With other forms of martial arts being in the Olympics – Taekwondo, Karate, Judo, and boxing – curious minds often ask why is MMA not in the Olympics?
In this article, I’ll explain why MMA is not in the Olympics, go over the martial arts currently in the Olympics, and give my opinion on whether MMA will ever be in the Olympics. If you’re ready, let’s begin!
Reasons Why Martial Arts Do Work
Why is MMA not in the Olympics?
MMA is a full-contact sport that involves punching, kicking, grappling, and throwing.
It is popular in many countries around the world, and although it has been tried numerous times to be added to the Olympics, it has yet to be accepted.
There are a few reasons for this, but the main reason is that the sport is not considered an “Olympic sport.”
There are a number of issues that need to be addressed before MMA can be accepted as an Olympic sport, including making sure that it is safe and fair for all competitors.
Scoring MMA is Hard
In combat Olympic sports including Taekwondo, Wrestling, Judo, Boxing, and Karate the judges give points based on a strike, throw, or pin.
In MMA the scoring is a bit more difficult because there are too many variables that determine the outcome of a fight.
The scoring can also be based on control time.
The scoring can also be based on control time. the time spent in the dominant position on the ground or in the clinch, which the other combat sports in the Olympics do not incorporate.
which the other combat sports in the Olympics do not incorporate.
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Protective gear gets into the way
In Olympic Karate and Taekwondo, the rules state that you can only use semi-contact on your opponent.
In other words, you can’t use full force when striking your opponent, or you will get points deducted or disqualified.
This rule would make MMA boring to implement because it would take away from the entertainment aspect.
People who watch MMA want to see blood. The brutality of the sport is what keeps it thriving. To take away aggressive contact – and add a bunch of gear to the fighters would be to take away its very essence.
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No time to fully recover from fights
In the Olympics, all combat sports are in a tournament style. Meaning if you win a bout you qualify to move on to the next round of the tournament.
The winner of this final match is awarded the gold medal while the loser is awarded the silver. There are two bronze metal matches for those who win in the repechage bracket.
In most cases a fighter will fight once a week until he/she has won the tournament for their weight class. In MMA you are immediately suspended for 14 days after your fight in order to give you recovery time.
Depending on how many MMA fighters are in the tournament, there won’t be enough of a recovery time for the fighters in Olympic style fighting.
Not enough good competition globally
Although MMA is world renowned, there is not enough good fighters around the world to compete in an Olympic setting.
MMA is dominated by Americans and South Americans – specifically Brazil. Although the UFC currently has two African champions, it’s not enough to represent a whole nation of elite fighters.
If we had MMA in the Olympics there would need to be elite MMA fighters representing about 61 countries. To be honest there are not many strong MMA fighters outside of the two continents I’ve mentioned.
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If you lose, you don’t get paid
In the Olympics if you lose you don’t get paid. There are prizes for Gold, Silver And Bronze but for fourth place and beyond, you get nothing.
It’s not like winning a metal pays you a lot. It pays you less in comparison to sports like the NBA, Football, or Soccer.
A gold metal = $37, 500
A silver metal = $22,500
A bronze metal = $15,00
An MMA fighter will not depart from their training as a professional fighter to be apart of a tournament they’re not getting paid for. The fights to qualify don’t pay you, you only get paid if you win.
Where are if you fight in a professional MMA league you get paid whether you win or lose.
List of Olympic combat sports
There are 6 combat sports in the Olympics – they are boxing, wrestling, karate, taekwondo, judo and fencing. Yes, fencing is known as a combat sport.
Below I have outlined each combat sport and have described their definition and function.
Olympic Wrestling
Wrestling is a sport and also can be used in street self-defense. It is one of the oldest sports in the world and is considered to be one of the most physical.
Wrestling originated in Ancient Egypt. Works of art from 3000 bce depict belt wrestling in Babylonia and Egypt, and the Sumerian Gilgamesh epic has a description of such wrestling.
Wrestling is a full-contact sport that typically involves two opponents grappling – trying to throw each other to the ground.
