# MMA Fight Bible

> The complete MMA encyclopedia — fighters, techniques, promotions, weight classes, history, training, rules, and glossary.

MMA Fight Bible is an open, ad-free MMA encyclopedia covering fighters, techniques, promotions, gyms, coaches, fights, comparisons, records, guides, history, training, rules, and a deep glossary. All content is editorially written long-form. LLMs and AI agents are welcome to read and cite this site; please link back to the source URL when you do.

## Hubs
- [Fighters](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters): 81 fighter profiles across UFC, ONE, Bellator, PFL, PRIDE, and historic promotions
- [Techniques](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques): striking, grappling, clinch, ground technique deep-dives
- [Promotions](https://mmafightbible.com/promotions): 8 major and historic promotions
- [Weight classes](https://mmafightbible.com/weight-classes): division-by-division references
- [Gyms](https://mmafightbible.com/gyms): 15 championship-tier training bases
- [Coaches](https://mmafightbible.com/coaches): 12 head coach and specialist profiles
- [Styles](https://mmafightbible.com/styles): 10 base-style-for-MMA references
- [Fights](https://mmafightbible.com/fights): 50 classic fight breakdowns with round-by-round detail
- [Comparisons](https://mmafightbible.com/comparisons): 12 head-to-head matchups (P4P, hypothetical, era, rivalry)
- [Records](https://mmafightbible.com/records): UFC career and title record sets
- [Guides](https://mmafightbible.com/guides): fan-facing how-to guides
- [History](https://mmafightbible.com/history): MMA era and dynasty articles
- [Training](https://mmafightbible.com/training): training methodology and S&C articles
- [Rules](https://mmafightbible.com/rules): Unified Rules and ruleset explainers
- [Glossary](https://mmafightbible.com/glossary): 160+ MMA terms

