Mixed martial arts in the United Kingdom
Michael Bisping (left) and Denis Kang at the weigh-ins for UFC 105 (Manchester)
CountryUnited Kingdom
Governing bodyEnglish Mixed Martial Arts Association[1]
National team(s)United Kingdom

Mixed martial arts in the United Kingdom is one of the fastest growing sports thanks to the promotion of the UFC.[2][3]

History

UFC 38 was one the earliest entries of MMA in the United Kingdom on July 13, 2002, at Royal Albert Hall.[4][5]

Michael Bisping became the first UK UFC champion.[6][7][8] In 2022 Brendan Loughnane become only the fourth Briton to win a World MMA title with a major organisation after Liam McGeary[9] and Leon Edwards.[10][11]

Domestic Organizations

The major organizations for MMA are Cage Warriors,[12][13][14] UCMMA and Full Contact Contender

Television

The UFC is broadcast on BT Sport.[15] The PFL is broadcast on Channel 4 as of 2022.[16] Bellator MMA is broadcast on Channel 5.[17][18][19] ONE is broadcast on Sky Sports as of 2024.[20]

References

  1. ^ Simon Head (September 10, 2020). "Cage Warriors makes history with first government-recognized MMA shows in U.K." MMAjunkie.com.
  2. ^ "How the UFC phenomenon turned the UK into a nation of MMA fans". Independent.co.uk. 18 March 2017. Archived from the original on 2022-05-15. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  3. ^ Johns, Craig (16 October 2016). "UFC 204 shows just how much MMA is growing in Britain - hopefully North East play their part". Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  4. ^ Sport, Express (January 23, 2018). "UFC London: Looking back at 10 years of MMA in the English capital". Express.co.uk.
  5. ^ Wertheim, Jon. "How a UFC fighter pulled off the biggest bank heist ever". Sports Illustrated.
  6. ^ Hardy, Dan (6 June 2016). "UFC: Michael Bisping's journey to become first British champion". Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  7. ^ "Michael Bisping becomes first British UFC champion". BBC Three. 5 June 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  8. ^ "Bigger than ever: How MMA in the U.K. is healthy and thriving in 2019". ESPN. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  9. ^ "Liam McGeary becomes first British world champion". ITV News.
  10. ^ "Britain's Edwards stuns Usman to win UFC title" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  11. ^ "Briton Loughnane wins PFL world title and $1m" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  12. ^ "Cage Warriors: Europe's proven path to the UFC". ESPN.com. June 30, 2019.
  13. ^ Writer, Sports. "Cage Warriors Returns To Revitalize UK MMA Scene". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  14. ^ "MMA in the UK – Past, Present and Future". Sports Gazette. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  15. ^ "UFC signs new television contract in UK, Ireland". Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  16. ^ Miller2022-02-08T13:17:00+00:00, Max. "Channel 4 picks up Professional Fighters League". Broadcast.((cite web)): CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ "Bellator MMA Announces Exclusive TV Deal with Channel 5 in the UK | MMAWeekly.com". February 6, 2019.
  18. ^ Carroll, Peter (February 6, 2019). "Bellator's European series to broadcast live on Channel 5 in the U.K." MMA Fighting.
  19. ^ "How the BBC finally embraced MMA". The Independent. May 5, 2022.
  20. ^ "Sky Sports announces partnership with ONE, the world's largest martial arts organisation". Sky Sports. December 14, 2023.
Categories