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BeyondDojo

Discipline hub

MMA

Striking, wrestling and submissions under one ruleset – the sport where every base gets tested.

Origin
Modern form from the United States; roots in Brazilian vale tudo
Region
North America
Founded
UFC 1993; Unified Rules 2000
Category
Hybrid
Antonio Inoki lies on his back and kicks at the legs of a standing Muhammad Ali during their 1976 bout in Tokyo.
Antonio Inoki against Muhammad Ali, Tokyo, 26 June 1976. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Mixed martial arts as a sport took off with the first Ultimate Fighting Championship in Denver in 1993, itself inspired by Brazilian vale tudo (“anything goes”) contests and the Gracie family's challenge matches. The early no-holds-barred era gave way to weight classes, rounds and the Unified Rules of MMA, adopted in New Jersey in 2000 and now the global standard. Today MMA is a discipline of its own, with gyms that teach an integrated game rather than three separate arts.

Character

  • Striking: Boxing and Muay Thai hands, kicks, knees and elbows – with small gloves.
  • Wrestling: Takedowns, takedown defence and cage work decide where the fight happens.
  • Grappling: BJJ-based submissions and positional control, plus ground strikes.
  • Transitions: The skill unique to MMA is moving between ranges under pressure.

Who is it for?

Anyone who wants the most complete fighting sport and accepts that it demands time in all three ranges. Beginners usually start with a striking base and a grappling base separately, then combine them. Sparring should be introduced gradually; a good gym controls intensity carefully.

Further reading: MMA on Wikipedia

MMA

History

History

Rickson Gracie: The Family's Best Fighter

The life of Rickson Gracie: Hélio's son, the vale tudo fights with Rei Zulu, the Japan tournaments and PRIDE, the 400–0 legend and the record behind it.

9 min read · 21 Sept 2026

MMA

Training

MMA

Workouts

MMA

Nutrition

MMA

Gear articles

MMA

Compared with other arts

MMA

Gear

Recommendations from our reviews. Links are affiliate links, clearly labelled.

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Our pickBoxing gloves

Hayabusa Hayabusa T3 Boxing Gloves

4.7about $160–170

The glove to buy once: the best wrist support in the category and two to three years of hard use in the reviews.

Pros

  • Dual-strap closure locks the wrist – the most one-sided praise in the category
  • Roomy fit that suits big hands
  • Multi-year durability reports at three sessions a week
  • Compact, lace-up-like feel

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Firm padding stings for the first sessions
  • Some find the wrist closure too tight
  • Occasional loose stitching on arrival
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Product image
Our pickHand wraps & inner gloves

RDX RDX Mexican Style Hand Wraps, 4.5 m / 180"

4.6about $14 (3-pack about $27)

The wrap to buy once: the best quality ratio of any wrap we looked at, survives the washing machine, and the only best seller with no Velcro-failure pattern.

Pros

  • Quality praised in 229 of 245 mentions – the best ratio in the category
  • Durability through repeated washing, no Velcro complaints
  • A true 4.5 metres, so the wrist gets wrapped properly
  • Strong material that does not bunch mid-session

Cons

  • Too much wrap for small hands – bulk under gloves
  • Less elastic than the label suggests, some say none at all
  • Stiff Velcro with a tapered closure
  • A few buyers want a wider strip
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Product image
Best valueHand wraps & inner gloves

Meister Meister Adult 180" Semi-Elastic Hand Wraps

4.3about $9

The cheapest wrap in the top ten and the one with the most praise: it simply works, in more colours than anyone else – but it is thin, so hard punchers look elsewhere.

Pros

  • Over a thousand positive quality mentions, the biggest topic of any wrap
  • Works under gloves in 203 of 209 mentions
  • Cheapest in the category, dozens of prints that keep their colour
  • Hand-washes without shrinking; owners buy many pairs over years

Cons

  • Thin: 125 of 170 mentions negative, does not build up over the knuckles
  • Thumb loop and Velcro are the weak points
  • Too long for small hands
  • Dye smell that survives washing, silky finish can loosen
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Product image
Hand wraps & inner gloves

RDX RDX Gel Inner Gloves with Wrist Wrap

3.8about $16

The most reviewed quick wrap: fast, well padded at the knuckle and popular with arthritic hands, but tight between the fingers and loose at the wrist.

Pros

  • Quality praised in more than 800 reviews
  • Fast on and off for circuits
  • Knuckle padding works under MMA gloves too
  • Repeatedly recommended by buyers with arthritis

Cons

  • Fit is the biggest complaint: tight fingers, loose wrist (218 negative)
  • Stitching between the finger holes rubs
  • Finger-hole seam splits – durability net negative
  • Wrist support well short of a cloth wrap
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