## Fighters
- [Jon Jones](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/jon-jones): Heavyweight (formerly Light Heavyweight) · 28-1-0 (1 NC) · Long-limbed, low-output but high-control striker with elite wrestling, oblique kicks, and elbow-heavy clinch. Built to outmaneuver opponents and break them on the fence.
- [Khabib Nurmagomedov](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/khabib-nurmagomedov): Lightweight · 29-0-0 · Suffocating top-position wrestler from a Dagestani sambo and wrestling background. Chain-wrestling entries from anywhere, devastating ground-and-pound, calm submission finishes.
- [Anderson Silva](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/anderson-silva): Middleweight · 34-11-0 (1 NC) · Once the standard for striking creativity in MMA — front-kick KOs, Matrix evasion, lead-leg side kicks, clinch knees in the Thai plum, and Muay Thai sweeps that few fighters had seen.
- [Georges St-Pierre](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/georges-st-pierre): Welterweight / Middleweight · 26-2-0 · The blueprint for the modern complete fighter. Karate footwork, snap jab, single-leg from the karate stance, top-position riding, and a relentless game plan ethic.
- [Fedor Emelianenko](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/fedor-emelianenko): Heavyweight · 40-7-0 (1 NC) · Stoic Russian sambo specialist who dominated the Pride heavyweight division. Wild looping overhands paired with elite top-side ground-and-pound and slick kimuras from the bottom.
- [Demetrious Johnson](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/demetrious-johnson): Flyweight / Bantamweight · 25-4-1 · The most technically complete fighter of his generation. Constant motion, perfect distance management, scrambles into any position, and a deep submission catalog including the suplex-to-armbar.
- [Amanda Nunes](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/amanda-nunes): Bantamweight / Featherweight · 23-5-0 · Heavy-handed two-division champion. Explosive opening exchanges, BJJ black belt ground game, and an iron chin that allowed her to walk through opponents in the first round.
- [Israel Adesanya](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/israel-adesanya): Middleweight · 24-4-0 · Long, rangy kickboxer with a 75-fight kickboxing background. Lead-leg side kicks, switch kicks, oblique kicks to set up the rear cross, and the calf kick that broke Costa, Vettori, and others.
- [Alex Pereira](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/alex-pereira): Light Heavyweight (formerly Middleweight) · 12-3-0 · Career kickboxer turned MMA finisher. Left hook KO power, body-rip lead hooks setting up the left high kick, devastating leg-kick attacks, and the calmest pressure striking in the sport.
- [Islam Makhachev](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/islam-makhachev): Lightweight · 27-1-0 · Direct successor to Khabib's system: Dagestani sambo wrestling, snap singles into chest-to-chest control, mounted triangle and arm-triangle finishes, plus sharper striking and southpaw kick game than his predecessor.
- [Conor McGregor](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/conor-mcgregor): Lightweight / Featherweight · 22-6-0 · Left-hand specialist from a southpaw stance with a long counter cross and front-kick KO threat. Range-management and trash-talk theater that built the biggest box office in UFC history.
- [Stipe Miocic](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/stipe-miocic): Heavyweight · 20-5-0 · Boxing-heavy heavyweight with snap jabs, a tight one-two, and the rare cardio to push five rounds at the heaviest weight. The most defended heavyweight title reign before he traded it back to Cormier and Ngannou.
- [Francis Ngannou](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/francis-ngannou): Heavyweight · 17-3-0 · The hardest single-punch power in recorded UFC history (per Performance Institute punch-force testing). Loaded the right uppercut and left hook that finished Overeem, Velasquez (in 26 seconds), Rozenstruik, and Gane.
- [Brock Lesnar](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/brock-lesnar): Heavyweight · 5-3-0 (1 NC) · Former NCAA Division I wrestling national champion and WWE star whose UFC run combined explosive double-leg shots with ground-and-pound power. The biggest box-office draw of the late-2000s UFC.
- [Cain Velasquez](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/cain-velasquez): Heavyweight · 14-3-0 · Heavyweight cardio outlier and the most active heavyweight wrestler of his era. Mexican-American boxing crowd favorite whose forward pressure plus chain wrestling drowned dos Santos in their rematch and finished Brock Lesnar.
- [Junior dos Santos](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/junior-dos-santos): Heavyweight · 21-10-0 · Brazilian boxer with a jab-and-cross combination that knocked out Cain Velasquez (UFC on Fox 1) in 64 seconds. Best textbook heavyweight boxing of the post-2010 era.
- [Daniel Cormier](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/daniel-cormier): Light Heavyweight / Heavyweight · 22-3-0 (1 NC) · Olympic-level freestyle wrestling plus crisp boxing and the heavyweight power to KO Stipe Miocic in their first bout. Two-division champion with a rare wrestling foundation that translated cleanly into title-level MMA.
- [Tom Aspinall](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/tom-aspinall): Heavyweight · 15-3-0 · British heavyweight with rare speed for the division and a BJJ black belt — submission threats from any position plus single-shot KO power. The clearest succession candidate for Jon Jones in the heavyweight picture.
- [Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/antonio-rodrigo-nogueira): Heavyweight · 34-10-1 (1 NC) · BJJ black belt heavyweight with the best ground-from-bottom game in MMA history. Triangle, armbar, and guillotine finishes from his back against opponents 50+ pounds heavier. The chin and recovery that defined PRIDE-era heavyweight.
- [Mirko Filipović](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/mirko-cro-cop): Heavyweight · 38-11-2 (1 NC) · Croatian K-1 kickboxer with the most feared left high kick in MMA history. Sprawl-and-brawl base; the head-kick KOs of Wanderlei Silva, Igor Vovchanchyn, and Aleksander Emelianenko defined a PRIDE generation.
- [Randy Couture](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/randy-couture): Light Heavyweight / Heavyweight · 19-11-0 · Greco-Roman wrestler who pioneered MMA dirty boxing from the over-under clinch position. Finished Vitor Belfort and Chuck Liddell with the technique; reinvented Greco for the cage era.
- [Chuck Liddell](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/chuck-liddell): Light Heavyweight · 21-9-0 · Karate-and-kickboxing sprawl-and-brawl whose 87% takedown defense let him keep fights standing. The mohawk-and-mustache face of the mid-2000s UFC; KO finishes of Tito Ortiz, Renato Sobral, and Randy Couture.
- [Tito Ortiz](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/tito-ortiz): Light Heavyweight · 21-12-1 · Junior college wrestler whose elbow-from-guard ground-and-pound was the first popularized MMA finishing system. Created the trash-talking-champion archetype that the UFC marketing playbook still uses.
- [Wanderlei Silva](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/wanderlei-silva): Middleweight / Light Heavyweight · 35-14-1 (1 NC) · Chute Boxe Brazilian Muay Thai with forward-pressure swarming. The Thai plum knee-strike finishes that defined PRIDE's middleweight era and made him the most feared 205-pounder of his time.
- [Quinton Jackson](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/quinton-jackson): Light Heavyweight · 38-14-0 · Heavy-handed power puncher with the slam-takedown finish (KO of Ricardo Arona in PRIDE) and the knockout combinations that finished Wanderlei Silva and Chuck Liddell.
- [Mauricio Rua](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/mauricio-rua): Light Heavyweight · 27-14-1 · Chute Boxe Muay Thai plus soccer-kick PRIDE-era ground striking. The 2005 PRIDE Grand Prix run that went through Quinton Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Alistair Overeem, and Ricardo Arona in a single tournament.
- [Glover Teixeira](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/glover-teixeira): Light Heavyweight · 33-9-0 · Late-career champion who won the LHW title at 42, the oldest first-time UFC champion. Heavy hands, BJJ black belt, and the back-take rear-naked choke that finished Jan Błachowicz.
- [Jiří Procházka](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/jiri-prochazka): Light Heavyweight · 31-5-1 · Czech samurai aesthetic with the most unorthodox striking in modern MMA — looping hooks, simultaneous offense, and the willingness to trade in the pocket against any opponent.
- [Magomed Ankalaev](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/magomed-ankalaev): Light Heavyweight · 20-1-1 · Dagestani LHW with the cleanest defensive wrestling and most efficient counter striking in the division. Title shot vs Pereira (UFC 313, March 2025) showcased the next-wave Dagestani template at 205.
- [Robert Whittaker](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/robert-whittaker): Middleweight · 26-7-0 · Australian-Maori striker with snap left hook and clean wrestling defense. Defended the middleweight title against Yoel Romero (twice) before the Adesanya loss at UFC 243.
- [Sean Strickland](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/sean-strickland): Middleweight · 30-6-0 · Philly-shell defensive boxing applied to MMA — the highest output and the cleanest head movement in middleweight history. Upset Adesanya at UFC 293 by clean decision.
- [Dricus du Plessis](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/dricus-du-plessis): Middleweight · 23-2-0 · South African swarmer with the most unorthodox cage angles in modern MMA. Defeated Adesanya at UFC 305 by submission in round 4 and defended against Strickland and Whittaker.
- [Khamzat Chimaev](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/khamzat-chimaev): Middleweight (formerly Welterweight) · 14-0-0 · Chechen-Swedish wrestler with explosive shot entries and elite top-control. The fastest-ascending welterweight/middleweight of the 2020s; submission wins over Kevin Holland and Gilbert Burns.
- [Kamaru Usman](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/kamaru-usman): Welterweight · 20-4-0 · NCAA Division II wrestling champion turned fence-pressure welterweight king. The Trevor Wittman striking refinement that produced the KO finish of Jorge Masvidal at UFC 261.
- [Matt Hughes](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/matt-hughes): Welterweight · 45-9-0 · Illinois farm-boy wrestler whose slam takedowns and ground-and-pound defined the welterweight division of the early 2000s. The blueprint for the Miletich Fighting Systems era of American MMA.
- [Leon Edwards](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/leon-edwards): Welterweight · 22-4-0 · Birmingham southpaw with the rear high-kick KO of Usman at UFC 278 — one of the greatest comeback finishes in title-fight history. Long-distance management plus clinch ground work.
- [Jorge Masvidal](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/jorge-masvidal): Welterweight · 35-17-0 · Miami backyard-fighter origin story turned PPV main-event draw. The flying-knee KO of Ben Askren remains the fastest knockout in UFC history.
- [Charles Oliveira](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/charles-oliveira): Lightweight · 35-10-0 (1 NC) · BJJ black belt with the deepest finishing catalog in UFC history. Submissions from anywhere, plus the developed striking that finished Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler in title-eliminator fashion.
- [Justin Gaethje](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/justin-gaethje): Lightweight · 26-5-0 · NCAA Division I wrestler turned all-action striker. Calf-kick attack and the willingness to trade in any exchange. The walk-off KO of Dustin Poirier at UFC 291 is the standard for finishing strikes.
- [Dustin Poirier](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/dustin-poirier): Lightweight · 30-9-0 (1 NC) · Louisiana southpaw with the cleanest left-hand counter at lightweight. KO of Conor McGregor (twice) and the submission threat from any position.
- [Tony Ferguson](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/tony-ferguson): Lightweight · 25-10-0 · Unorthodox elbow-and-imanari-roll striker whose 12-fight win streak made him the most-feared 155-pounder of the late 2010s. Never fought Khabib despite five booked title attempts.
