Tag: Combat

When you watch an MMA event, you’ll often hear that a fighter has a background in folkstyle wrestling. Some newer fans know what wrestling is, but not exactly what folkstyle wrestling is.

That is why we made this write up going over the sport of folkstyle (collegiate) wrestling. Going over how this style of wrestling was developed and the rules of the sport.

What is folkstyle wrestling?

Folkstyle wrestling or collegiate wrestling is the style of wrestling that is primarily practiced in the US. It is the style of wrestling used with college, high school, and youth wrestling.

Every top American MMA fighter with a background in wrestling has participated in this form of wrestling in their lives.

The history of folkstyle wrestling 

The development of folkstyle (collegiate wrestling) began 300 years before the style was developed in American universities. European settlers that practiced various types of wrestling settled in North America. Even native Americans practiced their own style of wrestling.

These groups of people would routinely have contests within their settlements.

Wrestling becomes a spectator sport

By the 18th century, many of the best wrestlers from these different styles would begin competing against each other. Creating competitions and agreeing upon different rule sets.

Wrestling was becoming a spectator sport that was among the most popular sports to watch during this time. Even many of the US presidents were accomplished grapplers that practiced early folkstyle and catch wrestling.

The first folkstyle wrestling meet

By the 1900s, wrestling had become a sport that was quickly growing in cities throughout the US. Especially in the midwest and northeast regions, where they were the most competitive.

In 1903, the first dual meet between Yale and Columbia University was held under an early set of folkstyle rules. After this event, the first college wrestling tournament was held in 1905 by the Eastern Collegiate Wrestling Association.

Soon universities from all over the country began adding wrestling teams at their schools. Then in 1930, there were enough college wrestling teams for the NCAA to hold the first national championship wrestling tournament.

It would become the most popular form of wrestling in the country. High schools and youth wrestling would also adopt the same rulesets that were used in college.

Today, folk style (collegiate wrestling) is still the most popular form of wrestling in the country. Thousands of spectators flock to see the biggest tournaments of the year during wrestling season.

Folkstyle wrestling format

The format of a folkstyle wrestling match is broken into three periods. The first period is three minutes long, while the last period is two minutes long.

• First Period: Wrestlers start from a neutral position, where both competitors start from standing. They will try to take the other down and score as many points before time expires.
• Second Period: In the second period, each wrestler is given their choice of where they want to start the match. If there is no pin, technical fall, or DQ, the match will continue into the third period.
• Third Period: Same format as the second period. The only difference is the other wrestler gets to choose the starting position.

Folkstyle wrestling rules 

• To pin an opponent you must hold their shoulders to the mat for two seconds.
• You can only lock your hands together when trying to go for a pin, but not while riding.
• Another way to end your match early other than pin or technical fall is technical superiority. Gaining a 15 point lead on your opponent.
• You can lose a point by stalling or fleeing the mat after a ref’s warning.

Folkstyle wrestling point system

• Takedowns(All Takedowns): 2 Points
• Near Fall: 2 points for a hold at 2-4 seconds and 3 points for a hold of 5 seconds. All holds must be held at a 45 degree angle.
• Escapes: 1 Point
• Reversal:  Points
• Technical Superiority: 15 Points 

Ways to win in Folkstyle wrestling 

• Pinfall
• Technical Fall
• Technical Superiority(15 points)
• Points
• Judge’s Decision
• Disqualification
• Default

Folkstyle wrestling weight classes

Men’s weight classes:

• 125 lb (56.9 kg)
• 133 lb (60.3 kg)
• 141 lb (63.9 kg)
• 149 lb (67.58 kg)
• 157 lb (71.2 kg)
• 165 lb (74.84 kg)
• 174 lb (78.9 kg)
• 184 lb (83.4 kg)
• 197 lb (89.3 kg)
• 285 lb (129.2 kg)

Women’s weight classes:

• 105 lb (47.6 kg)
• 112 lb (50.8 kg)
• 121 lb (54.8 kg)
• 130 lb (58.9 kg)
• 139 lb (63 kg)
• 148 lb (67 kg)
• 159 lb (72 kg)
• 200 lb (90.7 kg)

The difference between folkstyle and international wrestling styles

There are some big differences between collegiate (folkstyle) wrestling and international wrestling styles like freestyle and Greco Roman. Here are some of the biggest differences between these styles of wrestling.

