Fights without rules. We've all heard a lot about them, but what do we know, except that the men there beat each other's muzzles? The battlefield turns into a place where a boxer meets a wrestler in a fight, and a judoka challenges a kickboxer. It's time to lift the veil of secrecy and plunge into the world of betting, excitement and enchanting massacre, which is very different from the cult films with Jean-Claude Van Damme.

1. How to get to a similar tournament

The first obstacle will be the absolute secrecy of such events due to their illegality. The organizers fear that one of the spectators or participants may be a police officer, hence high level conspiracy. Another reason for the strict selection is that not all viewers would like to appear at such an event if it is covered by the media.

If your desire to attend such an event is endless, and there are no acquaintances in this area, then it makes sense to go to official events of this kind, for example, MMA competitions, regional or zonal tournaments. There you will have to demonstrate your interest and place bets several times. Then the chances that an inconspicuous person will come up to you with an offer to look at the fights harder are pretty high. In other cases, you can get to such an event only by invitation.

2. Rules

Tong-Po would break into a smile now, because the only rule is no rules. Fighters fight without protective equipment, being naked to the waist. Shoes may be present, but only by agreement. The only exception is weapons - they are prohibited, but biting, hitting in the groin and insulting the opponent's mother in order to demoralize him is allowed. The fight ends if one of the opponents is deeply knocked out or has himself admitted defeat. An unspoken rule does not recommend finishing off an opponent who is deeply knocked out, but everything remains at the discretion of the fighter.

3. Fearless bastards

The colors of the fighters performing in such battles are extremely diverse. It can be a boxer, sambist, hand-to-hand fighter or wrestler. Sometimes there are even guys hardened by the street, or simple clerks who want to blow off steam. Usually the fight between the “amateur” and the pro ends very quickly. As a rule, by a spectacular knockout. Spectators especially love it when representatives of different schools converge in battle, but once they find out that one of the participants is a representative of intelligence, bets on him immediately skyrocket.

It is believed that such a specialist is ready for any threats and can instantly neutralize the enemy, and for the viewer this is easy money. If we talk about professional athletes, then top scores show boxers and sambists. Only the representatives of the classical school of boxing have a big minus in front of other athletes: they have never focused on the defense of the groin and legs, therefore they often cut themselves out, having received a sickly blow in the balls. But a boxer who has served in the special forces for several years will instantly become a favorite.

4. Bets

Betting is the engine of battles. The viewer can get to such an event only for the entrance fee. This is one of the ways to at least discourage such an event. There are no sponsors in shadow sports, and it is not possible to make money on live broadcasts. Nobody forbids viewers to place bets, which is another source of income. The organizer takes 10% of the total bank for organizational chores, the rest of the fee goes to the fighters by agreement. The size of the minimum and maximum bet is not limited: there are individuals who bet $ 100,000 on a certain fighter.

In the event of a win, the losses of the organizers will be colossal, so there is always an unspoken signal that tells the fighter that he must "lie down". In life, there are practically no naive fighters who, for the sake of victory, include the soundtrack from "Rocky" in their heads and with the name of their coach on their lips. A fighter who deliberately lost the fight receives a certain percentage of the winner's bank. But in most cases, fights are fair and the strongest wins.

5. Is money always a driving force?

No, in the world of fighting without rules, there are real berserkers who simply cannot live without battle. As a rule, these are warriors who have visited hot spots, after returning from which they made a total reassessment of values. The rest of the athletes are afraid of them, since in a fight with an ordinary enemy in the event of a knockout, only the nose can be broken, and in such killers, at the smell of blood, ancient instincts awaken, which tell them to destroy not only the spirit, but also the body of the enemy.

6. Types of fights without rules

Most likely, you think that such competitions are exclusively 1 on 1, but people, both in sex and in entertainment, love variety, thanks to which the following variations appeared:

Boxing without gloves is a harsh sport that promises not only good money, but also injuries. Fighters fight according to the rules of boxing, but without any protection of hands and head. If you don't believe this is really tough, then watch a couple of videos. There will be a lot of impressions.

