MMA which were present in Ancient China, Japan, and throughout the whole continent of Asia.
First big mixed martial arts fight took place in 1951 and it was between Masahiko Kimura and Helio Gracie. Gracie was a Brazilian jiu jitsu founder and the Gracie family is often cited as one of the MMA founders.
Another fight that garnered a lot of attention was in 1976 between Muhammad Ali, a boxer, and Antonio Inoki, a wrestler.
Due to its brutality, MMA is still illegal and prohibited in certain countries. But, since these fights are big spectacles and after introducing sets of rules and regulations, MMA gained a larger popularity and a wider audience around the world. Today there are numerous MMA promotions which are organising these fights.
Top MMA Promotions and Top Fighters
MMA is a popular sport in the USA, Russia and in the Far East, mainly in Japan and Singapore. The top MMA promotions are from these countries and these are their standings, with Ultimate Fighting Championship being the biggest and most popular promotion among them:
(Standings as of 26 May 2018, source: Wikipedia)
The current top pound-for-pound MMA fighters are:
(Standings as of 20 September 2019, source: Tapology.com, for more in-depth rankings and fighters’ statistics, visit this link.)
The current top pound-for-pound female MMA fighters are:
(Standings as of 20 September 2019, source: Tapology.com, for more in-depth rankings and fighters’ statistics, visit this link.)
In case you are interested in the MMA history, check out this video about the best MMA fighters in this turbulent sport’s history:
Conclusion
Have we piqued your interest in placing a bet on a MMA match? If yes, why not try out your luck on Sportmarket? Just create an account and start betting right away from the comfort of your home, office or even in transit from the mobile device of your choice. Check out the odds, select your fighter and place your bets.