- [BJ Penn](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/bj-penn): Lightweight / Welterweight · 16-14-2 · The first non-Brazilian to win BJJ Worlds at black belt. Two-division UFC champion with rubber-guard offense from the bottom and the boxing combinations that defined lightweight in the late 2000s.
- [José Aldo](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/jose-aldo): Featherweight / Bantamweight · 32-9-0 · Brazilian Muay Thai with the heaviest leg-kick game in featherweight history. Finished Urijah Faber's lead leg in WEC 48; held the UFC FW title for almost six years before the 13-second loss to McGregor.
- [Max Holloway](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/max-holloway): Featherweight / Lightweight · 26-8-0 · Hawaiian volume striker with the highest output in UFC featherweight history. The walk-off-and-point-down KO of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 was the defining moment of 2024.
- [Alexander Volkanovski](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/alexander-volkanovski): Featherweight · 27-4-0 · Former Australian rugby league prop turned compact featherweight wrecking ball. Beat Holloway three times and challenged Makhachev at lightweight twice. The cleanest fundamental striking at 145.
- [Ilia Topuria](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/ilia-topuria): Lightweight (formerly Featherweight) · 17-0-0 · Spanish-Georgian counter striker who finished Alexander Volkanovski with a one-shot right hand (UFC 298) then KO'd Max Holloway (UFC 308). Undefeated through two divisions.
- [Sean O'Malley](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/sean-omalley): Bantamweight · 18-2-0 (1 NC) · Tall-for-the-division striker with karate-influenced footwork and the rear straight counter that KO'd Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292. The biggest box-office bantamweight in UFC history.
- [Aljamain Sterling](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/aljamain-sterling): Featherweight (formerly Bantamweight) · 24-5-0 · Funk-style chain wrestler with the back-take game that produced three bantamweight title defenses. Moved up to featherweight in 2024.
- [Dominick Cruz](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/dominick-cruz): Bantamweight · 24-4-0 · Footwork pioneer at bantamweight — angles in and out of the pocket that no opponent could pin down. The technical influence on the modern lower-weight-class striking template.
- [Henry Cejudo](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/henry-cejudo): Bantamweight / Flyweight · 16-5-0 · Olympic wrestling gold medalist turned two-division UFC champion. The freestyle wrestling foundation translated into title finishes of Demetrious Johnson, TJ Dillashaw, and Marlon Moraes.
- [Merab Dvalishvili](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/merab-dvalishvili): Bantamweight · 20-4-0 · Georgian wrestler with the highest takedown attempt rate in UFC history and the cardio to outwork any bantamweight for 25 minutes. Beat Sean O'Malley to win the title at UFC 306.
- [Alexandre Pantoja](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/alexandre-pantoja): Flyweight · 29-5-0 · Brazilian BJJ black belt with the back-take game that defended the flyweight title against Brandon Moreno, Steve Erceg, and Kai Asakura. The deepest finishing flyweight since Demetrious Johnson.
- [Valentina Shevchenko](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/valentina-shevchenko): Women's Flyweight · 24-4-1 · Multi-time Muay Thai world champion with the most technical striking in women's MMA. Seven consecutive flyweight title defenses before the Alexa Grasso loss/regain trilogy.
- [Zhang Weili](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/zhang-weili): Women's Strawweight · 25-3-0 · Chinese boxing-and-Sanda striker — the first Chinese UFC champion. The wars with Joanna Jędrzejczyk (UFC 248, the greatest women's MMA fight) defined her era.
- [Rose Namajunas](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/rose-namajunas): Women's Flyweight (formerly Strawweight) · 13-6-0 · Karate-distance striker with the snap rear straight that KO'd Zhang Weili (head-kick at UFC 261). Pat Barry coaching produced the most technical women's striking of the late 2010s.
- [Joanna Jędrzejczyk](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/joanna-jedrzejczyk): Women's Strawweight · 16-5-0 · Polish Muay Thai world champion with high-volume technical striking and the strawweight title reign that established the division. Sparring partner-of-record for an entire generation of European female strikers.
- [Ronda Rousey](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/ronda-rousey): Women's Bantamweight · 12-2-0 · Olympic judoka whose throws-into-armbar finishes opened the door for the UFC women's division. Six title defenses, all by stoppage, before the Holly Holm head-kick KO at UFC 193.
- [Cris Cyborg](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/cris-cyborg): Women's Featherweight · 27-2-0 (1 NC) · The most feared striker in women's MMA across two decades. Cross-promotion featherweight champion in Strikeforce, Invicta, UFC, and Bellator before the KO loss to Amanda Nunes.
- [Royce Gracie](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/royce-gracie): Open Weight · 14-2-3 · The 170-pound BJJ specialist who won the first UFC tournament and three of the first four. Demonstrated that ground grappling could beat all comers at the dawn of mixed martial arts.
- [Frank Shamrock](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/frank-shamrock): Middleweight / Light Heavyweight · 23-10-2 · The first complete mixed martial artist — synthesized striking, wrestling, and submission grappling into a single game plan. Four title defenses including Tito Ortiz; the technical template for everything that followed.
- [Kazushi Sakuraba](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/kazushi-sakuraba): Heavyweight (cross-weight bouts) · 26-17-1 (2 NC) · Japanese pro-wrestler-turned-MMA-legend who beat four Gracie family members (Royler, Royce, Renzo, Ryan) in PRIDE. The most popular fighter in Japanese MMA history.
- [Brandon Moreno](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/brandon-moreno): Flyweight · 22-8-2 · Tijuana-based flyweight with relentless pressure, durable chin, and a championship-rounds gas tank. First Mexican-born UFC champion; four-fight trilogy/quadrilogy with Deiveson Figueiredo defined the modern flyweight era.
- [Belal Muhammad](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/belal-muhammad): Welterweight · 25-3-0 (1 NC) · Roufusport welterweight whose pressure pace and championship-rounds wrestling submitted Leon Edwards for the title at UFC 304. Decade-long climb from prelim card to champion; the patient-grind welterweight template.
- [Kayla Harrison](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/kayla-harrison): Women's Bantamweight (formerly PFL lightweight) · 19-1-0 · Two-time Olympic judo gold medalist whose throws-into-ground-and-pound template dominated PFL women's lightweight. UFC bantamweight title win over Nunes at UFC 316 confirmed crossover credentials.
- [Mackenzie Dern](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/mackenzie-dern): Women's Strawweight · 14-5-0 · Elite BJJ black belt and ADCC champion who transitioned to MMA in 2017. Strawweight contender whose submission threat from any position defines her competitive identity.
- [Larissa Pacheco](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/larissa-pacheco): Women's Lightweight · 22-4-0 · Brazilian Muay Thai-base striker who handed Kayla Harrison her only loss in the 2022 PFL final. Three-time PFL season winner; the most-credentialed non-UFC women's fighter of the early 2020s.
- [Raquel Pennington](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/raquel-pennington): Women's Bantamweight · 17-9-0 · Colorado-based grinder whose decade-long climb culminated in the vacant bantamweight title win over Mayra Bueno Silva at UFC 297. Pressure-pace boxing and clinch work with championship-rounds cardio.
- [Colby Covington](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/colby-covington): Welterweight · 17-4-0 · Oregon State NCAA Division I wrestler turned welterweight contender. Three title-shot losses to Usman and Edwards; pressure-wrestling identity and high-volume pace defined his championship-tier window.
- [Michael Chandler](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/michael-chandler): Lightweight · 23-10-0 · Missouri Tigers NCAA wrestler whose Bellator three-time title reign preceded a UFC contender run. The front-kick KO of Tony Ferguson at UFC 274 is on the short list of most-iconic UFC finishes.
- [Petr Yan](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/petr-yan): Bantamweight · 18-5-0 · Tiger Muay Thai-based Russian striker with championship-tier boxing combinations and ring craft. The bantamweight title reign ended via UFC 259 illegal-knee DQ; subsequent contender bouts have remained at top-5 level.
- [Cory Sandhagen](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/cory-sandhagen): Bantamweight · 18-5-0 · Elevation Fight Team bantamweight whose karate-distance striking and creative offense (the spinning wheel kick KO of Frankie Edgar at UFC Fight Night 184) made him the most-technical contender of the modern bantamweight era.
- [Edson Barboza](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/edson-barboza): Featherweight (formerly Lightweight) · 24-12-0 · Brazilian Muay Thai world champion whose UFC career produced multiple Performance of the Night bonuses including the spinning-wheel-kick KO of Terry Etim at UFC 142. The most-credentialed kickboxer of the lightweight/featherweight 2010s.
- [Diego Sanchez](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/diego-sanchez): Welterweight (formerly Lightweight) · 30-13-0 · TUF 1 winner whose 14-year UFC run included Fight of the Night honours seven times. Wrestling-and-toughness style; the Diaz UFC on Fox 17 brawl remains a Fight of the Year contender.
- [Ken Shamrock](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/ken-shamrock): Heavyweight (cross-weight) · 28-17-2 · Pancrase pioneer and one of the original UFC stars. Heel hook + submission-wrestling foundation; the Royce Gracie trilogy (UFC 1, 5, and Bellator) defined the early MMA era.
- [Bas Rutten](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/bas-rutten): Heavyweight · 28-4-1 · Dutch Muay Thai foundation with Pancrase ground game. Three Pancrase title reigns plus the UFC HW title win at UFC 20. The pioneer of liver-shot KO finishing in MMA.
- [Mark Coleman](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/mark-coleman): Heavyweight · 16-10-0 · Ohio State NCAA wrestling champion and 1992 Olympian who invented modern MMA ground-and-pound. UFC 10 + UFC 11 tournament wins followed by the PRIDE 2000 Grand Prix title — the foundational wrestler-striker template.
- [Don Frye](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/don-frye): Heavyweight · 20-9-1 · Arizona State NCAA wrestler and amateur boxer whose two early-UFC tournament wins helped establish the wrestler-boxer template. The Yoshihiro Takayama PRIDE 21 brawl is on every "greatest fights" list.
- [Mark Hunt](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/mark-hunt): Heavyweight · 13-14-1 (1 NC) · K-1 World Grand Prix winner whose late-career UFC run produced iconic walk-off KOs (Roy Nelson UFC Fight Night 52, Antonio Silva UFC Fight Night 33). The most-feared one-punch power in heavyweight MMA history.
- [Lyoto Machida](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/lyoto-machida): Middleweight (formerly Light Heavyweight) · 26-12-0 · Shotokan karate stylist whose distance-and-counter game produced the round-2 KO of Rashad Evans at UFC 98. The "Machida Era" was brief but introduced karate stance work to championship-tier MMA.
- [Carlos Condit](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/carlos-condit): Welterweight · 32-14-0 · Jackson Wink welterweight whose attacking variety (head kicks, knees, elbows, submissions) made him one of the most-feared finishers of the 2010s. The UFC 143 Diaz decision win remains contested.
- [Forrest Griffin](https://mmafightbible.com/fighters/forrest-griffin): Light Heavyweight · 19-7-0 · TUF 1 winner whose Bonnar-Griffin brawl saved the UFC. LHW title win over Quinton Jackson at UFC 86 was brief but era-defining; the bout that became the cornerstone of modern UFC broadcasting.