TFC - 5 vs 5 fights within the ring. Now fans of mass carnage do not have to look for a forest belt to converge "wall to wall". The fights are very spectacular, if only in view of the fact that, having remained the only member of the team standing on their feet, no mercy from the fighters from the opposing team should be expected.

The UFC, the most popular fighting organization, did not always have the regulated rules by which it lives today. In the distant past, there were no weight categories, and fights were more like gladiatorial battles. Elbow strikes on the throat, strikes in the groin, hair grabbing and kicking a prone opponent were allowed. Today's version has found rules and regulations.

7. Backstage history: illegal boxing champions without gloves

In 1889 passed. This battle was expected not only because of the sports interest, but also because of the personal motives of the fighters to get even with each other.

But let's start with the organization of the battle. 3,000 people received a train ticket, where the “place of arrival” column was blank. Such secrecy was due to the fact that such battles were illegal in that era and were severely punished. But interest in the fight between the two gods of the boxing world was much stronger than any fears - 3,000 fans gathered to watch the fight between John Sullivan and Jake Killrane.

The personal side was especially relevant because earlier John Sullivan, being an eminent champion, publicly insulted and refused an interview with the then-famous businessman and sports magazine owner Richard Fox. For a long time, Fox was looking for a fighter who could kick the pompous Sullivan's ass and remove him from the winner's podium, and the search was crowned with success. In one of the villages, the star of Jake Killirein, a promising young fighter, sparkled. At that time, the champion had health problems due to alcohol abuse, so everyone was betting on a rising star. But when the arrogant spiteful critics noticeably calmed down, the champion returned to excellent shape and again put on his fists in steel.

The fight took place without gloves, and the rules were different than today. The round lasted indefinitely, but ended when one of the athletes fell to one knee. Moreover, the number of rounds was not limited. Because of this, the fight lasted a whopping 76 rounds, or 2 hours. It's hard to imagine how hardy these guys are, because not everyone can just wave their hands for two hours in a row, and then you can grab it in the face.

The fight ended when Killrane's second threw a sponge into the ring. This meant the end of the fight and the surrender of the opponent. He did this because, in his memory, two guys went to the forefathers during a similar duel.
As often happens, after a couple of years the fighters became close friends, and we read with interest today about such pearls of sports.

How much do MMA fighters make?

Conor McGregor loses at UFC 196 but becomes the first UFC fighter to receive a $ 1 million guaranteed payout. website and manager Alexey Zhernakov tell you what other fees are in MMA.

0 - 100 dollars

At the request "received for the first fight" you can find the story of Sergei Khandozhko, who paid 500 rubles for the first fight. The amount of the fee for participating in the tournament.

5,000 rubles ($ 70) may be a perfectly normal fee for a not-so-famous fighter at the beginning of his career, performing in a small tournament. Rasul Mirzaev voiced exactly this amount, talking about the fight in 2008. Artemy Sitenkov, who once defeated Conor McGregor, calls the smallest fee 45 euros. The victory over McGregor brought the Lithuanian 500 euros. Denis Smoldarev calls the figure 40 dollars.



Alexey Zhernakov (manager Russian fighters MMA Alexander Shlemenko, Andrey Koreshkov, Vitaly Minakov, Alexander Sarnavsky and others, in the photo - the first from the left):

- Yes, it happens that a situation arises when an athlete can conduct a professional fight without a fee. For example, when small organizations hold tournaments - eights (a tournament on the Olympic system with the participation of eight fighters - site), where only the winner receives the prize, and the remaining seven athletes perform for free. There can also be single fights in any local tournament, where the athlete agrees to perform without a fee (for various reasons).

A fee in the region of 5000 rubles is possible at small club-level tournaments. Fee in the region of 100 euros is possible on the undercard (preliminary fights ..

