MMA Guide: The Best Promotions to Watch That Aren’t the UFC
Mixed martial arts, better recognized as MMA, has exploded in level of popularity over the previous ten years, and that’s thanks in big part to the Ultimate Combating Championship (UFC). The Las Vegas-based combat promotion has turn out to be a house identify amid overcome sports enthusiasts thanks to its shrewd management and headline-grabbing fighters like Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey, Georges St-Pierre, and Anderson Silva.
In actuality, the UFC has turn out to be so thriving that lots of individuals feel it is synonymous with MMA. You might, for example, capture somebody referring to the activity of MMA as UFC—the very same way they might use the identify Kleenex to refer to any model of tissue.
MMA, of class, is more than just the UFC. While the UFC is simply the major promotion in the activity, it is certainly not the only one. All over the environment, other businesses are marketing their personal spins on MMA—and most of them are quite significantly truly worth observing.
Fascinated in viewing what MMA seems to be like outside the confines of the UFC’s trademark Octagon? We have bought you covered with some of the very best sources for MMA over and above the UFC. From Europe to Asia and over and above, these are the leading worldwide MMA promotions to enjoy (listed in alphabetical order—we really don’t want to start off any fights).
The Finest MMA Promotions to Check out That Aren’t the UFC
1. Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA, which is owned by ViacomCBS, might be the UFC’s maximum-profile opposition. The promotion, which is led by overcome sports lifer Scott Coker, airs on Showtime alongside significant boxing matches and is residence to some of the very best fighters in the environment, such as AJ McKee, Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, Vadim Nemkov, Gegard Mousasi, Cris “Cyborg” Justino, and Yaroslav Amosov. Bellator also occasionally promotes tournaments—a structure the UFC won’t touch—which would make it an appealing choice to the sport’s most obtainable solution.
two. Combate International
Combate International, formerly identified as Combate Americas, is the brainchild of UFC co-creator Campbell McLaren. The promotion, which is focused on the Hispanic sector, statements to have cultivated a fanbase that is absolutely different from that of the UFC, and it appears to be to have the viewership numbers to back all those statements up. Airing on networks like Univision, Televisa, CBS Sports activities Network, and Paramount Plus, Combate International is residence to some of the very best fighters from Central and South America and over and above.
three. Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki (KSW)
The identify Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki is a little bit of a mouthful for non-Polish speakers, but really don’t enable that discourage you. This Warsaw-based promotion is the major in Europe and one of the most fascinating in all of MMA.
KSW is all about spectacle, from its pyrotechnic-filled walkouts to the fights on their own. While the organization is residence to a great deal of environment-class expertise, it also doesn’t get by itself far too seriously, usually marketing fights involving transplants like previous strongman Mariusz Pudzianowski and Polish rapper Popek Monster. It is a good alternative for any individual hankering for one thing different. Catch its occasions on spend-per-perspective.
four. ONE Championship
One Championship has the Asian sector cornered. The promotion is based in Singapore and has also promoted hugely thriving occasions in nations like Japan, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
ONE’s roster is residence to some of the leading expertise in Asia as perfectly as lots of stars from this hemisphere, such as Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, Bibiano Fernandes, Eddie Alvarez, and siblings Christian, Angela, and Victoria Lee. The organization also promotes kickboxing and Muay Thai fights, which offers its occasions a selection you won’t obtain elsewhere.
One broadcasts on tv networks all over the environment, but in the US, its occasions can be streamed on Bleacher Report Reside. Just recall the time change: ONE’s occasions typically air in the morning in North America.
5. The Specialist Fighters League (PFL)
The Specialist Fighters League is not only one of the most thriving businesses in combined martial arts, but also one of the most one of a kind. The league offers the activity in a one-of-a-type seasonal structure, with playoffs, championships, and million-greenback prizes for the winners in every fat class.
Property to stars like Kayla Harrison, Ray Cooper III, Anthony Pettis, and boxing transplant Claressa Shields, the PFL is also massive on innovation, leveraging know-how to enrich the viewing knowledge for its rising legions of admirers. Its proprietary SmartCage, which tracks a number of appealing stats in authentic time, is just the beginning.
The PFL’s occasions are broadcast on ESPN two, ESPN+, and ESPN Deportes.
six. RIZIN Combating Federation
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As the previous residence of the defunct but hugely influential promotion Pride, Japan is one of the most important nations in MMA. RIZIN Combating Federation, which comes about to be the development of previous Pride manager Nobuyuki Sakakibara, is keeping the country’s custom of MMA excellence alive.
RIZIN serves up MMA in a ring instead than a cage and also promotes higher-amount kickboxing matches. It is residence to a great deal of environment-class expertise, but like KSW in Poland, it has shown a willingness to get imaginative when it will come to combat promotion. In actuality, you might have truly listened to of RIZIN ahead of. In 2018, the promotion infamously gave us an exhibition boxing match involving Floyd Mayweather Jr. and outmatched, undersized kickboxing wunderkind Tenshin Nasukawa. RIZIN also scores points for its willingness to co-market with other businesses like Bellator—a authentic rarity in MMA.
You can obtain its occasions on on the internet spend-per-perspective (just be geared up to remain up late to enjoy).
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