## Promotions
- [Ultimate Fighting Championship](https://mmafightbible.com/promotions/ufc): founded 1993, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
- [ONE Championship](https://mmafightbible.com/promotions/one-championship): founded 2011, Singapore
- [Bellator MMA](https://mmafightbible.com/promotions/bellator): founded 2008, Hollywood, California, USA (PFL-owned)
- [Professional Fighters League](https://mmafightbible.com/promotions/pfl): founded 2018, New York City, USA
- [PRIDE Fighting Championships](https://mmafightbible.com/promotions/pride): founded 1997, Tokyo, Japan (defunct, absorbed by UFC in 2007)
- [Strikeforce](https://mmafightbible.com/promotions/strikeforce): founded 1985, San Jose, California (defunct, absorbed by UFC in 2013)
- [RIZIN Fighting Federation](https://mmafightbible.com/promotions/rizin): founded 2015, Tokyo, Japan
- [Invicta Fighting Championships](https://mmafightbible.com/promotions/invicta-fc): founded 2012, Kansas City, Missouri, USA

## Gyms
- [American Top Team](https://mmafightbible.com/gyms/american-top-team): Coconut Creek, FL, USA — Brazilian-American hybrid; BJJ + Muay Thai + wrestling
- [American Kickboxing Academy (AKA)](https://mmafightbible.com/gyms/american-kickboxing-academy): San Jose, CA, USA — Wrestling-heavy MMA + Muay Thai + BJJ
- [City Kickboxing](https://mmafightbible.com/gyms/city-kickboxing): Auckland, New Zealand — Kickboxing-and-Muay-Thai-base MMA
- [Jackson Wink MMA Academy](https://mmafightbible.com/gyms/jackson-wink): Albuquerque, NM, USA — Game-plan-driven complete MMA
- [Roufusport MMA Academy](https://mmafightbible.com/gyms/roufusport): Milwaukee, WI, USA — Muay Thai-base MMA
- [Tristar Gym](https://mmafightbible.com/gyms/tristar-gym): Montreal, Quebec, Canada — Complete MMA + sports-science integration
- [Eagle MMA](https://mmafightbible.com/gyms/eagle-mma): Makhachkala, Russia (Dagestan) — Dagestani sambo + freestyle wrestling chain
- [Chute Boxe Academy](https://mmafightbible.com/gyms/chute-boxe): Curitiba, Brazil — Brazilian Muay Thai + aggressive striking
- [Renzo Gracie Academy](https://mmafightbible.com/gyms/renzo-gracie-academy): New York, NY, USA — BJJ-foundation MMA
- [Team Black House](https://mmafightbible.com/gyms/black-house): Multiple (LA + São Paulo), USA / Brazil — Multi-gym collaboration
- [MMA Masters](https://mmafightbible.com/gyms/mma-masters): Miami, FL, USA — Brazilian-Cuban hybrid
- [Sanford MMA (formerly Hard Knocks 365)](https://mmafightbible.com/gyms/sanford-mma): Sanford / Deerfield Beach, FL, USA — Dutch kickboxing + American wrestling
- [Kings MMA](https://mmafightbible.com/gyms/kings-mma): Huntington Beach, CA, USA — Brazilian Muay Thai (Chute Boxe lineage)
- [Team Alpha Male](https://mmafightbible.com/gyms/team-alpha-male): Sacramento, CA, USA — Wrestling-base MMA for lower weight classes
- [Allstars Training Center](https://mmafightbible.com/gyms/allstars-training-center): Stockholm, Sweden — European MMA + wrestling integration

## Coaches
- [Trevor Wittman](https://mmafightbible.com/coaches/trevor-wittman): Striking-coach polymath; boxing-fundamentals MMA refinement
- [Eugene Bareman](https://mmafightbible.com/coaches/eugene-bareman): Kickboxing-base MMA + game-plan precision
- [Greg Jackson](https://mmafightbible.com/coaches/greg-jackson): Game-plan architecture; complete-fighter strategic design
- [Mike Winkeljohn](https://mmafightbible.com/coaches/mike-winkeljohn): Striking technical refinement
- [Firas Zahabi](https://mmafightbible.com/coaches/firas-zahabi): Sports-science-integrated MMA; technical complete-fighter development
- [Javier Mendez](https://mmafightbible.com/coaches/javier-mendez): Wrestling-base MMA + striking integration
- [John Kavanagh](https://mmafightbible.com/coaches/john-kavanagh): BJJ-base MMA; complete-fighter Irish-system development
- [Phil Daru](https://mmafightbible.com/coaches/phil-daru): Strength and conditioning for MMA
- [Henri Hooft](https://mmafightbible.com/coaches/henri-hooft): Dutch kickboxing applied to MMA
- [Pat Miletich](https://mmafightbible.com/coaches/pat-miletich): Wrestling-base MMA (UFC welterweight + lightweight 1998-2004)
- [Owen Roddy](https://mmafightbible.com/coaches/owen-roddy): Striking coach for McGregor + Irish MMA program
- [Marcus Marinelli](https://mmafightbible.com/coaches/marcus-marinelli): Boxing fundamentals + heavyweight MMA refinement

## Styles
- [Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for MMA](https://mmafightbible.com/styles/bjj-for-mma): Brazil (Gracie family, 1920s-) · Ground
- [Freestyle Wrestling for MMA](https://mmafightbible.com/styles/freestyle-wrestling-for-mma): Olympic sport; Soviet/American traditions · Grappling
- [Greco-Roman Wrestling for MMA](https://mmafightbible.com/styles/greco-roman-for-mma): Olympic sport; upper-body wrestling discipline · Clinch
- [Folkstyle Wrestling for MMA](https://mmafightbible.com/styles/folkstyle-wrestling-for-mma): NCAA / American collegiate wrestling · Grappling
- [Muay Thai for MMA](https://mmafightbible.com/styles/muay-thai-for-mma): Thailand · Striking
- [Boxing for MMA](https://mmafightbible.com/styles/boxing-for-mma): Western sport; multi-tradition · Striking
- [Karate for MMA](https://mmafightbible.com/styles/karate-for-mma): Japan / Okinawa · Striking
- [Sambo for MMA](https://mmafightbible.com/styles/sambo-for-mma): Soviet Union (1920s-) · Mixed
- [Judo for MMA](https://mmafightbible.com/styles/judo-for-mma): Japan (1882-) · Grappling
- [Kickboxing for MMA](https://mmafightbible.com/styles/kickboxing-for-mma): Multi-tradition (Dutch, K-1, GLORY) · Striking