100 - 1000 dollars

“One fairly famous promotion pays what the fighter agrees to. If a guy from Kostroma or Voronezh agrees to go for 20,000 rubles, that is what they will pay, ”says one of the Russian MMA fighters about the tournament, which can be seen in prime time on the federal channel.

The range from $ 100 to $ 1000 will probably be the most heterogeneous in terms of the composition of the participants. $ 200 can be earned in a tournament, the video from which will not even appear on the Internet. $ 1,000 is a normal fee for an athlete from the main card of an M-1 or FightNights tournament.

Alexey Zhernakov:

- A lot depends on the fighter's manager, on the status and prospects of the athlete, in what role he enters the tournament: for example, he can be signed up for a specific fight as an opponent for a more famous fighter, or they see him as a local star in the future, or he already appears to her. There may be a situation in which a person generally conducts the first fight in MMA, but he is known in the city, for example, due to his achievements in another sport (wrestling, kickboxing, etc.), or is generally known in the non-sports field. Here we can talk about a fee of more than $ 1000 even for the debut fight.

$ 1,000 - $ 10,000

Main battle or pre-main battle Russian tournament with famous athlete... Fights in the main draw of a good American promotion: Abubakar Nurmagomedov - $ 1,500 + 1,500 (guaranteed payment and payment in case of a win - website), Islam Mamedov - $ 4,000 + 4,000 at WSOF 22.

A promising fighter in M-1 could start from 2000 dollars in 2009.

A publicly known Russian without a star status in the industry in the Russian promotion of the DIA can earn $ 5,000 - and this is considered almost the maximum amount in Russia for a promising athlete.

Alexey Zhernakov:

- Today, for Russia and Europe, a fee in the region of $ 5,000 is considered quite worthy. For example, at the KSW tournament (a popular Polish promotion. - site) 5000 euros can be received by the rival of a local fighter in one of the main battles of the tournament.

At tournaments like Titan FC or Legacy (US promotions. - site) fees in the amount of $ 5,000 + $ 5,000 can be received by participants in the main battle of the evening.

There can be many different payment options in Asia. Most promotions in Japan (with the exception of Rizin and WSOF-GC) tend to have fairly modest fees. In China, a local fighter can make good money, especially if he is popular and has experience in the same UFC.
In the UFC today, according to the standard contract, the fighter for the first fight receives a fee of $ 10,000 + $ 10,000.

$ 10,000 - $ 100,000

(UFC fighter Nikita Krylov)

For the Russian promotion, this will be an exceptional fee: according to unofficial information, $ 50,000 was worth one of last speeches Alexandra Emelianenko. Alexey Oleinik paid 30 thousand dollars at the Oplot tournament for the fight against Jeff Monson in 2013.

$ 50,000 (in addition to the fighting fees) will be paid to the winner of the M-1Global Middleweight Grand Prix in the summer of 2016, where Alexander Shlemenko will face the winner of the Emeev-Falcao pair in the final.

Most of the payouts in Western promotions will fall between ten and one hundred thousand. 20 + 20 - Fee for the second or third fight in the UFC. Until 2014, Bellator hosted grand prix tournaments, where winning three fights in about two months could earn $ 100,000.

The UFC has a bonus system - for best fight, knockout and reception of the evening athlete can get $ 50,000.

You also need to take into account tax geography. UFC light heavyweight Nikita Krylov says that after a fight in a tournament in the USA or Canada, you can give 30-40% of the fee, in Sweden - 15%, but in Ireland you get the full amount.

Alexey Zhernakov:

- In Russia, I think, there will be no more than ten fighters, whose fees are measured in tens of thousands of dollars (if we talk about athletes performing in Russian promotions).

$ 100,000 - $ 1,000,000

Fee for a popular UFC fighter with a good win-loss ratio. It is difficult to formulate otherwise. Ali Bagautinov, even fighting for the title in his weight (up to 56 kg), received $ 14,000. Known for his wrestling performances, Brock Lesnar received $ 250,000 in his first fight in the UFC. Boxer James Toney, who agreed to compete in MMA - half a million. Plus, fighters at this level, as a rule, can receive payments from the percentage of the sale of paid broadcasts and special bonuses that are not announced publicly.

