Mixed martial arts (MMA) has been tagged as one of the fastest-growing sports globally, which is quite an accolade since the sport hasn’t been around for long. Sports fans acknowledge that MMA is gaining more popularity among American young adults today than hockey or car racing, which have been favorites for decades.
Why is MMA popular among millennials and generation Z sports fads? What are the driving forces behind the success of MMA? It’s only right that we find out why this sport has gained so much ground over the last couple of years.
Regulations
Being an organized sport in the United States In the early years of mixed martial arts, federal regulations excluded the sport from being aired on pay-per-view, perhaps due to its contact nature. The late Republican Senator, John McCain, was the first notable politician to push against the sport, infamously calling it “human cockfighting.”
In response to these restrictions, the UFC and other MMA leagues began classifying its fighters into weight divisions and incorporated stricter regulations suitable for TV viewership. With these changes, the MMA leagues made their intentions clear; they wanted to transition Mixed Martial Arts in the United States from its underground roots into the mainstream. As a result, the sport became more widely accepted.
Sports Gambling
Previously, boxing was the unanimous choice for most people when it came to betting on combat sports. However, mixed martial arts has since taken a piece of the pie and is slowly becoming an overwhelmingly favorite contact sport to bet on.
The Supreme Court’s ruling on sports betting in 2018 has helped grow MMA gambling even further. Betting on your favorite mixed martial arts game is no longer a federal crime. And as states continue to ease their gambling laws, we foresee the MMA growing even further.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
Mixed martial arts in the United States would perhaps be nothing without the UFC (with all due respect to other MMA leagues). The UFC not only put MMA on the American map but also grew the sports in other countries where it wasn’t even known.
The fate of MMA in America and on the global scale changed after the UFC was sold to Endeavor Group Holdings in 2016. Today, the UFC is the most popular MMA promotional company.
Social Media
Every sport has benefited from social media. When MMA first began to gain ground in America, social media was still in its formative stage. MMA leagues and athletes are now leveraging this powerful publicity tool to grow their followers and create a stronger connection between fans and the sport. We can see Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram fan accounts dedicated to MMA news, highlights, and more.
Training Availability
In the past, other contact sports like karate and taekwondo were more popular than MMA. As a result, you could hardly find an ideal gym for practice if you ever wanted to become a mixed martial artist. That’s way behind us now as there are now lots of gyms that allow you to practice different forms of martial arts, like kickboxing and judo (or jujitsu). There are also specialized UFC gyms everywhere.
Diversity
Diversity is one major topic of discussion in every sphere of human endeavor. Mixed martial arts has always been open to diversity, but the introduction and growth of the WMMA has even taken it up a notch. More female athletes are now participating in a sport that was once stereotyped as a male-only sport. This has, in turn, opened the sports to a larger fanbase of both males and females.
Heightened Understanding of the Sport
MMA was once tagged a bloodbath sport by many. But now, many people are beginning to snap out of that preconceived view of the sport to understand and appreciate the sport for its technicalities and regulations.
Heightened Promotion
MMA promotional companies are churning lots of money to keep MMA in the public eye. Marketing campaigns, storyline gimmicks, reality TV shows, and controversial news headlines are some of the few promotional strategies used to pull the masses towards the sport.
Sponsorship Deals for Athletes
We all know how much sponsorship deals can push the popularity of a sport. Ask the NBA about Michael Jordan’s shoe deal with Nike and how it helped push the league towards a global appeal.
MMA Fighters have taken sponsorship deals to a whole different level regarding individual sports, representing a particular brand from their in-game and post-game outfits to public appearances.
Accessibility
It is much easier to watch MMA fights today than ever. For instance, UFC fans can now watch top-notch fights on HD, from anywhere in the world, and on their preferred devices by subscribing to UFC Fight Pass. In addition, other networks like FoxSports and AXS TV also broadcast MMA fights during the weekend.
Summery
Mixed martial arts is rapidly growing, and its constant evolution and mainstream incorporation will only fuel the sport’s popularity even more. One thing is for sure: MMA in America has a bright future and will be here for a long time.
