Finding news about MMA used to be reserved for specific channels but now MMA based sports have taken the world by storm. It is nearly impossible to find a sports recap show that does not incorporate results of recent matches. The worldwide appeal of these types of sports is not a surprise as humans have competed in various types of physical battle in competition for thousands of years. The rise of these types of sports is unparalleled as the big sports in the US took time to become popular. Even when these sports became popular they did not reach the worldwide audience that MMA has. The following are reasons as well as events that has made MMA popular all over the world.
Stars Come From All Over The World
A person can find a MMA gym in nearly every neighborhood in the US with that expanding to Russia as well as Brazil. This leads to worldwide audiences with the fight being broadcasted in nearly every language that the broadcast reaches. Each country and fighter will have a different style with some being very reserved while Anderson Silva taunting opponents into making mistakes. Silva actually was knocked out while taunting another fighter which was an event that plenty of people wanted to see for the better part of a decade.
Various Ways To Win
There are those people that love to see a massive knockout while others like to see a person lose via submission. Fans of boxing, wrestling, judo, and kickboxing can all be entertained by these fights whether they are in the UFC or another association. The appeal of this can bring all kinds of fans of combat sports together which sparks a debate over which form of martial arts translates best to the ring. This debate can bring people together which has made pay per view events larger than ever. Each person can also have a favorite fighter in each weight class which allows them to like a wrestler, boxer, or submission specialist. The unpredictability of how a certain style will stand up to another makes these matches as interesting as any other sporting event out there.
TV Shows Help Fans Get To Know Fighters
TV shows like The Ultimate Fighter allow fans to get to know up and coming fighters as well as current stars. Hard Knocks on HBO allows an inside look at a particular team which is one of the few comparable programs. The ability to connect with a fighter with a great story or similar background makes for diehard fans for certain fighters. Seeing how competitive a certain fighter is during training can also allow you to pick a fighter that is not only talented but also works harder than anyone else in the gym .
So Many Different Leagues To Compete In
There are different MMA leagues to compete in that making a name for yourself can be far easier than if there is only one league like the NFL used to be before the XFL or AAC. This also adds to the appeal of the sport as champions in other leagues come to the UFC or Bellator bringing fans from each to watch the fight. These different MMA leagues have different rules though so this is something to keep in mind. There are obvious rules that are going to be enforced like that of low blows or even that of hitting in the back of the head. Other rules could include not being able to knee or throw elbows depending on which league you are fighting in.
Weight Classes Make It Possible For People Of Every Size To Compete
Unlike the NFL or NBA there are weight restrictions on who can fight each other. This allows people of all sizes to compete allowing people to imagine themselves in the ring with a person of similar size. Instead of having one fighter like many people have one team you can have 8 without feeling like a traitor. Heavyweight fights are not automatically the main event as many people like seeing more agile fighters compete.
Mcgregor Versus Mayweather
Plenty of people think that just because MMA was not popular for children growing up in the past that these athletes are somehow lesser than their mainstream sports peers. The boxing match between Conor Mcgregor and Floyd Mayweather showed that not only is Mcgregor a great boxer but is an incredible athlete overall. This fight was watched all over the world with a huge number of those in Ireland watching and going to the fight in Las Vegas. This helped legitimize MMA fighters as not only brawlers but skilled boxers as well.
The worldwide appeal of MMA will continue on as it has too many positive features that make it popular to stop anytime soon. ESPN recently picked up rights to UFC weekly programming so you will see MMA grow week after week.
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