Exposure points 

To be awarded exposure points in folk wrestling, the rules are different from freestyle wrestling. One shoulder must be on the mat, while the other is forced to the mat at an angle of 45 degrees. This position must be held for 2-5 seconds to be awarded points.

De-emphasis on throws

In folkstyle, wrestlers are de-emphasized from doing throws or any type of maneuver where their opponent is lifted off their feet. What is more emphasized is the control and dominance on the mat.

Points for takedowns

All takedowns in folkstyle no matter how perfect are all 2 points. In Greco or freestyle wrestling, a wrestler could earn 2-5 points depending on how good their takedown was.

Pins

To win by pin in folkstyle wrestling, a competitor must hold their opponent’s shoulders to the mat for 2 seconds. In freestyle and Greco Roman wrestling, you only have to hold a pin for one second.

Is folkstyle(collegiate) wrestling effective in MMA

MMA fighters with folkstyle(collegiate) style wrestlers are among the most successful fighters in MMA. They prove that you must have wrestling abilities in order to be successful in the sport.

There have been more collegiate wrestlers that have been MMA champions than fighters of any other background.

Notable MMA fighters with folkstyle wrestling backgrounds

The list could go on and on if we list every high level MMA fighter with a background in folkstyle wrestling. So, we’ll just list some of the most notable fighters that have folkstyle wrestling backgrounds.

• Ben Askren: Ben Askren was one of the most highly touted folkstyle wrestlers before entering MMA. He won two major MMA championships before retiring due to hip issues.
• Daniel Cormier: Daniel Cormier was a six time US national champion before transitioning into MMA. Using his wrestling ability to become one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time.
• Phil Davis: Phil Davis was a national college wrestling champion in folkstyle before going into MMA. He fought in the UFC and is the former Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion. 
• Kamaru Usman: Kamaru Usman was a national champion wrestler before becoming the reigning and defending UFC Welterweight Champion.
• Matt Hughes: Matt Hughes is considered one of the greatest welterweight fighters of all time. Showing the importance of knowing wrestling in MMA as he won multiple welterweight titles.
• Chris Weidman: Before Chris Weidman became the UFC Middleweight Champion, he placed second at the NCAA Championship in 2010.

Greco Roman wrestling is one of the most practiced styles of wrestling in the world. Along with freestyle wrestling, Greco Roman wrestling is the only other style of wrestling that’s an Olympic sport.

Here is everything that you need to know about Greco Roman wrestling. We’ll go over how it was developed and go over the rule set of the sport.

We also listed some of the most notable MMA fighters that were also accomplished Greco Roman wrestlers.

The history of Greco Roman wrestling 

While some might believe that Greco Roman wrestling is an ancient form of wrestling from the name, it isn’t. This style of wrestling was actually developed in France during the late 1800s. 

The wrestler credited with coming up with Greco Roman Wrestler was Jean Exbrayat. A French soldier that was one of the most accomplished wrestlers within the French army.

After serving in the French army, Exbrayat would wrestle in French carnivals and fairs throughout the country. Displaying his excellent wrestling skills and taking on anyone that wished to test his skills.

As Exbrayat did this, he would begin developing his own style of wrestling. One that he would call “Flat Hand Wrestling” or “French Wrestling.”

Exbrayat also established rules for his style to differentiate it from other styles of folk wrestling. You could only perform takedowns above your opponent’s waist and submissions were not allowed.

Greco Roman wrestling is shared throughout Europe

Since Exbrayat was a traveler, he was able to share his style of wrestling to numerous people. Many wrestlers across Europe began practicing this style of wrestling and it became quite popular.

A Greek wrestler named Basilo Bartoletti would coin the term Greco Roman wrestling. Claiming that this style of wrestling was similar to ancient Greek wrestling, when in reality they were nothing alike.

That didn’t matter, because the name stuck and everyone began referring to this style as Greco Roman style wrestling.

Greco Roman wrestling becomes an Olympic sport

Thanks to the popularity of Greco Roman style wrestling across Europe, this led to it becoming an Olympic event. Greco Roman wrestling was added to the very first modern edition of the Olympic Games in 1896.

Then it was added to the Summer Olympics in 1904 and has been a part of the Olympics until this day. The only other form of wrestling that is an Olympic sport along with Greco Roman wrestling is freestyle wrestling.

