Intensive, explosive… MMA offers a colorful spectacle! Decried and banned for many years in France due to its virulence, this combat sport was reintroduced in 2020 under certain conditions. Since then, it has gone from strength to strength. How does a cage fight work? What criteria are used to determine the winner? What blows are prohibited? Find out in this article.
Preparing for the confrontation in the cage
The day before the fight, opponents must weigh themselves on an official scale provided by the promoter. Representatives and officials are present. This act validates the category in which the boxers will compete.
They must also bring an up-to-date medical file, including a certificate of fitness for competition, an eye examination, a file listing all KOs undergone, and so on.
The fighter or his representative must be present at the briefing presenting the rules of the confrontation and at least one hour before the start of the event.
The different weight categories
There are a total of 9 weight categories in MMA, validated by the majority of organizations and mentioned in the Mixed Martial Arts rules:
- flyweight: less than 57kg (125lb)
- Bantamweight: under 61kg (135lb)
- Featherweight: less than 66kg (145lb)
- lightweight: less than 70kg (155lb)
- welterweight: under 77kg (170lb)
- Middleweight: less than 84kg (185lb)
- Light Heavyweight: under 93kg (205lb)
- Heavyweight: less than 120kg (265lb)
- Super Heavyweight: no limit
Everything in order from an administrative point of view? Now it’s time for the cage!
How an MMA fight unfolds: between technique, action and passion
Ready to dive into the intense world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) ? A veritable cocktail of disciplines, this spectacular sport blends judo, Thai boxing and wrestling, to name but a few ingredients… But how do the fights unfold? Imagine two opponents face to face in an octagonal cage, ready to do battle. Fists, feet, knees: all blows are allowed… or almost.
This breathless face-off ends in a resounding knockout, a tactical submission or, if the fighters hold out to the end, a decision by the referees.
Opponents meet in an octagon-shaped ring (called a “cage”). Each is assigned a blue or red corner. Only the two opponents and the referee are allowed to enter the cage in the middle of a fight! However, during interludes, cornermen and first-aiders are of course allowed access.
Outside the cage are the judges, UFC officials and commentators. Behind them, the spectators support their favorite, while the “Octagon Girls” signal to the public the round in progress.
How do you keep score in MMA?
At the end of each round, the judges award 10 points each to the fighter they consider most deserving and fewer to his opponent (generally 9 or 8 points). Penalty points are also awarded for non-compliance with the rules.
Note that in the case of a KO victory, the judges’ score is not used. If both fight to the end of round 3, it’s up to the judges to decide.
Scoring is based on various criteria, such as the amount of damage inflicted on the opponent, bringing him to the ground, aggressiveness, duration of an attacking stance (a defensive stance that lasts too long will be at a disadvantage)…
Possible outcomes
- Winning a fight by knockout
One of the participants loses consciousness as a result of the blows received. He is obviously no longer able to defend or attack. Victory goes to his opponent.
- The TKO (technical knockout)
The decision to stop the fight is taken by the fighter’s doctor, referee or team. Intense pain, major cut to a part of the body… The fighter is considered no longer able to fight, even if he is still conscious or persists in wanting to continue. It is also possible for the corner men to stop the fight if they feel there is too great a difference in level between the opponents, in order to avoid unstoppable repeated blows.
- Victory by submission / immobilization
The boxer gives up by tapping his opponent 3 times with the flat of his hand. This warns the referee, who puts an end to the fight. Often, this gesture is made when one of the participants is no longer able to withstand a lock or choke.
- The technical bid
In this case, it’s the referee who takes the decision to end the fight if he feels that one of the opponents cannot escape from a lock or choke.
- Technical Decision by the judges
The jury puts an end to the fight if one of the two participants is unintentionally injured and requires treatment. Thereafter, there is either a tie or a winner is decided.
- Disqualification
One of the boxers is disqualified if he has not respected the MMA fighting rules or has tested positive for doping.
What are the rules in the cage?
Respect for physical integrity, frequency of fights, duration of confrontation… Today, freefighting is subject to specific rules. It took several years for this discipline to take on the form we know today. Before that, MMA rules were a tricky subject to tackle… since they hardly existed at all!
This means that not everything is fair game. The organizations in each country define their own rules, even if they are logically intertwined.
Prohibited strikes in MMA (Belgium – France)
While many blows are permitted, including kicks, fists, knees and ground strikes, others are prohibited out of respect and safety:
- Headbutting
- Pressure on the eye
- Bite your opponent
- Spitting on your opponent
- Hook the other fighter’s cheek
- Hair pulling
- Percussion via vertical downward trajectory on the head (in France, all elbow strikes are prohibited)
- Strikes to the spine / neck / back of the head
- Aim for the throat
- Aim for the private parts
- Crush your opponent if he’s on the ground
- Finger-twisting
- Scratching / pinching
- Grab your opponent’s equipment
Of course, the fighter must also respect the referee’s instructions, the duration of the fight and adopt a sporting attitude.
What is the minimum age required to practice MMA in competition?
There are amateur competitions from the age of 12, where those who love the discipline can develop their skills, while being supervised in terms of safety. However, it is advisable to wait until your body is fully developed before competing.
From the age of 18, you can fight officially in the UFC.
If you’d rather enroll your child in training sessions for self-confidence, self-defense and fitness, you can do so relatively early.
Equip yourself for MMA training with Daisho
Fighting equipment is fairly rudimentary in MMA: classic boxing gloves, MMA shorts, a protective shell and a mouth guard. For safety reasons, you can also add protective equipment such as helmets, elbow pads and shin guards during training.
We’ve got it all at the Daisho online store! Feel free to browse our product catalog.
