What Does MMA Stand For?

min read
Daniel Cormier holds his belts after defeating Derrick Lewis by submission during the second round of a heavyweight mixed martial arts bout.
(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Anatoly Pimentel @AnatolyPimentel Jun 20, 2023, 4:26 PM
  • Find out what MMA stands for.
  • See the different techniques used in MMA.

MMA is clearly the fastest-growing combat sport in the world over the past decade, and the UFC is at the forefront of its development as the leading organization in the world. Due to this, several other MMA organizations popped up to promote the sport even further.

But what does MMA stand for? And how did it find its way to the online sportsbooks with MMA betting odds?

What Does MMA Stand For?

MMA stands for mixed martial arts, where athletes use different combat sports techniques to compete inside a cage.

Different techniques in striking and grappling can be used by fighters, depending on their background and expertise.

Styles Makes Fights

What makes MMA or mixed martial arts more exciting ahead of other combat sports is how various fighting techniques match up against each other because it gives fans a new dynamic way to predict how a specific bout would play out. This gives them more excitement when placing their MMA fight odds online.

The classic match-up between a striker and a grappler is often the most interesting and exciting fight because it could go either way.

Some of the most famous striking techniques seen in MMA, particularly in the UFC, were boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, Taekwondo and Karate. At the same time, the most famous grappling techniques were wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or BJJ.

What Is the Better MMA Technique: Striking or Grappling?

There is no definitive answer to this; it all depends on how fighters execute their fight plan. But there was data in 2019 where 64% of fighters who became UFC champions had a grappling base (wrestling or BJJ) on their technique, while the 36% had their base technique as striking.

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About the Author

Anatoly Pimentel

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Anatoly Pimentel is an NBA and MMA writer previously featured in ASEAN Sports, Asian Persuasion MMA, and Overtime Heroics MMA. He graduated from Adamson University with a B.A in Communication and is a Web Content Writer for BetMGM.

Anatoly Pimentel is an NBA and MMA writer previously featured in ASEAN Sports, Asian Persuasion MMA, and Overtime Heroics MMA. He graduated from Adamson University with a B.A in Communication and is a Web Content Writer for BetMGM.