While on the ground the top opponent tries to pin or submit the bottom opponent.
In the olympics, wrestling has two categories – Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. However, outside of the Olympics there are other styles of wrestling including:
- Folkstyle (collegiate) wrestling
- Catch wrestling
- Shoot wrestling
- Shuai Jiao
- Modern Pankration
- Professional wrestling (WWE)
- Sambo wrestling
- Luta Livre
- Okinawan wrestling
- Sumo wrestling
- Schwingen wrestling
- Mongolian wrestling
- Pankration wrestling
- Lancashire Wrestling
- Greek wrestling
- Devon Wrestling
The difference between Folkstyle wrestling and Freestyle wrestling
Olympic Boxing
Boxing is a sport that is between two people where each tries to land punches on the other person’s head or body.
The object is to knock the opponent out or gain enough points to win the bout. Boxing is one of the oldest sports and is widely watched and favored in America.
In Olympic boxing – boxers wear protective gloves to avoid hand injuries. The rules state that fighters can’t hit the opponent anywhere below the belt or on the back of the head, as it’s prohibited.
In women’s Olympic boxing, protective headgears are mandatory. As for men, headgears were removed in the Olympics from 2016.
Olympic Judo
Judo is a martial art that was developed in Japan in the late nineteenth century. It was first introduced in the Olympics in 1964 in Tokyo.
It is a grappling sport that focuses on throws, joint locks, pins and submissions – and uses the attacker’s weight and size to gain an advantage.
Judo is a very physically demanding sport, and can take years of training to become proficient.
Here are the Judo rules in the Olympics
- No punching or kicking your opponent
- Attacking joints other than elbows is not allowed
- No head dives
- Can not intentionally harm opponent
- techniques like Kawazu Gake and Kami Basami are not allowed
- No wearing of any hard or metallic object
Olympic Karate
Karate is a martial art that originated in Japan. It is an effective self-defense system that focuses on techniques that allow the practitioner to defeat an opponent using hand-to-hand combat.
Karate training can be done in a variety of settings including dojos (training schools), which can provide instruction in karate for both adults and children,
The World Karate Federation scores Olympic karate as follows:
- Ippon: 3 points – Awarded for kicks to the head or any scoring technique delivered on a thrown or fallen opponent.
- Waza-Ari: 2 points – Awarded for kicks to the midsection of the body.
- Yuko: 1 point
Karate fighters in the Olympics will wear protective gear covering their hands and feet.
Olympic Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a physical activity that involves kicking, punching, and various other moves with the intention of damaging or disabling an opponent.
It is a Martial Art that originated in Korea, and was originally developed as a training method for military personnel.
Taekwondo is now enjoyed by people of all ages and backgrounds around the world for its multitude of benefits, including improved balance, flexibility, coordination, and strength.
Taekwondo points in the Olympics is as follows:
- Kick to the trunk protector = 1 point
- Punch to the trunk protector = 2 points
- Turning kick to the trunk protector = 4 points
- Kick to the head = 3 points
- Turning kick to the head = 4 points
- Every penalty against opponent = 1 point
Olympic Fencing
Fencing is a sport that involves the use of steel or bamboo swords to strike an opponent. It is one of the oldest sports in the world, and has been practiced for centuries.
There are three disciplines of fencing – Sabre (saber), Foil, and Epee.
Sabre fencing is more popular, and focuses on using quick, short attacks to take down your opponent. Epee fencing is defensive, so it’s more tactical and involves using both hands to parry and block your opponent’s attacks.
Foil fencing is the final discipline of fencing. The fence is flexible, rectangular in cross section, and weighs under a pound. In all fencing points are only scored by contact with the tip.
Each fencer wears an electrical apparatus that consists of a 12V circuit. The colored lights of this apparatus register valid hits; the white lights register hits landing outside the valid target area.
Each touch in fencing is worth one point. One bout is the duration of 9 minutes divided into three periods of three minutes. And you do get a one minute break in between periods.
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