MMA

For those of you who are not that familiar with the sport of MMA [Mixed Martial Arts] it is a full contact sport that allows a variety of fighting techniques and skills to be used as a mixture of martial arts in combative competition.

The rules of competitive MMA fights use a combination of striking as well as grappling, holding techniques to score points on your opponent. MMA competitions allow different martial practitioners to compete in the ring or cage to fight it out to determine the ultimate fighter.

Originally the concept of Mixed Martial Arts contest was to determine the most effective martial arts for 1on1 unarmed combat with some basic rules for safety (No Biting and Gouging or fish hooking the rest goes ) and then later on, adoption of additional rules to widen the scope for the mainstream promotion of MMA competition as a competitive, entertaining and visually exciting sport.

 In the beginning Brazillian Jiu Jitsu practitioners from the legendary Gracie family dominated the sport with Royce Gracie dominating the early UFC’s (Ultimate Fighting Championships )But soon the fighters evolved into the MMA Fighters we see on our screens today.

The UK saw the opening of the first UK Gracie Jiu Jitsu Academy in East London/ Essex back in 2001 with the direct involvement of Andy Smith the founder and CEO of Evolution Fightwear.

The academy dedicated to BJJ/MMA also had the first MMA/BJJ store within it selling merchandise for the sport.

Andy Smith was the first to import and stock brands such as Tapout, Chute Boxer, Hunter, Vitamins, Minerals and Cyclone to name but a few,  helping to launch MMA in the UK   

The 1ST professional MMA/BJJ fighter to wear Evolution Fightwear clothing was none other than Royce Gracie himself.(as a referee)

Evolution has been at the forefront of introducing MMA to the UK and as a fighting brand is known the world over and has been worn by MMA fighters and Champions such as Anderson Silva, Mark Weir, Paul Jenkins, Dan Hardy, James Thompson, Brad Picket, Che Mills, Michael Bisping, Ross Pointon, Paul Taylor,  Jeff Lawson, [See our Sponsorship Gallery]