The rules of Greco Roman wrestling

The rules of Greco Roman wrestling are very rigid and different from that of freestyle and folkstyle wrestling. Here are the rules of a Greco Roman style wrestling match taken directly from the Rules Of Sport website.

• Only takedowns above the waist are permitted
• No striking
• No trips or striking the legs are permitted.

The format of a Greco Roman wrestling match

• A Greco Roman wrestling match is three periods that are two minutes each.
• Their broken down into a 60 second neutral position(on the feet) and two 30 second ride positions
• The wrestler that scores the most points in the 60 seconds gets to be in the dominant ride position.
• If neither wrestler scores in the neutral position, a coin will be flipped to decide positions.

Ways to win a Greco Roman wrestling match

There are five ways to win a Greco Roman wrestling match. Those methods of victory include:

• Pin/Fall
• Technical Fall/Pin
• 8 Point Lead
• Judge’s Decision
• Default(Injury or Forfeit)
• Disqualification

Greco Roman wrestling point system

• Takedowns: You can get between 2-5 points for a takedown. Five points being a perfect throw to a near fall position and the rest being based on style and technique.
• Exposure Points: These are the amount of time a wrestler keeps their opponent’s back on the mat. Three points for perfect execution and two points for normal execution.
• Reversal: All reversals are one point.
• Out of Bounds: Going out of bounds for any reason awards a point to the opponent.
• Penalty Points: Between 1-2 points can be given to a wrestler if their opponent commits illegal moves or an unforced timeout.)

Greco Roman wrestling weight classes

Men’s weight classes:

• 55 kg (121 lbs) 
• 60 kg (132 lbs)
• 63 kg (139 lbs) 
• 67 kg (148 lbs)
• 72 kg (159 lbs) 
• 77 kg (170 lbs)
• 82 kg (181 lbs) 
• 87 kg (192 lbs)
• 97 kg (214 lbs)
• 130 kg (286.5 lbs)

Women’s weight classes:

• 50 kg (110 lbs)
• 53 kg (117 lbs)
• 55 kg (121 lbs) 
• 57 kg (126 lbs)
• 59 kg (130 lbs) 
• 62 kg (137 lbs)
• 65 kg (143. lbs) 
• 68 kg (150 lbs)
• 72 kg (159 lbs) 
• 76 kg (168 lbs)

Where is Greco Roman wrestling predominantly practiced? 

Greco Roman wrestling is widely popular throughout Europe, Russia, and in the US. It has also become rather popular in middle eastern countries like Iran and Azerbaijan. 

What are the biggest Greco Roman Wrestling events? 

The biggest Greco Roman Wrestling events are the world championship and the Olympic Summer Games event. Every year, the Greco Roman world championship is held in a different country and the Olympics are held every four years.(Also in a different country each time.)

Does Greco Roman wrestling translate well to MMA? 

Greco Roman style wrestling has translated very well into the sport of MMA. The upper body clinching techniques underhooks, and overhooks from Greco Roman style wrestling have been proven effective in MMA.

Notable Greco Roman wrestlers in MMA

There have been numerous MMA fighters with Greco Roman backgrounds that have been successful at the sport. Even some that have won world championships and became UFC hall of farmers.

• Dan Henderson: Dan Henderson a Greco Roman World Cup silver medalist on two occasions before fighting in MMA full time. He won titles in every major MMA promotion before being inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
• Randy Couture: Randy Couture was one of the best Greco Roman wrestlers in the world before entering MMA. He would use this ability to win 6 UFC titles and become a hall of famer.
• Dan Severn: Dan Severn was the first wrestler to win a UFC title. Before he was a champion MMA fighter, Severn won a world cup in Greco Roman wrestling
• Matt Lindland: Matt Lindland was an accomplished Greco Roman wrestler along with being a seasoned UFC vet. He was one of the first Olympic medalists to compete in MMA.
• Chael Sonnen: The Bad Guy was a two time silver medalist in the Pac-10 Championship before making the jump to MMA.
• Jon Jones: Jon Jones excelled at Greco Roman and Folkstyle wrestling before becoming one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time.
• Mark Madsen: An Olympic silver medalist in Greco Roman Wrestling that is currently in the UFC and undefeated as a pro fighter.

The art of Karate would not have become what it is today without the work of Gichin Funakoshi. His work in pushing Karate to the masses helped it become one of the most practiced martial arts in the world.