Dutch manager Bas Boone, speaking about Feodor Emelianenko's fees in Japan, calls a figure of $ 115,000, but does not specify whether this was the maximum amount.

Alexey Zhernakov:

- So far, Bellator has only had one tournament broadcast over the PPV system (pay-per-view, a pay-TV service. - site), so it's too early to talk about the amount of interest payments to the fighters of this promotion. Now the main focus is on the media, the fighter's recognition, which often means more than his level as an athlete. For example, the tournament where Kimbo Slice and Ken Shamrock held their fights against Royce Gracie showed very good rating, and it is he who is taken into account when it comes about fees.

Over 1,000,000 dollars

At UFC 196, Conor McGregor became the organization's first millionaire fighter to be officially released to the public.

Earlier, for a fight against Dan Henderson in Strikeforce, Fedor Emelianenko received one and a half million.
At the same time, a contract with the UFC with top fighters implies a lot of conditions that allow you to earn much more than officially announced fees. Earlier it was said that the same Conor McGregor earned about $ 5 million for the fight against Jose Aldo.

Alexey Zhernakov:

- The UFC has a very practical fee policy. If an athlete makes a lot of money, it means that he is making a lot of money for the organization through paid streaming sales, high ratings on the FOX channel and tickets to tournaments with his participation.

Now some media outlets say that Conor McGregor was the first to make a million dollars as an MMA fighter. This is not true. Other fighters (such as Anderson Silva, Georges Saint-Pierre, Ronda Rousey, John Jones, Kane Velasquez, Brock Lesnar, etc.) received and receive serious sums.

Text: Vadim Tikhomirov

Photo: globallookpress.com, Andrey Golovanov and Sergey Kivrin

Four hundred dollars. We made it so that some people began to fight with us, others wanted to fight with us and everyone around us started talking about us. It cost us four hundred dollars, - pride sounds in Greg Apinyan's voice.

Apinyan is a 29-year-old resident of St. Petersburg and organizer of championships in mixed martial arts"Arrow". Everyone in St. Petersburg knows what an arrow is. There is the Spit of Vasilievsky Island. You can also "score an arrow", that is, call your opponent into a serious conversation. And now the championship is over.

The name is excellent, says Apinyan. - My brother came up with it.

Over the two years of its existence, its fighting tournaments have gone from a get-together worth $ 400 to one of the leading players in the domestic mixed martial arts market (MMA - from English Mixed Martial Arts). Eight million views of Strelka videos on YouTube, victory in the World Press Photo competition in the nomination for Best sports history”, Which in 2011 went to the organizers of the championship for filming their tournaments, battles on the football pitch of the Petrovsky stadium, the Zenit home field, a sacred place for St. Petersburg residents - these are just some of the achievements of Apinyan and his company.

The secret of Strelka's success is that ordinary amateurs can take part in it, including those who have never fought at all. And second: Strelka is a street championship. Its participants fight in the open air, on sand, grass or on bare ground.

This is what distinguishes us favorably from traditional tournaments in MMA, says Apinyan. - Their format scares off many viewers: an octagon, people in a cage, blood, everything is scary and gloomy. And our championships are quite another matter. Sand, blue sky, sun. And the most ordinary people who sometimes show such strength of mind that one can only wonder.

At the first Strelka, which took place in the summer of 2011, a 40-year-old mustachioed man entered the battle. Compared to the others, he seemed like a grandfather. The guy's name was Alexander Reze, he was an accountant. In the next ten minutes, the "grandfather" gave a real fight to an opponent half his age and eventually won. According to the regulations, battles on Strelka do not have a time limit: they go on until one of the fighters surrenders or until the referee stops the fight. The record fight in the history of the championship lasted 40 minutes without a break. Everything else is just like in classic MMA. The fighters have pads on their hands, they are allowed to hit and kick and wrestle on the ground.

