Abstract
This study explored longitudinal changes in contemporary mixed martial arts (MMA) combat within the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A secondary aim was to investigate how bout duration influences the contribution of performance indicators on outcome. Data were acquired via the official analytics provider to the UFC (FightMetric). Male fights with a winner from between 2000 and 2015 (n = 2,831) were examined, with 13 common performance indicators attained during each round for each participant along with duration (min) and year of fight. Non-metric dimensional scaling (nMDS) was used to examine bout characteristics by year. The Repeated Incremental Pruning to Produce Error Reduction (RIPPER) algorithm was run to determine a set of rules to explain bout outcome. The nMDS displayed that winning bout performance indicator attributes were dissimilar across the years. Eight rules were generated from the RIPPER, with fight duration featuring in three of eight rules. Distinct shifts occurred (albeit without linear trend) in performance indicator characteristics during the observed period. This was characterized by a more diverse combat style in the years following 2008. However, offensive grappling has remained a key factor regardless of year, and is influenced by bout duration.
Highlights
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a combat sport characterized by an amalgamation of techniques from traditional combat sports including wrestling, kick boxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and judo (James et al, 2016)
This study described changes in the nature of combat activity within the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) between the inception of the Unified Rules of MMA in 2000 and 2015
The interaction between bout duration and performance indicator characteristics suggests that combat patterns change in accordance with the length of a bout
Summary
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a combat sport characterized by an amalgamation of techniques from traditional combat sports including wrestling, kick boxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and judo (James et al, 2016). These demands require competitors to possess highly developed technical, physical, and sensorimotor skills. The limited rules, which governed the sport in its infancy, allowed drastic changes in the nature of combat patterns (akin to “game-play” in team sports) as fighters evolved from one dimensional representatives from a single combat sport to athletes who employed a greater range of techniques and strategies (Maher, 2009). The absence of a thorough rule set in the initial years of the sport (characterized by a limited use of rounds, time limits, weight classes, and judges’ scoring) often lead to extended stalls in activity or brief one sided encounters between poorly matched opponents (Gullo, 2013)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
