How Did MMA Become So Popular Today?

Demand for MMA-style sporting events has been apparent throughout history. Although the modern, professional version of MMA that you see on television has its roots in the late 1980s and 1990s, the sport has existed in some form since the Greco-Roman era. Here is a quick look into the history of MMA and how it got to where it is today.

During the ancient Olympics, a fighting sport included grappling and striking. Early variants of MMA also appeared in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Bartitsu, a fighting art developed in 1898, featured a range of martial art styles mixed into one system, and its practitioners organized MMA-style contests throughout England.

Bruce Lee, intentionally or not, also popularized the sport after famously saying the best fighter was able to “adapt to any style, to be formless, to adopt an individual’s own style” and not follow just one “system of styles.” Other martial arts superstars such as Jackie Chan trained rigorously in various styles and acrobatics. The great martial arts films helped change perspectives on martial arts – adding much prestige, but also making them much cooler than before. Such films not only boosted the popularity of martial arts tenfold but … Read more at FryingPanSports