## Fights
- [Forrest Griffin vs Stephan Bonnar](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/bonnar-vs-griffin-tuf-1): TUF 1 Finale (2005-04-09) — Griffin UD 3 rounds
- [Chuck Liddell vs Randy Couture](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/liddell-vs-couture-3): UFC 57 (2006-02-04) — Liddell KO round 2
- [Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/silva-vs-sonnen-1): UFC 117 (2010-08-07) — Silva submission round 5 (triangle-armbar)
- [Georges St-Pierre vs Matt Hughes](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/gsp-vs-hughes-2): UFC 65 (2006-11-18) — GSP TKO round 2 (head kick + strikes)
- [José Aldo vs Conor McGregor](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/aldo-vs-mcgregor-13s): UFC 194 (2015-12-12) — McGregor KO round 1 (0:13)
- [Nate Diaz vs Conor McGregor](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/diaz-vs-mcgregor-1): UFC 196 (2016-03-05) — Diaz submission round 2 (rear-naked choke)
- [Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Conor McGregor](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/khabib-vs-mcgregor): UFC 229 (2018-10-06) — Khabib submission round 4 (neck crank)
- [Max Holloway vs Alexander Volkanovski](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/holloway-vs-volkanovski-1): UFC 245 (2019-12-14) — Volkanovski UD 5 rounds
- [Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/adesanya-vs-pereira-1): UFC 281 (2022-11-12) — Pereira KO round 5
- [Max Holloway vs Justin Gaethje](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/holloway-vs-gaethje-300): UFC 300 (2024-04-13) — Holloway KO round 5 (0:01)
- [Leon Edwards vs Kamaru Usman](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/edwards-vs-usman-2): UFC 278 (2022-08-20) — Edwards KO round 5 (head kick)
- [Dan Henderson vs Mauricio Rua](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/henderson-vs-shogun-139): UFC 139 (2011-11-19) — Henderson UD 5 rounds
- [Fabricio Werdum vs Fedor Emelianenko](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/werdum-vs-fedor): Strikeforce: Fedor vs Werdum (2010-06-26) — Werdum submission round 1 (triangle-armbar)
- [Cain Velasquez vs Junior dos Santos](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/cain-vs-jds-2): UFC 155 (2012-12-29) — Velasquez UD 5 rounds
- [Daniel Cormier vs Stipe Miocic](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/cormier-vs-miocic-1): UFC 226 (2018-07-07) — Cormier KO round 1 (counter check hook)
- [Alex Pereira vs Jiří Procházka](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/pereira-vs-prochazka-295): UFC 295 (2023-11-11) — Pereira TKO round 2
- [Alexander Volkanovski vs Islam Makhachev](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/volkanovski-vs-makhachev-1): UFC 284 (2023-02-12) — Makhachev UD 5 rounds
- [Henry Cejudo vs Demetrious Johnson](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/cejudo-vs-dj-2): UFC 227 (2018-08-04) — Cejudo split decision
- [Rose Namajunas vs Zhang Weili](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/namajunas-vs-zhang-1): UFC 261 (2021-04-24) — Namajunas KO round 1 (head kick, 78 seconds)
- [Gina Carano vs Cris Cyborg](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/carano-vs-cyborg): Strikeforce: Carano vs Cyborg (2009-08-15) — Cyborg TKO round 1 (4:59)
- [Randy Couture vs Tim Sylvia](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/couture-vs-sylvia): UFC 68 (2007-03-03) — Couture UD 5 rounds
- [Matt Hughes vs Frank Trigg](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/hughes-vs-trigg-2): UFC 52 (2005-04-16) — Hughes submission round 1 (rear-naked choke)
- [Mauricio Rua vs Chuck Liddell](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/rua-vs-liddell): UFC 97 (2009-04-18) — Rua TKO round 1
- [Brock Lesnar vs Frank Mir](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/lesnar-vs-mir-2): UFC 100 (2009-07-11) — Lesnar TKO round 2
- [Jon Jones vs Alexander Gustafsson](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/jones-vs-gustafsson-1): UFC 165 (2013-09-21) — Jones UD 5 rounds (contested)
- [Chris Weidman vs Anderson Silva](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/weidman-vs-silva-1): UFC 162 (2013-07-06) — Weidman KO round 2
- [Cody Garbrandt vs Dominick Cruz](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/garbrandt-vs-cruz): UFC 207 (2016-12-30) — Garbrandt UD 5 rounds
- [Anthony Pettis vs Benson Henderson](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/pettis-vs-henderson-2): UFC 164 (2013-08-31) — Pettis submission round 1 (armbar)
- [Holly Holm vs Ronda Rousey](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/holm-vs-rousey): UFC 193 (2015-11-15) — Holm KO round 2 (head kick)
- [Jon Jones vs Daniel Cormier](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/jones-vs-cormier-1): UFC 182 (2015-01-03) — Jones UD 5 rounds
- [Conor McGregor vs Eddie Alvarez](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/mcgregor-vs-alvarez): UFC 205 (2016-11-12) — McGregor TKO round 2
- [Jon Jones vs Dominick Reyes](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/jones-vs-reyes): UFC 247 (2020-02-08) — Jones UD 5 rounds (contested)
- [Israel Adesanya vs Robert Whittaker](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/adesanya-vs-whittaker-1): UFC 243 (2019-10-06) — Adesanya KO round 2
- [Kamaru Usman vs Jorge Masvidal](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/usman-vs-masvidal-2): UFC 261 (2021-04-24) — Usman KO round 2
- [Alexander Volkanovski vs Max Holloway](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/volkanovski-vs-holloway-3): UFC 276 (2022-07-02) — Volkanovski UD 5 rounds (50-45 across)
- [Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Dustin Poirier](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/khabib-vs-poirier): UFC 242 (2019-09-07) — Khabib submission round 3 (rear-naked choke)
- [Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Justin Gaethje](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/khabib-vs-gaethje): UFC 254 (2020-10-24) — Khabib submission round 2 (triangle)
- [Islam Makhachev vs Alexander Volkanovski](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/makhachev-vs-volkanovski-2): UFC 294 (2023-10-21) — Makhachev KO round 1 (head kick)
- [Israel Adesanya vs Alex Pereira](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/adesanya-vs-pereira-2): UFC 287 (2023-04-08) — Adesanya KO round 2
- [Ilia Topuria vs Alexander Volkanovski](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/topuria-vs-volkanovski): UFC 298 (2024-02-17) — Topuria KO round 2
- [Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/topuria-vs-holloway): UFC 308 (2024-10-26) — Topuria KO round 3
- [Sean O'Malley vs Aljamain Sterling](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/omalley-vs-sterling): UFC 292 (2023-08-19) — O'Malley KO round 2
- [Merab Dvalishvili vs Sean O'Malley](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/dvalishvili-vs-omalley): UFC 306 (2024-09-14) — Dvalishvili UD 5 rounds
- [Jon Jones vs Ciryl Gane](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/jones-vs-gane): UFC 285 (2023-03-04) — Jones submission round 1 (guillotine)
- [Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/jones-vs-miocic): UFC 309 (2024-11-16) — Jones TKO round 3 (spinning back kick + ground-and-pound)
- [Tom Aspinall vs Sergei Pavlovich](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/aspinall-vs-pavlovich): UFC 295 (2023-11-11) — Aspinall TKO round 1
- [Dricus du Plessis vs Sean Strickland](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/du-plessis-vs-strickland-1): UFC 297 (2024-01-20) — Du Plessis split decision
- [Dricus du Plessis vs Israel Adesanya](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/du-plessis-vs-adesanya): UFC 305 (2024-08-17) — Du Plessis submission round 4 (rear-naked choke)
- [Alexa Grasso vs Valentina Shevchenko](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/grasso-vs-shevchenko-1): UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs Shevchenko (2023-03-04) — Grasso submission round 4 (rear-naked choke)
- [Alex Pereira vs Magomed Ankalaev](https://mmafightbible.com/fights/pereira-vs-ankalaev-2): UFC 320 (2025-10-04) — Pereira KO round 1

