It is clear that in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and most of the combat sports world, the dominant promotion is the UFC. This is largely because they have held the dominant reign as the top MMA and combat sports company for decades now. But do you want to expand your boundaries outward? Find other combat sports promotions that appeal to you? Here are eight combat sports promotions that may catch your eye.
1.Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship
The bare knuckle boxing promotion may only be six years old but it has successfully made bare knuckle boxing an exciting watch for fans looking for something new. The promotion has also successfully exported themselves to the United Kingdom and Thailand. They have also included plenty of talent and sponsors to keep the show growing.
2.ONE Championship
ONE is one of the most unique combat sports organizations as it showcases MMA, Muay Thai, kickboxing, and submission grappling. The company has gone international with events, broadcasting, and talent. It has drawn a plethora of fans with exciting events and fights with some of the best talent in the entire combat sports world, such as MMA legend Demetrious Johnson.
3.GLORY
Glory is the kickboxing promotion where Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya first collided. The kickboxing promotion has enjoyed international success as one of the top kickboxing companies and has bred some of the top competitors in not just their own sport but MMA as a whole.
4.PFL/Bellator
PFL came seemingly out of nowhere, backed by a group of investors who wanted a stake in MMA. The promotion has raised eyebrows with its season format, signing of major talent, and its acquisition of Bellator in 2023. It would be a mistake to write them off as just a venture capitalist joyride as they have put on a lot of great events as well as continuing Bellator’s success.
5.Rizin
Rizin is often deemed the spiritual successor to Pride FC, Japan’s first major MMA company. The company, based solely in Japan (with the exception of one event in Azerbaijan), has fostered an environment for those who crave the cage-less and hard hitting style of Japanese MMA that helped grow the sport as a whole in the 1990s and 2000s.
6.Invicta FC
A women’s MMA promotion, born out of the end of Strikeforce, this company does not shy away from letting some of the best women in MMA showcase their skill. This is one of the companies that helped craft Cris Cyborg into a legend and put women’s MMA on the map.
7.KSW
KSW is not just the leading MMA promotion in Poland, but one of the top promotions for the sport in Europe. The sport includes hard hitting fighters from Poland and the rest of the continent who converge for exciting bouts. KSW may not be as exported as some of the other companies but has drawn crowds, KSW 139 was the 2nd most attended MMA show ever, ahead of every single UFC event.
