(FFC) Fearless Fighting Championship - Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a full contact combat sport in which a wide variety of fighting techniques are used, including both striking and grappling. It was considered a hybrid sport in which different Martial Arts were pitted against each other inside a ring shaped as an octagon. The first ever MMA tournament was held by now the well known UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) in McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado way back in November 12, 1993.

The fighting concept of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)combines various combat disciplines that was seen in Bartitsu in late 19th century and gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with the emergence of Bruce Lee and his theories of mixing various martial art styles.

The techniques utilized in mixed martial arts competition generally fall into two categories: striking techniques (such as kicks, knees and punches) and grappling techniques (such as clinch holds, pinning holds, submission holds, sweeps, takedowns and throws). Some unarmed hand to hand combat techniques are considered illegal in most or all modern competition, such as biting, eye-gouging, fish-hooking and small joint manipulation. Over the last ten years, strikes to the groin have become illegal in all sanctioned organizations. The legality of other techniques such as elbows, headbutts and spinal locks vary according to competition or organization.

The history of the modern Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event can be traced to mixed style contests throughout Europe, Japan and the Pacific Rim during the early 1900’s.One of the earliest forms of widespread unarmed combat sports with minimal rules was Greek pankration, which was introduced into the Olympic Games in 648 B.C. Even as late as the Early Middle Ages, statues were put up in Rome and other cities to honour remarkable pankratiasts.

Even before implementation of new fighting rules in the world of Mixed Martial Arts, safety was always on the top of the list for all Mixed Martial Arts organizations. In any Mixed Martial Arts events brutality and violence has always been depicted in the media. Compared to any other combat sports MMA has only two reported deaths, and one of them being unsanctioned. Lastly knockouts in the world of Mixed Martial Arts have a lower rate than that of boxing.

Here in the Philippines, Mixed Martial Arts fans have been present since the very first UFC tournament. Local fans have been waiting for a local tournament with the same structure of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Come 2002, Filipino Brazilian Jui-Jitsu founded the very first Philippine Mixed Martial Arts league in the Philippines... [TOP]