History of MMA & UFC

Mixed martial arts, or MMA for short, is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. It has also become an increasingly popular betting sport with most sportsbooks offering MMA odds. It has grown out of something of an ‘outlaw’ past, at least in the United States, to become a well regulated and professionally run combat sport that is starting to rival boxing in popularity. MMA combines a variety of fighting techniques including stand up disciplines like boxing, kickboxing and Muay Thai along with ground fighting skills based in wrestling, judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Though most top MMA competitors have a background in one or more of these formal disciplines, the sport is starting to develop a unique skill set and strategy element that truly makes it a ‘hybrid’ form of fighting.

In the United States, the MMA scene is dominated by the Las Vegas based Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). UFC betting is a staple at most Nevada and offshore sportsbooks providing a small but growing part of their overall ‘handle’. The UFC had a number of different owners and promotional elements at the helm in its early days, but really began to take off in 2001 when it was purchased by Zuffa, LLC—a company owned by Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta who at the time ran the Las Vegas based Stations Casino chain. About the same time, the Association of Boxing Commissions began to accept oversight of MMA events and created a set of unified rules for the sport.

Stable ownership and greater regulatory oversight helped the UFC promotion and sport of MMA gain wider acceptance in the United States. More and more states began to regulate MMA events, and the UFC in particular benefitted from a marked increase in mainstream media coverage. Today, the UFC is a highly successful company worth by some estimations in excess of $1 billion US. The UFC runs monthly PPV events that attract hundreds of thousands of viewers, with top shows drawing in excess of 1 million PPV buys.

Success has spawned competition, and the UFC’s current top competitor in the US is the San Jose, California based Strikeforce promotion. Strikeforce has grown from a regional organization to a nationwide promotion that has been able to sign many of the world’s top fighters including the #1 ranked heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko along with Gegard Mousasi, Jake Shields and former UFC champion Dan Henderson. They’ve also surpassed the UFC in terms of mainstream media penetration with broadcast deals to air their events on CBS and Showtime.

Japan is the world’s #2 MMA market, and the sport’s roots in that country date back to the early 20th century when top judo competitors would test their skills against top martial artists in other disciplines from around the globe. Modern Japanese MMA grew out of the country’s robust pro wrestling scene, with a desire for increasingly ‘realistic’ events eventually spawning promotions like Rings and the UWF. These groups gave way to PRIDE, which became the first hugely successful Japanese MMA promotion of the modern era. More recently, the Japanese MMA scene has again been revitalized with the DREAM promotion (owned by K-1 parent company FEG) and World Victory Road’s Sengoku events.

Whether it’s the UFC in America or any other promotion, MMA UFC betting is becoming increasingly popular and offers a fast paced and exciting wagering opportunity for professionals and recreational players alike. As the sport continues to grow, look for more MMA betting opportunities on a wider range of events at sportsbooks in Nevada and around the world.