Learn
How MMA and boxing work, from the first bell to the scorecards. Short lessons, with things to try.
MMA
Rounds, rules, scoring, weight classes, the ground game and where it all came from.
1
MMA in four minutes
What mixed martial arts is, what happens in the cage, and who decides what.
2
How judges score a fight
The 10-point must system, what judges look for, and why winning two rounds can still get you a draw.
3
Rules and fouls
What's legal, what isn't, and what happens when someone breaks the rules.
4
Weight classes
Why fighters cut weight, what happens when they miss, and where you'd fight.
5
The ground game
Positions, who's winning in each, and the submissions that end fights.
6
A short history of MMA
From ancient Greece to Brazil's "anything goes" fights to the UFC and a global sport.
Boxing
Rounds, punches, scoring, knockdowns, the four belts and three centuries of history.
1
Boxing in four minutes
Rounds, the ring, stances and the four punches everything is built on.
2
How boxing is won and scored
Knockouts, stoppages, decisions, and what a knockdown does to the scorecards.
3
Belts and sanctioning bodies
Why boxing has four world champions per division, and what undisputed means.
4
Boxing's weight classes
Seventeen divisions, from minimumweight to heavyweight.
5
A short history of boxing
From the ancient Olympics to bare-knuckle prize fights to the four-belt era.
For both
The words fans use, and a quiz to see what stuck.