What is MMA?

By the Northstar MMA coaching team · Updated 3 November 2026

MMA, short for mixed martial arts, is a full-contact combat sport that combines striking (punches, kicks, knees and elbows) with grappling (clinching, takedowns and submissions), both standing and on the ground. Fighters draw on Muay Thai, boxing, wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, among others.

Where MMA comes from

Mixed fighting is old. The ancient Greeks had pankration, a mix of boxing and wrestling that was part of the Olympic Games from 648 BC. In 20th-century Brazil, vale tudo ("anything goes") contests set fighters from different styles against each other.

The modern sport took shape after the first UFC event on 12 November 1993 in Denver, Colorado, which asked a simple question: which martial art works best in a real fight? The answer turned out to be "a combination". Over the following decade, athletic commissions in the United States wrote proper rules, weight classes and safety requirements. These became the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, adopted by the Association of Boxing Commissions in 2009. In Asia, ONE Championship has made MMA hugely popular, including in Thailand.

What MMA is made of

A good MMA fighter isn't a boxer plus a wrestler. The skill is in the transitions: striking to set up a takedown, defending a takedown and hitting back, getting up from the ground. That's what an MMA class teaches that single-discipline classes don't.

The basic rules

Professional MMA fights under the Unified Rules work like this:

• Rounds: three rounds of five minutes, or five rounds for title fights and main events, with one minute of rest between rounds.
• Gloves: small open-fingered gloves, usually 4 to 6 ounces, so fighters can grip.
• Cage or ring: most promotions use a fenced cage; some use a ring.
• Ways to win: knockout (KO), technical knockout (TKO, when the referee or doctor stops the fight), submission (the opponent taps out), or the judges' decision.
• Fouls: no headbutts, eye gouging, biting, hair pulling, groin strikes, strikes to the back of the head or spine, throat strikes, or small joint manipulation.

ONE Championship uses its own rule set, which differs in some details, such as how weight is checked before fights.

Weight classes

The main men's divisions under the Unified Rules. Women's divisions use the lighter limits (strawweight is 115 lb / 52.2 kg).

What MMA training looks like

Watching a fight and training MMA are very different things. A typical class is a warm-up, a technique demonstration, and partner drilling at a controlled pace. Sparring, where you put it together against a resisting partner, comes later and is kept controlled.

At Northstar MMA in Chiang Mai, every beginner starts in MMA Fundamentals, which runs four times a week, and moves on to MMA Sparring only when ready. Read MMA for beginners for what your first class is like, or see our classes.

Is MMA dangerous?

MMA is a contact sport, and competing carries real risk of injury. Training is a different level of risk: in class, most of the time is spent drilling techniques with a partner, not fighting. A well-run gym keeps sparring controlled, pairs people sensibly and expects everyone to look after their partner. If you have an injury or a health condition, speak to your doctor and tell your coach before class.

Is MMA right for you?

If you want one martial art that teaches you to handle yourself standing up, in the clinch and on the ground, MMA is a strong choice. If you're drawn to one part more than the others, compare MMA vs Muay Thai or MMA vs BJJ.