Here is the story of the creator of Karate, Grandmaster Gichin Funakoshi. Going over how he began practicing martial arts and how he developed Shotokan Karate.

Gichin Funakoshi’s early life

Before he became the father of modern Karate, Funakoshi grew up on the island of Okinawa. His family came from a lineage of samurai that were vassals of Ryukyu dynasty nobles.

Because of this, Funakoshi’s family had instilled the importance of honoring his family, respect, and education. Qualities that would help him develop his own martial arts style later on.

Gichin Funakoshi’s early martial arts training 

From an early age, Funakoshi would begin learning various Japanese martial arts. In primary school, he befriended the son of a Ryukyuan Karate and Jigen-ryu master named Anko Asato.

Master Anko would become Funakoshi’s very first martial arts teacher when he was eleven. He proved to be an exceptional student and quickly developed skills that would rival the skills of his master.

While learning under Asato, Gichin would also learn Karate-jutsu under Itosu Anko. Funakoshi would be an exceptional student under Itosu Anko, as well.

Gichin Funakoshi’s education

While Funakoshi strived as a young martial artist, he was also one of the top students in his class. Earning high marks in every class and later passing an entrance exam into medical school.

Unfortunately, Funakoshi would not be allowed to attend due to the Meiji government’s ban on topknot hairstyles. A hairstyle that Funakoshi wore to honor his family and their samurai heritage.

Prejudice towards Okinawans by Japanese mainlanders also didn’t help Funakoshi’s case to enter medical school. He would decide to pursue learning Japanese and Chinese philosophy instead of going to medical school.

The development of Shotokan Karate

Funakoshi would go on to develop his own form of Karate that he would call “Shotokan Karate.” It was named after his pen name Shoto that means “waving pines” and Kan that means “training hall/house.”

This is how he came up with the name Shotokan, which translates to English as the “house of Shoto.”

The characteristics of Shotokan Karate

The characteristics of Shotokan Karate that Funakoshi created is divided into three parts. Those are: kihon(basics), kata(forms/pattern movements), and kumite(sparring).

In Shotokan Karate, you hold a deep and long stance that enables you to have stability and balance. From having a stable base, this allows you to perform powerful movements that include various punches and strikes.

Like Muay Thai or Taekwondo, Shotokan Karate is a dynamic martial art. In the training, you learn to throw fast and powerful techniques that are designed to incapacitate your opponent.

All while being able to move fluidly to make the techniques look as natural as possible.

Gichin Funakoshi time as a teacher

Funakoshi was able to spread his martial art thanks to his time as a teacher at the Okinawa’s Teacher School. He was also the head chairman of the Okinawan Martial Arts Society.

Having these positions allowed Funakoshi to have influence within schools on the island. Avidly pushing for his school to include a Karate club.

His wish was granted and Gichin began growing a large group of students that learned under him. The success of this Karate club would lead other Okinawan schools to include their own clubs.

Gichin’s influence led to Karate becoming rather popular in Okinawa. He would then set his sights on his biggest challenge of getting mainland Japan to accept Karate.

The development of the Karate Gi

Gichin had grown a large following of students, but there was still work to be done. Getting mainlanders to accept Karate would be tough due to their prejudice towards Okinawans.

One thing that Funakoshi realized that Karate needed was its own official training uniform. His students would train in their normal class, which made Karate look disorganized and informal.

This would lead Gichin to first adopt a Judo Gi into Karate Gi. A sturdy robe that could be used repeatedly without the clothes tearing or wearing out.

Judo Gis would be used for a short time until Funakoshi helped develop Karate Gis. A more lightweight Gi made of cotton that was better designed for the movements of Karate.

The first public Karate demonstration in mainland Japan

In 1922, Funakoshi would get his first chance to show his martial art to mainland Japan. The Ministry of Education sponsored the first ever Physical Education Exhibition.

Gichin would get invited to show what he then called Karate-jutsu to the ministry for the first time. The demonstration went perfectly and helped Funakoshi become a known martial artist throughout Japan.

Gichin Funakoshi’s Karate demonstration at the Kodokan

After the success of the first Karate demonstration in mainland Japan, word got out about Funakoshi. One person that was intrigued by this martial art was the founder of Judo, Jigoro Kano.