I worked with the M-1 company, filmed Fedya Emelianenko's battles. Then he brought equipment and T-shirts of fighting firms to Russia, had a shop. At first we thought: we will organize our own tournament in order to sell better T-shirts. But very quickly the fighting pushed the store into the background, says Apinyan.

Information about the first "Strelka" was disseminated in the mixed martial arts sections. Everyone was invited to participate. The place chosen was the St. Petersburg factory "Red Banner" - once it supplied the country with women's stockings, but now it is not going through better times... We signed an agreement with the management of the factory to lease the land in the courtyard for a period of one day. Friends brought twelve bags of sand, poured it on the ground and leveled it. The ship's ropes were pulled along the perimeter - it turned out to be a ring. Participants of city auto and motorcycle clubs were invited as spectators - for free, Strelka began to take money for tickets later. They came and made a beautiful background: expensive cars, roaring motors, girls in short shorts. There was little to do - to shoot everything on camera and post it on the Internet. All this, according to Apinyan, cost those notorious 400 dollars. Moreover, almost half of this amount was promised as a reward to the fighters.

Five people volunteered to fight. And then I said: there are six thousand rubles left, you can divide by three thousand and have two fights. When these fights ended, the people really turned on. A hat was thrown at the audience and another six thousand were raised. Immediately new people appeared who wanted to try themselves in battles.

Over the past two years, under the auspices of Strelka, eleven tournaments in mixed martial arts have been held. She noticed the impudent Petersburgers and took them under her wing American company"Tron", specializing in the organization of MMA tournaments. Apinyan does not disclose the amount for which the Americans bought the right to manage the fighting tournament in Russia. But, judging by his cheerful voice and Napoleonic plans, the deal was just right. He continues to organize battles, but already as a hired employee of the Americans.

Today Strelka offers franchises to the regions. A person in any city of Russia can use its name, its marketing resources, including a sophisticated website, and host the championship. Two years of using the Strelka brand will cost him three million rubles. No volunteers have been found yet. But they plan to raise the price of the franchise even higher. Because, according to Apinyan, Strelka will continue to develop and become more famous:

There will be no more tournaments in St. Petersburg. We feel confident enough to storm Moscow. And then, if everything goes well, in two or three years we will reach intercontinental development.

Today, 838 people are queuing up to take part in Strelka's battles. This is enough for seven to eight tournaments. Fighters in the championship still don't earn big money, royalties for a victory rarely exceed three to four thousand rubles. However, this does not in the least bother men who want to try their hand at fights without rules. They come from different backgrounds, with different fighting qualifications. Once even the prisoner called from the prison. He said: "I will go out in four months, I want to fight."

Ali Baba and the robbers

Every week in Russia there are at least a dozen championships in mixed martial arts, in which amateurs can participate. Information about them is disseminated in in social networks and forums on martial arts websites such as koicombat.org or mixfight.ru. The geography of these tournaments is extremely wide. This could be the Serednikovo estate near Moscow, the former estate of the Lermontov-Stolypin, where in 2011 they held competitions in the toughest version of the T-1 battles. Or city sport complexes as it was in Makhachkala, Barnaul, Birobidzhan, Voronezh, Krasnodar and almost any other city in Russia with a population of fifty thousand people.

It is not uncommon for the fighters to be brought to restaurants and nightclubs, and then visitors enjoy the duels in the snobbish manner of the "Great Gatsby" - sitting at tables with drinks and food. This was the case, for example, in Kolomna, near Moscow.

Taken together, this means that an impressive number of men, for whom fighting is not a profession, finish their work on Friday, say goodbye to colleagues until Monday and go with their fists to earn extra money. Or, if money is not offered, prove to yourself and the world everything that men usually prove.

Alexander Anisimov is a 30-year-old employee of a road construction company in Vladimir. For his debut in mixed martial arts, he chose the version that one authoritative sports publication called "cannibalistic" - T-1. The letter “T” means “total”.

