History
Khabib Nurmagomedov: The Eagle of Dagestan
The documented career of Khabib Nurmagomedov: Sildi, his father Abdulmanap, combat sambo titles, the UFC lightweight belt, McGregor, Gaethje and 29–0.
10 min read · 21 Sept 2026
Discipline hub
Striking, wrestling and submissions under one ruleset – the sport where every base gets tested.

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.
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
The documented career of Khabib Nurmagomedov: Sildi, his father Abdulmanap, combat sambo titles, the UFC lightweight belt, McGregor, Gaethje and 29–0.
10 min read · 21 Sept 2026
History
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
History
How mixed martial arts grew from ancient pankration and Brazilian vale tudo through Japanese shoot wrestling to the UFC, the Unified Rules and a global sport.
8 min read · 20 Sept 2026
MMA
Training
No single art wins a street fight. An honest ranking of ten martial arts for self-defence by what actually matters: pressure-testing, speed and range.
9 min read · 21 Sept 2026
Training
All MMA weight classes in lb and kg: the Unified Rules list, what the UFC uses, ONE's no-weight-cut system, IMMAF amateur classes and how to pick yours.
9 min read · 21 Sept 2026
Training
The Unified Rules of MMA in plain English: rounds, gloves, ways to win, the 10-point must system, every foul, and how ONE, PRIDE and amateur rules differ.
10 min read · 21 Sept 2026
Training
Kicking with the foot, no pivot, no hip, a chambered knee, a dropped hand: six mistakes that turn the hardest strike in stand-up into a slap, and the fix.
8 min read · 20 Sept 2026
Training
Pushing the bag, standing still, no defence, no breathing, rounds with no job: six heavy bag mistakes that turn training into noise, and the fix for each.
6 min read · 20 Sept 2026
Training
Going too hard, trying to win, holding your breath, closing your eyes, always retreating: seven sparring mistakes that stop beginners learning, and their fixes.
7 min read · 20 Sept 2026
Training
Dropped hands, crossed feet, held breath, loaded punches: the seven mistakes every coach sees in every beginner, why your body insists on them, and the fix.
9 min read · 20 Sept 2026
Training
Strength over position, tapping late, collecting techniques, only rolling with weaker partners: eight habits that stretch the white belt year, and the fix.
8 min read · 20 Sept 2026
Training
Most shadow boxing is a dance with nobody in it. Give each round one job – footwork, defence, combinations, a plan, pressure – and fifteen minutes becomes work.
6 min read · 17 Sept 2026
Training
Seven days out you gain no fitness but can lose a lot. A day-by-day plan for training, sleep, weight, routine and nerves, built on tapering research.
7 min read · 17 Sept 2026
Training
The jab sets up everything else, and almost everyone throws it badly. Five mistakes, why each gets you hit, and one drill per mistake that fixes it in a week.
7 min read · 17 Sept 2026
MMA
Workout
Hips, back, grip and core with one kettlebell in thirty minutes: swings, squats, rows, presses, carries. Which bell to buy, how to lift, how to progress.
5 min read · 17 Sept 2026
Workout
A fifteen-minute rope session for calf endurance, rhythm and light feet: rope length, technique, six rounds, a six-week progression and healthy shins.
4 min read · 17 Sept 2026
Workout
Five three-minute rounds on the heavy bag, each with one job, that reproduce a fight's load in twenty minutes. Structure, progression and common mistakes.
5 min read · 17 Sept 2026
MMA
Guide
From the weigh-in to the first bell: what to drink and eat, how much and when, so you step into the ring at full strength – with research-backed timings.
6 min read · 17 Sept 2026
Guide
Lose fat or drop water? How much is realistic, when to start, what to eat in a deficit and where the line is. A sober, sourced guide without extreme protocols.
7 min read · 17 Sept 2026
MMA
Gear
Nine wraps ranked from 90,000 buyer reviews: the cloth wrap that survives the wash, the $9 one everybody owns, the only quick wrap that fits, and two to avoid.
10 min read · 21 Sept 2026
MMA
Comparison
Belts, kata and point fighting or full contact at every range? Karate and MMA compared on training, kids, fitness, injuries, cost and self-defence.
8 min read · 21 Sept 2026
Comparison
Eight limbs at depth or every range at once? Muay Thai and MMA compared on training, the clinch, fitness, injuries, cost and self-defence, and which to start.
8 min read · 21 Sept 2026
Comparison
Krav Maga trains for the street, MMA for the cage – which works when it matters? Sparring, weapons, fitness, cost and the honest verdict for self-defence.
7 min read · 20 Sept 2026
Comparison
One art mastered or four combined? How boxing and MMA differ in what they teach, training, fitness, injuries, cost and self-defence, and which to start with.
6 min read · 20 Sept 2026
MMA
Recommendations from our reviews. Links are affiliate links, clearly labelled.
The glove to buy once: the best wrist support in the category and two to three years of hard use in the reviews.
Pros
Cons
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.
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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.
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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.
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Cons