Master Kano would invite Funakoshi along with his pupil Gima Shinkin to the Shodokan. The main Judo training headquarters, which is located in the heart of Tokyo, Japan.

This was the biggest opportunity of Funakoshi’s life and his big chance for Japan to accept Karate. Funakoshi would even wear a Judo Gi during his demonstration

The Kotokan was packed to see the display and it was a roaring success.

Master Kano approved of the demonstration, as well as the Japanese media. It would lead Funakoshi to be pressed to stay in Tokyo and teach Karate to mainlanders.

Gichin Funakoshi writes “Ryukyu Kempo Karate”

After being pressed to stay in Japan, Funakoshi took a teaching job in the city. He would teach Karate at the Meiseijuku, which was a dormitory for Okinawan students at the university. 

While teaching, Funakoshi would begin writing his book “Ryukyu Kempo Karate.” A guideline to the teachings and philosophies of Karate that was published in 1922.

It was so eloquently written by Gichin that it created the first Karate boom across Japan. Everyone wanted to learn this new effective martial art.

Gichin Funakoshi created a Dan certification

To make Karate more legitimate to the masses, Gichin would create a Dan certification system. Dans being the levels of Karate black belt. He would lay out how to earn these ranks along with how long it takes to reach each one.

Gichin Funakoshi changes the Karate name

Originally, Karate was called “Karate-jutsu” and the characters signified the words Chinese and hand put together. To be able to sell the martial art to the rest of Japan, Gichin would need to make changes to the terms within it.

The term Kara+te would be changed to mean “empty hand” and Karate-jutsu changed to Karate-do. Changing the original meaning of “Chinese-hand martial art” to “the way of Karate” or “way of empty hand.”

He would also change the names of all of the katas to Japanese terms and wrote “The Twenty Precepts of Karate.”

The creation of the Shotokan Dojo

By 1939, Funakoshi had traveled all over Japan teaching his martial art. He now had a growing number of students, but did not have a place to teach them.

This would lead him to construct the first Shotokan Dojo in Tokyo. Funakoshi used his own funds to build this gigantic training center for him to teach at. 

For anyone around Japan that wanted to learn from Master Funakoshi, they could go to the Shotokan Dojo.

The legacy of Gichin Funakoshi

Thanks to Gichin Funakoshi, the art of Karate has become part of every school and university in Japan. Karate had become synonymous with the country of Japan, which the people embraced.

Before his death, Funakoshi would not only realize his dream of spreading Karate throughout Japan, but to the world. There are an estimated 100 million Karate practitioners in the world with the martial art being practiced on every continent.

The whizzer is a wrestling move that is a fundamental technique that every young wrestler must know. It is so effective that it has been adopted within Jiu Jitsu and MMA.

Here is everything you need to know about the wizard and how you can use it within BJJ and MMA. We’ll also detail how the technique works and important tips you need to remember when doing the wrestling whizzer.

Who invented the wrestling whizzer?

The whizzer technique is one that has almost always been a part of wrestling. It’s gone by other names, but it’s most known by the whizzer name.

There have been a lot of purported claims about the origin of the name, but none of them can be verified. 

One claim is that the move was named after former US Supreme Court Justice Byron “Whizzer” White. Although, White never wrestled or did any form of grappling.

Many people also mistakenly call the technique “the wizard” instead of whizzer. W-H-I-Z-Z-E-R.

How does the whizzer work?

The whizzer is an overhook used to defend a takedown, when you missed the sprawl. This overhook above your opponent’s elbow works much like a crowbar.

You use this overhook along with foot placement and your other hand to break your opponent’s grip and evade their takedown. This technique has been adopted in Jiu Jitsu and MMA with great success.

It has even been innovated into different set ups for sweeps and throws. Proving just how effective the whizzer is.

What’s the difference between the whizzer and an overhook?

From a glance, a wrestling whizzer looks exactly the same as an overhook, but they’re two very different moves. The whizzer is used to pull an opponent up to break their grip and prevent a takedown.

Once their grip is broken, your whizzer then turns into an overhook. Using it to force your opponent down instead of up with the whizzer.

The Whizzer from standing

The whizzer was mainly created to prevent an opponent from landing a single leg takedown. Once they grab ahold of your leg, you have to react immediately and hook their arm.

Always hook above their elbow to establish the best control over the arm. You’re then going to use your whizzer and pull your opponent up.

