Why is MMA held in an octagon-shaped ring?

The Octagon that took the sport to the next level

MMA is one of the countless combat sports that has gained enormous popularity in recent years. Undoubtedly, free fights are becoming super popular because of the UFC, as they are fast growing and offer viewers a huge spectacle.

The sport appeared on the scene as early as the 1980s, and we have witnessed spectacular battles that turn into true brutality. The UFC organization helps to legitimize the sport and make it modern. But have you ever wondered why these fights take place in a ring that is in the shape of a regular octagon, also known as an octagon. A ring that looks unique, but few people know why it is betting on this atypical, non-standard form in which the competitors fight.

The Octagon was designed with safety and fairness in mind. Its walls are well padded with protective gear and prevent fighters from falling or being thrown out of the ring. This is achieved through a special net that surrounds the entire ring. Wide angles prevent fighters from getting stuck in a corner from which there is no way out. Boxing, as you know, takes place in a square ring, and wrestling in a circle. The Octagon does not allow for moments when the referees have to stop or restart the match due to the lack of activity or the plight of one of the competitors, unless he is too far behind his opponent for purely sporting reasons.

The legendary Gracie family is responsible for making MMA what it is today. In the early 1990s, Rorion Gracie decided that the only way to take the developing sport to the next level was to show it to people on television. The Brazilian has been tasked with coming up with some innovations that will set the sport apart from the rest, and he concludes that the ring in which the matches take place will be a key element.

Gracie teamed up with screenwriter John Milius, who was among his students at the time. MMA promoters suggest all kinds of weird stuff like an electrifying fence or a moat full of sharks to raise the stakes, but the duo's idea is far more practical.

They settled on a unique enclosure in the shape of a regular octagon and decided to wrap it with a cage to emphasize the aesthetics of free, or street, fighting. This is how they hope to attract viewers.

The Octagon made its debut at UFC 1 and it proved to be so successful that it still exists to this day. And the cage itself sets MMA apart from other combat sports because it allows fighters to defend against heavy takedowns better than if the Octagon were enclosed with ropes, as in boxing.

The unique form and the attempt to make MMA a far more interesting and watched sport is proving to be the reason why the Octagon is the ring in which the sport's competitions take place.

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