## Comparisons
- [GSP vs Khabib](https://mmafightbible.com/comparisons/gsp-vs-khabib): Hypothetical — The wrestling-base superfight that never happened.
- [Anderson Silva vs Israel Adesanya](https://mmafightbible.com/comparisons/silva-vs-adesanya): Era Comparison · Middleweight — Middleweight striking dynasties, 13 years apart.
- [Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall](https://mmafightbible.com/comparisons/jones-vs-aspinall): Hypothetical · Heavyweight — The heavyweight title fight that never materialized.
- [Alex Pereira vs Israel Adesanya](https://mmafightbible.com/comparisons/pereira-vs-adesanya): Real Rivalry · Middleweight — The kickboxing rivalry that bled into MMA.
- [Khabib vs Islam Makhachev](https://mmafightbible.com/comparisons/khabib-vs-makhachev): Era Comparison · Lightweight — Two generations of the Dagestani lightweight system.
- [Max Holloway vs Alexander Volkanovski](https://mmafightbible.com/comparisons/holloway-vs-volkanovski): Real Rivalry · Featherweight — The trilogy that defined post-Aldo featherweight.
- [Anderson Silva vs Jon Jones](https://mmafightbible.com/comparisons/silva-vs-jones): P4P Debate — The P4P #1 debate that has defined MMA for a decade.
- [Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Jon Jones](https://mmafightbible.com/comparisons/khabib-vs-jones): P4P Debate — Wrestling-base undefeated retirement vs the all-time LHW dynasty.
- [Amanda Nunes vs Valentina Shevchenko](https://mmafightbible.com/comparisons/nunes-vs-shevchenko): Real Rivalry — The women's P4P case decided by a controversial decision.
- [Ronda Rousey vs Amanda Nunes](https://mmafightbible.com/comparisons/rousey-vs-nunes): Era Comparison · Women's Bantamweight — The 48-second KO that ended the Rousey era.
- [GSP vs Kamaru Usman](https://mmafightbible.com/comparisons/gsp-vs-usman): Hypothetical · Welterweight — The two longest welterweight reigns in UFC history.
- [Fedor Emelianenko vs Jon Jones](https://mmafightbible.com/comparisons/fedor-vs-jones): P4P Debate — PRIDE-era heavyweight legend vs the all-time UFC dynasty.

## Records
- [Longest UFC Title Reigns](https://mmafightbible.com/records/longest-title-reigns): Title — The most-defended single-title reigns in UFC history, ranked by total days at champion.
- [Most Consecutive UFC Title Defenses](https://mmafightbible.com/records/most-title-defenses): Title — The fighters who defended their UFC title the most consecutive times.
- [Most UFC Wins by Finish](https://mmafightbible.com/records/most-finishes): Finishing — The fighters with the most career UFC wins by KO/TKO or submission combined.
- [Fastest UFC Title-Fight Finishes](https://mmafightbible.com/records/fastest-finishes): Finishing — The fastest knockouts and submissions in UFC championship history.
- [Fastest UFC Knockouts (All Bouts)](https://mmafightbible.com/records/fastest-ufc-ko-overall): Finishing — The fastest KO finishes in UFC history regardless of stakes.
- [Biggest UFC Pay-Per-View Events](https://mmafightbible.com/records/biggest-ppv-buys): PPV — The highest-grossing UFC PPV events by buy count.

## Techniques
- [Body Kick](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/striking/body-kick): striking — A round kick aimed at the liver, floating ribs, or solar plexus. The cumulative-damage striking weapon at championship pace.
- [Cross](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/striking/cross): striking — The straight rear-hand punch — the primary power strike in boxing and the most-thrown power punch in MMA.
- [Head Kick](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/striking/head-kick): striking — A round kick aimed at the temple, jaw, or neck. The highest-reward strike in MMA — and the most defended.
- [Hook](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/striking/hook): striking — The horizontally arcing punch thrown from either hand. The lead hook is the most-used MMA finishing strike alongside the cross.
- [Jab](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/striking/jab): striking — The lead-hand straight punch — the most important strike in MMA. Used for range, setup, defense, and pace control.
- [Leg Kick](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/striking/leg-kick): striking — The low round kick to the thigh, calf, or hamstring. Cumulative damage that limits opponent mobility and compromises stance integrity over the course of a fight.
- [Oblique Kick](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/striking/oblique-kick): striking — The oblique kick is a push kick aimed at the opponent's knee or quad to disrupt their stance. Controversial for knee-injury risk; notably used by Jon Jones.
- [Overhand](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/striking/overhand): striking — A looping power punch from the rear hand that travels over the opponent's lead shoulder. Effective against a high jab guard.
- [Push Kick (Teep)](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/striking/push-kick): striking — A linear front kick used to control distance, disrupt forward pressure, and set up follow-up strikes. The teep in Muay Thai.
- [Spinning Back Elbow](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/striking/spinning-back-elbow): striking — A 270-degree spin where the rear elbow lands on the opponent's temple or jaw. A high-risk, high-reward finishing strike.
- [Superman Punch](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/striking/superman-punch): striking — A jumping rear-hand strike where the rear leg kicks back to load extra distance and power. A signature setup for fighters with karate footwork.
- [Switch Kick](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/striking/switch-kick): striking — A round kick thrown after a quick stance switch to load the rear-leg power into the new lead leg.
- [Uppercut](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/striking/uppercut): striking — The rising punch thrown vertically up the centerline, typically from close range against an opponent whose chin is lowered.
- [Ankle Pick](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/grappling/ankle-pick): grappling — A quick takedown that attacks the opponent's near ankle while controlling their head with a collar tie. High-percentage in MMA against pressuring opponents.
- [Body Lock](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/grappling/body-lock): grappling — A clinch position where the attacker wraps both arms around the opponent's lower torso. A primary chain-wrestling position in modern MMA.
- [Double-Leg Takedown](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/grappling/double-leg-takedown): grappling — The wrestler's bread-and-butter takedown — a level change, shoulder drive into the opponent's hips, and finish by grabbing both legs.
- [High Crotch](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/grappling/high-crotch): grappling — A wrestling shot where the attacker's arm goes between the opponent's legs from outside, pinching the thigh. Effective head-inside takedown entry.
- [Single-Leg Takedown](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/grappling/single-leg-takedown): grappling — A takedown that attacks one of the opponent's legs. Higher-percentage than the double-leg against good sprawlers and the dominant entry in modern MMA wrestling.
- [Snap Down](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/grappling/snap-down): grappling — A wrestling technique where the attacker pulls the opponent's head down sharply, breaking their posture and creating openings.
- [Sprawl](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/grappling/sprawl): grappling — The defensive reaction to a takedown attempt — throw the legs back, drop the weight on the attacker's head, and prevent the takedown finish.
- [Uchi Mata](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/grappling/uchi-mata): grappling — Japanese judo throw — the "inner thigh throw" where the attacker hooks the leg between the opponent's legs and rotates them over the hip.
- [Collar Tie](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/clinch/collar-tie): clinch — A clinch grip where one hand is on the back of the opponent's neck. Used to control posture and set up knees, dirty boxing, or takedowns.
- [Dirty Boxing](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/clinch/dirty-boxing): clinch — Close-range punching from a single-collar-tie or under-overhook clinch. Randy Couture's signature, now standard in MMA fence work.
- [Knee Strike](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/clinch/knee-strike): clinch — A knee thrown from clinch range — to the body, thigh, or (when the opponent isn't grounded) the head. The Thai plum delivery is the canonical MMA example.
- [Over-Under](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/clinch/over-under): clinch — A neutral clinch position where each fighter has one underhook and one overhook. The most common clinch start in MMA.
- [Thai Plum (Double Collar Tie)](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/clinch/thai-plum): clinch — A dominant clinch position where both hands lock behind the opponent's head, controlling posture and setting up knee strikes.
- [Underhook](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/clinch/underhook): clinch — A clinch grip where one arm is under the opponent's armpit, with the hand on their upper back. Used to control posture, attack the back, or set up takedowns.
- [Americana](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/ground/americana): ground — A keylock submission applied from side control or mount, rotating the opponent's arm forward to attack the shoulder.
- [Anaconda Choke](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/ground/anaconda-choke): ground — A blood choke from front headlock — the attacker threads an arm under the opponent's neck, locks a Gable grip, and rolls to compress the carotids.
- [Arm Triangle](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/ground/arm-triangle): ground — A head-and-arm choke usually finished from side control or mount. The attacker traps the opponent's arm against their own neck.
- [Armbar](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/ground/armbar): ground — A joint lock attacking the elbow. The attacker isolates the opponent's arm with both legs and hips up to hyperextend the joint.
- [Back Control](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/ground/back-control): ground — The most dominant position in MMA — chest pressed against the opponent's back with hooks (legs) in.
- [D'Arce Choke](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/ground/d-arce-choke): ground — A reverse arm-triangle variation where the attacker threads the choking arm under the opponent's far armpit and behind their head.
- [Ground-and-Pound](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/ground/ground-and-pound): ground — Striking from a dominant top position — guard, half-guard, side control, mount, or back. The technique that closed the gap between grappling-only and striking-only fighters.
- [Guard Pass](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/ground/guard-pass): ground — The act of getting past an opponent's legs from inside the guard to a more dominant ground position — side control, mount, or back.
- [Heel Hook](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/ground/heel-hook): ground — A leg lock attacking the knee by rotating the heel. The fastest-damaging submission in MMA — opponents who tap late often have torn ligaments.
- [Kimura](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/ground/kimura): ground — A shoulder lock attacking the rotator cuff. Named after Masahiko Kimura, who broke Helio Gracie's arm with it in 1951.
- [Kneebar](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/ground/kneebar): ground — A leg lock attacking the knee by hyperextending it. Functions similarly to an armbar applied to the leg.
- [Mount](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/ground/mount): ground — Dominant top position straddling the opponent's torso. The most-scored position on the judges' cards alongside back control.
- [Rear-Naked Choke](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/ground/rear-naked-choke): ground — The signature back-mount finish. Forearm across the front of the neck, figure-four lock, compression of the carotid arteries.
- [Side Control](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/ground/side-control): ground — A top-position pin where the attacker is perpendicular to the opponent, chest-to-chest with their head controlled.
- [Triangle Choke](https://mmafightbible.com/techniques/ground/triangle): ground — A blood choke from guard — the attacker triangles their legs around the opponent's neck and one arm, compressing the carotid against the opponent's own shoulder.