Doing this separates their body from their hands and makes it harder for them to keep their grip. Now, when you have the whizzer, there are two different scenarios that can happen.

You kept your foot planted on the ground or your opponent was able to lift your leg off the mat. If your leg is still on the mat, then keep it on the mat and keep driving into your opponent.

But if they were able to get it off the mat, you have to react quickly to defend the takedown. Hook your leg on the side of your opponent’s leg to balance yourself as you finish the whizzer defense.

When you pull your opponent up with your whizzer, your free hand is going to break their grips. Stopping their takedown and you now have a tight overhook to work with.

The whizzer to uchi mata

Landing a Judo throw like an uchi mata is a common set up off a successful whizzer. Of course, the first step will be to break your opponent’s grips.

Lift your opponent up with your whizzer and break their grips with your other hand as you keep a good base. Once your opponent’s grip is broken, you can now set up your uchi mata.

Keep good downward pressure on their arm with your overhook and pull them forward. As they come forward, you’re going to take two steps.

Your back foot is going to step behind your front foot, then your front is going to step in and back kick. Aim your kick right above your opponent’s near knee. 

When done correctly they will go right to the mat.

Whizzer back take

On top of defending a single leg, you can also use a whizzer to set up a back take. When your opponent shoots in for their single leg, you’re going to do a small sprawl and catch your whizzer.

Right after you sprawl and get your whizzer grip, the far side of your opponent’s back will be exposed. Quickly step over your opponent’s back and get your hook in.

Switching sides with the whizzer sweep

The whizzer has been innovated to be used in variations of butterfly sweeps. If you’re in butterfly guard and your opponent grabs an underhook, you counter with a whizzer.

Obviously, since your opponent has an underhook, you aren’t going to be able to sweep them on that side. That is why you’re going to switch your base and secure a butterfly hook on their other leg.

Collar tie their head and push it to the side as you go on your side and kick your hook to sweep them. A very simple counter that works even against the most experienced grapplers.

Using a whizzer with the knee slice pass

Many grapplers have begun using the whizzer to help them pass their opponent’s guard. One of the most common passes that’s mixed with the whizzer is the knee slice pass.

If your opponent is playing a knee shield half guard, they’re generally going to try and grab an underhook. When your opponent grabs an underhook, your going counter it whizzer their arm.

Keep that pressure on their shoulder pulling it as you put your knee in position for the knee slice. Then grab your opponent’s other arm and pull it up as you drive your knee through to pass their half guard.

Important tips for doing the whizzer

The whizzer is a great defensive technique, but there are details that you’ll need to remember to have success with it. Here are the most important details for doing the whizzer.

• Overhook Above The Elbow: When you first lock in your whizzer, it has to be above your opponent’s elbow. You will have zero control over their arm if you hook below their elbow.
• Pull Opponent’s Arm Up: Remember once you hook your opponent’s arm that you have to pull it up. If you don’t pull their arm up, you just have a weak overhook.
• Plant Your Feet: Be sure to plant your feet when doing the whizzer or your opponent will lift your leg. Then you’ll have to take extra steps along with the whizzer to defend the takedown.
• Hook Your Foot: If your opponent does get your foot off the mat, you have to hook it on the outside of their leg. Don’t let them keep it in between their legs or they will land their takedown.
• Break The Grips: When you use your whizzer to lift your opponent up, remember to break their grips using your other hand.

Guest post by Evolve MMA, Asia’s premier championship brand for martial arts. It has the most number of World Champions on the planet. Named as the #1 ranked martial arts organization in Asia by CNN, Yahoo! Sports, FOX Sports, Evolve MMA is the top rated MMA gym in Singapore.

Mixed martial arts (MMA) has come a long way since the sport was developed a few decades ago. The first four Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events were nothing like what modern MMA fans are used to. There were no rounds or time limits, and pretty much everything you could think of was allowed. 

There’s a reason the sport was first known as no-holds-barred fighting. 

While many fans gravitated towards the new sport that allowed martial artists from different fighting backgrounds to compete against one another, athletic commissions and politicians weren’t very fond of it. 

Former U.S. presidential candidate and Senator, the late John McCain, famously described MMA as “human cockfighting.” To become a more mainstream sport, MMA had to evolve into something more regulated. 