According to the T-1 rules, opponents play in shoes with hard soles. It is allowed to strike with the head, to finish off the opponent with his feet, if he does not surrender. The organizers wanted the participants to fight with their bare hands, without gloves, but the fighters themselves were already opposed. “Not everyone was ready to overcome the psychological barrier, to fight with a bare fist,” says Herman Lvov, president of the T-1 league and popularizer of absolute fights. So in the end the fighters were allowed to wrestle with mixfight rubbers.

One of the participants in the weight category, Alexander Anisimov, dropped out of the tournament, having first received a blow with his forehead on the nose (the nose broke), and then, already lying on the floor, kicked to the head. Alexander was more fortunate. He reached the final and only there, falling for a painful grip, lost.

At different times I was engaged in hand-to-hand combat and wrestling, '' he says. - And then I became interested in weightlifting.

When asked what made him leave his wife and one and a half-year-old son in Vladimir and go to a foreign land to fight, he says: "It became interesting." However, he immediately adds: "The interest was satisfied." And, at least in the near future, there will be no more battles in his life.

Interest is what attracts many to the amateur mixfight. However, participation in fights can also be a way of earning money. According to the Russian Pankration Federation (this organization seeks to give mixed martial arts Olympic status), the fee for the first place in non-professional tournaments varies across the country in the range from 30 to 50 thousand rubles. The participants themselves name more modest amounts - 10–20 thousand.

The prize fund is collected from sponsorship money or contributions from the participants themselves. Athletes who fight regularly go to two or three tournaments a month. If you win at least one of them, and take second place in the other (for which they often give half the amount), minus travel expenses, you will get a "salary" of about a thousand dollars. This is a lot for the province. And if you win more often, then you can earn more. But there are no such obvious stars in amateur MMA: the winners rotate constantly.

The man whose nose was broken on the T-1 is called Ali Baba. His real name is Vyacheslav Yurovskikh, he is 40 years old. Having no fixed place of residence and sometimes spending the night at Moscow train stations, Ali Baba wanders from one Mixfight tournament to another. He looks for information about them on the Internet: he carries a laptop with him, maintains a page on the site mmablog.ru and often sits on social networks.

Ali Baba is thin, wears a beard, and a broken nose betrays a person in him who has suffered hard in life. A couple of months ago, they wrote about him in a sports magazine. He gained a reputation among journalists as a difficult person: he refused to give interviews to many, including, in his own words, “many television men” and “some filmmakers”.

For some time we have been texting on VKontakte. Ali Baba writes from N-ck, his hometown where I went to visit my parents. He hides the real name of N-sk and calls it “Zasransk”: “This is a black hole. Solid Groundhog Day. "

In the 90s, he studied at the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University. There he also began to practice sambo in the university section. And when life threw him, a provincial, to the sidelines - without constant work, without money - it was the struggle that became his main occupation. In the mixfight, Ali Baba looks like a bearded spider. He rolls up to the opponent, knits, seeks to take on the throw. "Fights are not a fountain" - this is how he himself speaks of his fights.

VKontakte is one of the few ways to contact Ali Baba. “I threw away the phone last November. There is no Skype either, ”he writes. He says he doesn't give interviews because he wants to be himself. He has no sponsors. And in Moscow he is still homeless: "For complete happiness, there is not enough of his own corner, at least a room." I could write a book about myself, there were suggestions, but I won't. In the near future - tournaments in Rostov-on-Don and Belgorod: "This year I fought almost every weekend."

Very soon the character of Ali Baba makes itself felt. Having learned that he would not be the only hero of the article, he curtailed the correspondence. The heroes will be “enough without me,” says his last message.

Vyacheslav Kashuba, a 25-year-old native of the Leningrad Region, is the complete opposite of Ali Baba. He willingly answers questions, and he is not embarrassed that they are going to write not only about him.