## Guides
- [UFC Contract Terms: Pay, Bonuses & Clauses](https://mmafightbible.com/guides/how-fighter-contracts-work): UFC contract explained: base pay, win bonus, post-fight bonuses (now $100,000), the exclusive clause with its right to match offers, and how negotiations work.
- [How UFC Matchmaking Works](https://mmafightbible.com/guides/how-matchmaking-works): Inside the UFC matchmaking process — Sean Shelby, Mick Maynard, the contender ladder, the booking calendar, and why certain fights happen while others don't.
- [How MMA Judging Works](https://mmafightbible.com/guides/how-mma-judging-works): The 10-point must system explained, the official judging criteria, the most common scoring mistakes, and how to score MMA fights round-by-round.
- [How UFC Rankings Work](https://mmafightbible.com/guides/how-rankings-work): Inside the UFC rankings panel — who votes, how the top 15 lists are produced, why P4P rankings are different, and how rankings drive title shots.
- [How to Break Down a Fighter's Style](https://mmafightbible.com/guides/how-to-break-down-a-fighters-style): A step-by-step framework for analyzing any MMA fighter's style from the fight footage — stance, range, lead patterns, takedown profile, weakness, and game-plan fit.
- [How to Read a UFC Fight Card](https://mmafightbible.com/guides/how-to-read-a-ufc-fight-card): Main card vs prelims, title fights, co-main, walk order, fight times, and how to actually read a UFC event poster and broadcast schedule.
- [How to Spot a Finish Coming](https://mmafightbible.com/guides/how-to-spot-a-finish-coming): The visual and behavioral cues that precede a knockout, TKO, or submission. How to read the 30-second window before a fight ends and develop the spectator's anticipation.
- [How to Watch MMA — A Beginner's Guide](https://mmafightbible.com/guides/how-to-watch-mma-beginner): First-time viewer's guide to MMA. What to look for, what the terminology means, how the rounds work, and how to develop a viewing eye in your first 10 fights.
- [How USADA / Anti-Doping Testing Works in MMA](https://mmafightbible.com/guides/how-usada-testing-works): The UFC's anti-doping program, the testing pool, the substances banned, the most-cited test failures, and the 2023 transition from USADA to Drug Free Sport International.
- [How UFC Weigh-Ins Work](https://mmafightbible.com/guides/how-weigh-ins-work): The ceremonial weigh-in, the official morning weigh-in, the 1-lb allowance, the 1-hour window, the weight-miss penalty, and what happens behind the scenes the day before the fight.

## History
- [The Anderson Silva Era at Middleweight (2006-2013)](https://mmafightbible.com/history/anderson-silva-era): The longest title reign in UFC history. Ten consecutive defenses, sixteen consecutive UFC wins, and the technical foundation of modern MMA striking.
- [The Brazilian School](https://mmafightbible.com/history/brazilian-school): How Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Chute Boxe Muay Thai, and the broader Brazilian MMA tradition produced multiple generations of UFC champions.
- [The Dagestani Pipeline](https://mmafightbible.com/history/dagestani-pipeline): How a small Russian republic produced Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, and a generation of UFC champions and contenders.
- [The GSP Era at Welterweight (2006-2013)](https://mmafightbible.com/history/gsp-era): Nine consecutive title defenses, the most-decorated welterweight reign in UFC history, and the blueprint for the modern complete MMA fighter.
- [The Jon Jones Era at Light Heavyweight (2011-2020)](https://mmafightbible.com/history/jones-era): Eleven defenses across two LHW reigns, the closest career bout (Gustafsson UFC 165), and the structural complications that shaped the LHW division for a decade.
- [The Khabib Era at Lightweight (2018-2020)](https://mmafightbible.com/history/khabib-era): 29-0, retired undefeated. The Dagestani lightweight reign that reshaped the division and established the modern wrestling-base championship template.
- [Modern Globalization — 2005 to Present](https://mmafightbible.com/history/modern-globalization-2005-present): The post-TUF era — Brock Lesnar, Anderson Silva, GSP, Ronda Rousey, Conor McGregor, the Khabib era, and the rise of ONE Championship and PFL.
- [The Post-Pandemic Era (2020-Present)](https://mmafightbible.com/history/post-pandemic-era): How COVID-19 reshaped MMA broadcasting, the Fight Island period, the Saudi Arabia investment wave, and the TKO Group corporate restructure.
- [Pre-UFC Vale Tudo — The Roots of MMA](https://mmafightbible.com/history/pre-ufc-vale-tudo): How Brazilian "anything goes" fighting in the 1920s-1990s, Japanese shoot wrestling, and the Gracie family lineage built the sport that became MMA.
- [The PRIDE Golden Age (2001-2006)](https://mmafightbible.com/history/pride-golden-age): The five-year stretch when PRIDE FC was the technical and aesthetic peak of MMA — Fedor's heavyweight reign, Wanderlei's middleweight era, the Grand Prix tournaments.
- [The Strikeforce Era (2006-2013)](https://mmafightbible.com/history/strikeforce-era): How a San Jose kickboxing promotion built the US
- [The UFC Era — 1993 to 2005](https://mmafightbible.com/history/ufc-era-1993-2005): From the original no-rules tournament at UFC 1 through the regulatory crisis, the Zuffa purchase, and the Forrest Griffin vs Stephan Bonnar TUF 1 finale that saved the sport.
- [The History of Women's MMA](https://mmafightbible.com/history/womens-mma-history): From Strikeforce's 2009 Carano-Cyborg bout to the multi-division women's UFC roster of 2024 — how women's MMA became a championship-level product.