The Unified Rules Of MMA

MMA has had a few sets of rules that attained some prominence in the last decade. Shooto rules led to the use of padded gloves, and PRIDE Fighting Championships also had its unique set of rules. Promotions like ONE Championship use a mixed set of rules (coined as Global MMA Rule Set). However, the Unified Rules of MMA has emerged as the most popular standard. 

It was popularized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and it’s used by all athletic commissions in the U.S. It’s a set of rules that focuses on fighters safely without compromising on entertainment. 

There Are 10 Different Ways A Fight Can End Under The Unified MMA Rules:

• Decision: A fighter wins by decision when the time allotted for the fight runs out. Three judges score the fight on a round-by-round basis and tally up the numbers to declare a winner. ONE Championship uses hybrid rules that include 5-minutes rounds like the unified MMA rules, but fights are judged in their entirety, not on a round-by-round basis.
• Knockout: A knockout occurs when a fighter is rendered unconscious or unable to defend themselves due to strikes.
• Technical Knockout: A technical knockout is declared when the referee stops the fight due to one fighter being unable to intelligently defend themselves.
• Submission: A submission occurs when a fighter verbally or physically submits. The most common way to signify submission is by tapping the hands a few times, but it can also be done with the feet. 
• Technical Submission: A referee can step in to save a fighter who has been rendered unconscious due to a choke or is in danger of having a limb significantly damaged by a joint lock. A technical submission might also be declared if a fighter has been severely injured by a joint lock.
• Doctor Stoppage: The ringside doctor that is overseeing an MMA match can declare a contest over if one participant has been severely cut open. The doctor typically calls the fight if the injury prevents the fighter from being able to defend themselves.
• Retirement: A fighter can decide to retire at any point in a fight if they decide they can no longer continue. This typically occurs between rounds.
• Disqualification: A fighter might be disqualified from a contest for repeatedly breaking a rule or throwing an illegal strike. The severity of the infraction and the other fighter’s ability to recover typically determines if the offender is disqualified. Lesser infractions can be punished by taking points away.
• No Contest: If a fighter is unable to continue fighting due to an illegal blow, the fight might be declared a no-contest if the referee doesn’t think the infraction is severe enough to warrant a disqualification.
• Technical Decision: A technical decision might be called if one fighter is unable to continue fighting due to an illegal strike that occurs during the third or championship rounds of a fight. The judges’ scorecards up to that point are used to declare the winner.

Unified MMA Rules Scoring System

The unified MMA rules uses a 10-point scoring system to score fights. Each fight is scored by three judges who score each round individually. That is a huge contrast from ONE Championship’s global MMA rules which requires judges to score the entire fight as a whole.

The winner of each round is given 10 points, while the loser gets 9. The judges are also allowed to score rounds as a draw if there is no clear winner. In this case, both fighters would receive 10 points. Unfortunately, MMA judges tend to be reluctant to score rounds as draws. That sometimes leads to some rather controversial cards. 

The loser of a round sometimes only gets eight points, if they spent most of the round getting dominated. That includes almost getting finished. If a fight goes the distance, the scores from all the rounds are tallied to determine the winner. 

Here’s are the four main criteria judges look at when scoring fights under the unified MMA rules:

• Effective Striking: This refers to how many legal strikes one fighter lands on another. Power strikes and knockdowns count more than jabs. The more damage a strike does the more it factors when scoring a round.
• Effective Grappling: This term refers to how well a fighter uses their grappling skills to dominate opponents. Takedowns are factored when the fighter on top can get some offense going with it. During the earlier days of MMA, takedowns were scored on their own, allowing for strategies like lay-and-pray. Adjustments to the unified rules now require fighters to be offensive with their top control to score points. Referees are allowed to stand up fighters if they feel the top fighter is stalling.
• Effective Aggressive: This refers to how aggressively a fighter attacks their opponent as they attempt to stop the fight. Judges are only meant to use this criterion if they are unable to score a round based on the two criteria listed above.
• Fighting Area Control: This refers to how well a fighter controls the pace of the fight. As is the case with effective aggression, this criterion is only used when the judge is unable to score the fight using any of the criteria above.

It Keeps Improving

The unified rules for MMA are far from perfect, but they lay out the foundation for modern MMA. Improvements like restarting fights on the feet when ground fighting stalls out have made the sport more entertaining. These rules will keep changing as the sport grows and reaches a wider audience.