"Mom told me: intellectuals shouldn't fight!" - Three years ago, Kashuba, an engineer specializing in navigation, went on voyages. Sailed to America, Canada, Europe. Then I found out that very close, in St. Petersburg, they were holding strange battles on the sand - Strelka, and sent an application for participation. “The first letter was not answered. On the second call they called back, and so my adventure began. "

Today he is known in the world of amateur mixfight as Sailor. Although the sea is long gone: Vyacheslav flaunts a daring mohawk on his head, trains every day and dreams of doing professional career in mixed fights. He has four fights at Strelka (three wins, one defeat) and experience in other tournaments. So far, he says, the mixfight is not profitable. But before his eyes is the glory of the UFC tournaments, the main promotion company in MMA.

All of today's mixfight stars are in the ranks of the UFC: black giants John Jones and Anderson Silva, curly fighter with African-Korean roots Benson Henderson, light and hard as steel, Chail Sonnen. All of them receive five-figure royalties and live the lives of real stars. They have airs on cable channels, their own fan sites, they are recognized in any city in the world. But in order to reach these heights, you need to give all of yourself, all your time. Is he ready for this? Vyacheslav Kashuba is not sure about that. While he did the main thing: he overcame himself, went out to fight against rivals who were both more experienced and larger. What was the hardest part? He recalls street battles in St. Petersburg: "The most difficult thing was to scoop out the sand from the whole body!"

Underground

Illegal fights is a topic that somehow pops up as soon as it comes to mixfight. On the request "underground fights in Moscow" the Internet gives out links to a series of journalistic reports. All of them are written extremely harshly, replete with details and, most likely, do not contain even a word of truth.

“In the twilight of a nightclub, guys with fists like sledgehammers gather. Losers often leave the arena on a stretcher, ”writes one author. Another paints the atmosphere even more ominous: “The Moscow police began to discover the corpses of young people. The apparently violent signs of death indicated that the boys had been killed in a fight. But where, how and who - remained a mystery<…>And after a while the terrible truth was revealed<…>Underground battles were held in Moscow. Real battles to the death. "

In the database of the Investigative Committee, the only mention of the victims of the fights is dated 2008. And even then it is not about underground battles, but about a completely official championship. A 16-year-old participant in a karate tournament in Kemerovo died of cardiovascular failure after being hit in the chest. The blow was within the limits of the rules, no violations were found in the actions of the doctors. In the absence of corpus delicti, they did not initiate a criminal case.

The existence of bloody clandestine battles is also denied in the capital's police department of the Arbat District. In the late 90s, it was about this area that there were legends: supposedly the most terrible tournaments took place in gambling establishments on the Arbat. “If it ever happened, it’s long gone,” says a branch employee who asked not to be named. "Today we have no data on unofficial fighting tournaments."

Vladimir Klenshev, President of the Russian Pankration Federation, agrees with this assessment:

There is more noise around the so-called street fighting games than real facts. Yes, we have information about such tournaments. But almost always this is an initiative of teenagers who have seen enough films. The case there ends with a couple of broken noses, and the next day the teenagers start doing parkour or whatever they saw on TV. In other words, all this is not serious.

Main male work

The boom around amateur mixfight is alarming official organizations.

All these fights lack the main component of sports - children's sections, systematic, comprehensive work with young people. All that I see is a desire to make money, - Vladimir Klenshev laments. - The organizers of amateur tournaments want to protect themselves from responsibility as much as possible. Up to the point that they force the fighters to sign contracts, where they take all possible risks. Does this sound like the way sport should be?

Klenshev suggests taking an example from Fedor Emelianenko, the legendary MMA fighter. Here everything is correct for him, the president believes: Fedor trains young people and by his own example directs them in the right sports direction.

Tolgat, 21, came to Moscow from Uzbekistan, and unlike the president of the Pankration Federation, amateur fighting tournaments cause only enthusiasm. Six days a week, Tolgat repairs the sidewalk on Leninsky Prospekt as part of a construction team. Then, if strength remains, he goes to the site with horizontal bars in Neskuchny Garden. MMA fighters generally love horizontal bars. It is believed that they allow you to build muscle in moderation: so that they do not interfere with the speed of the hands. Tolgat neatly folds a T-shirt with the logo of the M-1 promotion company and starts practicing his shots.

