In this article, we are going to take a look at the biggest combat sports in the USA.
What are the Most Popular Combat Sports in the United States. Since the earliest days of human history, people have been practicing various forms of combat, whether to hone their skill, improve their chances in war, or just for fun. Some of the combat sports that we still practice and watch today have their origins in the Ancient era, if not before. For example, many historians believe that boxing and wrestling pre-date the Ancient era, and were actually created first in the pre-historic era.
Today, martial arts continue to be extremely popular, both in terms of viewership and participation. In the United States, there are thousands of martial art gyms all over the country. But the question is, which sports are the most popular? In this article, we are going to take a look at the biggest combat sports in the USA.
Boxing
It will come as no surprise to anyone, to learn that boxing is the most popular combat sport in the United States, as the martial art is the most popular the world over. It is a testament to the sport, that it has endured thousands of years, and remains a huge draw today, not just as a sport to be practiced, but also watched, and bet upon, especially at online betting sites like betstation.com.
In the United States, boxing has always been popular, however, the peak of the sport’s popularity came in the 20th century. During this era, the biggest athletes in the world came from the boxing world, and most of them are still remembered today. Among these giants are numbered some of the greatest athletes of all time, such as Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, etc. Today, the sport remains popular, with people like Terence Crawford, Errol Spence, and Mikey Garcia carrying the torch.
MMA
Mixed Martial Arts, or simply MMA, is quickly growing in popularity, not just in the USA, but also the world over. The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the biggest MMA organization in the world today, producing some of the best fighters in the scene. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Judo, and wrestling gyms are becoming a lot more popular around the country, as more and more people are becoming interested in trying their hand at practicing MMA.
The sport may have roots in the ancient world, however, the origin of the sport proper comes from the 20th century, and is mainly derived from Hong Kong street fighting, Brazilian cage matches, and various other “no-holds barred” martial art events.
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Karate
Originating in Japan, karate was developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom, mainly derived from Chinese Kung Fu. The sport was not always as popular as it is today. In fact, the spark which ignited America’s love of Karate came in the 1980s, when The Karate Kid came out, and won the hearts and minds of the American population. Today, karate remains among the most popular combat sports in the United States, with only Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and boxing topping it in terms of amount of people practicing it.