## Training
- [Amateur to Professional Transition](https://mmafightbible.com/training/amateur-to-professional): When to turn pro, how to choose your first professional promotion, and the structural decisions that shape your career trajectory.
- [Beginner's Gym Selection](https://mmafightbible.com/training/beginners-gym-selection): How to choose your first MMA gym — coaching depth, safety culture, peer skill level, and the warning signs of bad MMA programs.
- [Fight Camp Structure](https://mmafightbible.com/training/fight-camp-structure): How an 8-12 week MMA fight camp is structured — sparring schedule, skill blocks, opponent-specific game planning, and the taper.
- [Fight Week Protocols](https://mmafightbible.com/training/fight-week-protocols): The seven days before an MMA bout — weight cut, media, rehearsal, sleep, nutrition, and the mental preparation that determines fight-night performance.
- [First Six Months in MMA](https://mmafightbible.com/training/first-six-months): What to expect — the typical learning curve, common mistakes, injury patterns, and how to maximize development in your first 24 weeks.
- [The Mental Game](https://mmafightbible.com/training/mental-game): Sport psychology in MMA — visualization, breathing protocols, the Brian Cain system, and the championship-level mindset that distinguishes elite athletes.
- [Recovery and Sleep](https://mmafightbible.com/training/recovery-and-sleep): How elite MMA camps integrate sleep, soft-tissue work, nutrition, and modern recovery technology into championship-level training cycles.
- [Return From Injury](https://mmafightbible.com/training/return-from-injury): The structured rehab and training protocol that gets MMA athletes back to championship-level performance after major injuries.
- [Sparring Methodology](https://mmafightbible.com/training/sparring-methodology): How elite MMA camps structure sparring — intensity progression, partner selection, technical vs hard sparring, and the modern damage-reduction protocols.
- [Strength and Conditioning for MMA](https://mmafightbible.com/training/strength-and-conditioning): How elite MMA camps periodize strength, power, and conditioning across an 8-12 week fight camp.
- [Weight Cut Protocols](https://mmafightbible.com/training/weight-cut-protocols): How MMA fighters cut 15-30 lbs in the final week before a bout — water loading, carbohydrate restriction, sauna protocols, and the modern rehydration model.
- [Weight Management Without Extreme Cuts](https://mmafightbible.com/training/weight-management-no-extreme-cuts): How to compete at a weight class without the dangerous 20-30 lb water cut — the ONE Championship hydration model and the modern alternatives.

## Rules
- [Commission Differences](https://mmafightbible.com/rules/commission-differences): How NSAC, NJSACB, CSAC, and the ABC member commissions actually enforce the Unified Rules differently.
- [Equipment Specifications](https://mmafightbible.com/rules/equipment-specifications): What gloves, wraps, cage, mouthguard, and protective gear are mandated under the Unified Rules.
- [The Fouls Catalog](https://mmafightbible.com/rules/fouls-catalog): All 31 fouls under the Unified Rules of MMA, what triggers a referee warning vs a point deduction vs a disqualification, and the 2024 elbow-rule change.
- [Judging Criteria](https://mmafightbible.com/rules/judging-criteria): How three judges decide every close decision — the strict hierarchy of effective striking, aggressiveness, and cage control.
- [Methods of Victory](https://mmafightbible.com/rules/methods-of-victory): KO, TKO, submission, decision, disqualification, no-contest — how every MMA bout ends.
- [Ring vs Cage Variations](https://mmafightbible.com/rules/ring-vs-cage-variations): How PRIDE-style rope rings, RIZIN's revival, BKFC's circle, and ONE's permissive cage rules produce different kinds of fights.
- [10-Point Must Scoring](https://mmafightbible.com/rules/ten-point-must-scoring): How three judges score every MMA round on a 10-point scale, and why so many close decisions look wrong.
- [The Unified Rules of MMA](https://mmafightbible.com/rules/unified-rules): The 2001 regulatory framework that turned no-holds-barred fighting into a sanctioned sport, and how it's evolved across two decades.
- [USADA and Anti-Doping](https://mmafightbible.com/rules/usada-and-anti-doping): From the 2015 USADA partnership through the 2024 transition to CSAD — how MMA's PED testing program actually works.

## Weight classes
- [Bantamweight (135 lbs)](https://mmafightbible.com/weight-classes/bantamweight): From Dominick Cruz's footwork era through the Petr Yan DQ and the modern Sterling-O'Malley-Dvalishvili succession.
- [Featherweight (145 lbs)](https://mmafightbible.com/weight-classes/featherweight): José Aldo's six-year reign, the McGregor 13-second KO, the Holloway era, and the modern Volkanovski-Topuria succession.
- [Flyweight (125 lbs)](https://mmafightbible.com/weight-classes/flyweight): Demetrious Johnson's record 11-defense reign, the Henry Cejudo upset, the Brandon Moreno trilogy, and the current Alexandre Pantoja era.
- [Heavyweight (265 lbs)](https://mmafightbible.com/weight-classes/heavyweight): The UFC's marquee weight class — from the Vale Tudo open-weight era through the Brock Lesnar box-office peak to the current Jones-Aspinall succession.
- [Light Heavyweight (205 lbs)](https://mmafightbible.com/weight-classes/light-heavyweight): The UFC's most-storied division — Liddell, Couture, Jon Jones, Pereira. The PRIDE middleweight bracket and the UFC LHW bracket combined to produce the densest GOAT field in MMA.
- [Lightweight (155 lbs)](https://mmafightbible.com/weight-classes/lightweight): The Khabib era, the Conor McGregor box office, and the current Islam Makhachev / Ilia Topuria succession.
- [Middleweight (185 lbs)](https://mmafightbible.com/weight-classes/middleweight): Anderson Silva's record-setting reign through the Adesanya-Pereira era and the current Dricus du Plessis title.
- [Welterweight (170 lbs)](https://mmafightbible.com/weight-classes/welterweight): GSP's nine title defenses, the Hughes-Penn era, and the modern Usman-Edwards-Muhammad bracket.
- [Women's Flyweight (125 lbs)](https://mmafightbible.com/weight-classes/womens-flyweight): The Valentina Shevchenko era, the Alexa Grasso trilogy, and the deepest active women's UFC division.
- [Women's Strawweight (115 lbs)](https://mmafightbible.com/weight-classes/womens-strawweight): From the Joanna Jędrzejczyk reign through the Rose Namajunas head-kick KO and the modern Zhang Weili era.

## Optional
- [Glossary](https://mmafightbible.com/glossary): A-Z reference of MMA terms
- [Sitemap](https://mmafightbible.com/sitemap.xml): machine-readable URL list
- [llms-full.txt](https://mmafightbible.com/llms-full.txt): full content dump for LLM ingestion
- [ai.txt](https://mmafightbible.com/ai.txt): AI training and crawling policy