Mixed martial arts in the United Kingdom
| Mixed martial arts in the United Kingdom | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Governing body | English 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
[edit]UFC 38 was one the earliest entries of MMA in the United Kingdom on July 13, 2002, at Royal Albert Hall.[4][5] Regional and national events regularly take place with local and international promotions such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Michael Bisping became the first UK UFC champion.[6][7][8] In 2025 Tom Aspinall become the third UK UFC champion after Leon Edwards in 2022.[9][10]
British people who won a World MMA title with major organisation, other than the UFC, include Liam McGeary,[11] Brendan Loughnane,[12] and most recently Dakota Ditcheva who in 2024 became Britain's first female World MMA Champion.[13]
Domestic Organizations
[edit]The major organizations for MMA are Cage Warriors,[14][15][16] UCMMA and Full Contact Contender.
Television
[edit]The UFC is broadcast on BT Sport.[17] The PFL is broadcast on Channel 4 as of 2022.[18] Bellator MMA is broadcast on Channel 5.[19][20][21] ONE is broadcast on Sky Sports as of 2024.[22]
References
[edit]- ^ Simon Head (September 10, 2020). "Cage Warriors makes history with first government-recognized MMA shows in U.K." MMAjunkie.com.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Sport, Express (January 23, 2018). "UFC London: Looking back at 10 years of MMA in the English capital". Express.co.uk.
- ^ Wertheim, Jon. "How a UFC fighter pulled off the biggest bank heist ever". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ Hardy, Dan (6 June 2016). "UFC: Michael Bisping's journey to become first British champion". Retrieved 15 March 2018.
- ^ "Michael Bisping becomes first British UFC champion". BBC Three. 5 June 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
- ^ "Bigger than ever: How MMA in the U.K. is healthy and thriving in 2019". ESPN. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ "Britain's Edwards stuns Usman with late knockout to win UFC welterweight title". The Guardian. 2022-08-21. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
- ^ "UFC: Jon Jones retires, Tom Aspinall upgraded to undisputed heavyweight champion". BBC Sport. 2025-06-22. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
- ^ "Liam McGeary becomes first British world champion". ITV News.
- ^ "Briton Loughnane wins PFL world title and $1m" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "MMA: Dakota Ditcheva stops Taila Santos to become first British woman to win MMA world title". BBC Sport. 2024-11-29. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
- ^ "Cage Warriors: Europe's proven path to the UFC". ESPN.com. June 30, 2019.
- ^ Writer, Sports. "Cage Warriors Returns To Revitalize UK MMA Scene". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
- ^ "MMA in the UK – Past, Present and Future". Sports Gazette. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ "UFC signs new television contract in UK, Ireland". Retrieved 2 January 2018.
- ^ Miller, Max (2022-02-08). "Channel 4 picks up Professional Fighters League". Broadcast.
- ^ "Bellator MMA Announces Exclusive TV Deal with Channel 5 in the UK | MMAWeekly.com". February 6, 2019.
- ^ Carroll, Peter (February 6, 2019). "Bellator's European series to broadcast live on Channel 5 in the U.K." MMA Fighting.
- ^ "How the BBC finally embraced MMA". The Independent. May 5, 2022.
- ^ "Sky Sports announces partnership with ONE, the world's largest martial arts organisation". Sky Sports. December 14, 2023.
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