The Growth of Mixed Martial Arts

The Growth of MMA
I've always been a fan of martial arts. I'd always watch K-1 kickboxing fights, boxing matches and other events that were similar. When I first heard about MMA namely UFC I was working at a Blockbuster video and kept noticing this row of boxes for UFC fight videos. So I rented a few and was not let down at all. It wasn't everyday you got to see a boxer fight a kung-fu practitioner. I was blown away by just the concept of it. Since my initial reaction I've become a huge MMA fan.
Having been a fan of mixed martial arts since the early days I'm amazed to see how massive it's become the past 5 years or so. It's gone pretty much from completely underground to mainstream. The rules have changed to make it safer and more accesible of a sport to more people which I think is a good thing. For the safety of the fighters and the fans themselves. More people involved equals better competition. Gone are the days of hair pulling, gi's, and shoe wearing. Of course there was a rule for awhile where you could wear shoes but had to limit your kicks. Gone also are the days where you'd have to fight multiple times in one event. Introduced after some time were rounds and time limits. Weight classes came later on.
What really catapulted the sport into the spotlight was the first season of the ultimate fighter. The show showcased 16 MMA fighters living in the same house with one dream... Getting a UFC contract by making it to the shows finale and winning. The show really showed the skill, dedication and sheer will to win it requires to be in the UFC. Resulting in the popularity of the sport rising to level that people haven't ever seen.
I'm glad to see to the way mixed martial arts has grown and especially the UFC and WEC to name a few. I'm suprised to see how many people I see these days wearing MMA apparel. You see the shirts everywhere now. Also the talent coming into MMA has been improving as more people have gained interest in the sport. Being a fan of MMA this can only help the sport to grow and I'm looking forward to being a fan for many years to come.

This article was written by the Webmaster of SMB Information.com- Scott Beshenich SMB Sports Network Website

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