In his homeland, he studied muay thai, not for long - only a year and a half. But in Moscow, he heard, that's enough to enlist for fights and become a star.

Construction is not my life. This is the second, - sums up Tolgat. - And the main thing is the fight.

One hit. Second. The third. Fiftieth ... When it's time for him to go into the mixfight cage, he wants to be in shape.

Like Tolgat, other men practice their blows. They do it in gyms. In parks. In the entrances, while waiting for the elevator. In their own kitchens, while no one sees. They work as programmers, sales managers, freight forwarders, whatever. But the main thing - and even their relatives may not be aware of this - is not their job. The main thing is the fight.

One hit. Second. Fiftieth…

Ring or arena requirements; use of video screens

1. In accordance with the MMA rules, mixed martial arts competitions or demonstrations may take place in the ring or arena.
2. According to the MMA rules, a ring used for competitions or demonstrations in mixed martial arts must meet the following requirements:
3. The area of ​​the ring bounded by the ropes must be at least 20 feet square and no more than 32 feet square on the inside of the ropes;
1. The floor of the ring must extend beyond the ropes by at least 18 inches on each side. The floor of the ring shall have a flooring of Ensolight foam or other similar closed cell foam. The minimum thickness of a layer of foam is 1 inch. The flooring must extend beyond the ring ropes and the edges of the court. A covering of tarpaulin, sturdy canvas or other suitable material should be taut and secured with cords over it. Do not use pile or crease material.
2. The ring platform must not rise more than 4 feet above the floor and must be equipped with special ladders used by the fighters.
3. The side posts of the ring must be made of metal with a diameter of no more than 3 inches, the height of the posts above the surface of the ring is at least 58 inches. The side racks must be protected with a special covering approved by the Athletic Commission. The side posts of the ring must be at least 18 inches from the ropes of the ring.
4. On each side of the ring, there must be five rows of ropes at least 1 inch in diameter covered with soft material. The distance from the ring surface to the bottom rope is 12 inches.
5. There should be no foreign objects on the surface of the ring.
4. According to the MMA rules, the arena used for competitions or exhibitions in mixed martial arts must meet the following requirements:
1. The arena must be round or have at least six equal sides. The arena must be at least 20 feet wide and not more than 32 feet wide.
2. The floor of the arena must be provided with Ensolight foam or other similar closed cell foam, with a minimum foam thickness of 1 inch. A covering of tarpaulin, sturdy canvas or other suitable material should be stretched tightly over the flooring and secured with cords. Do not use pile or crease material.
3. The arena area must not rise more than 4 feet above floor level and must be equipped with special ladders used by the fighters.
4. Fence posts must be made of metal with a diameter not exceeding 6 inches, and the posts must be 5-7 feet above the arena surface. The guardrail posts must be protected with a special coating approved by the Commission.
5. The arena fencing used must be made of a material that prevents the fighters from falling outside the arena, onto the floor below the arena or onto the audience, in particular a vinyl-covered wire mesh fencing.
6. The metal parts of the arena must be protected by special coverings approved by the Athletic Commission and must not be dangerous to the fighters.
7. The arena must have two entrances.
8. There must be no foreign objects on the fence surrounding the arena where the competition is to be held.
5. The organizer of a mixed martial arts competition or demonstration must equip the venue with at least two video screens to follow events in the ring or arena.

Duration of the fight

The MMA rules stipulate the following duration of fights:

1. "Non-championship" competitions and exhibitions in mixed martial arts last no more than three rounds.
2. Championship (title) mixed martial arts competitions, other mixed martial arts competitions or demonstrations considered by the supervisory authorities as a special event, last no more than five rounds.
3. The duration of a round in a mixed martial arts competition or exhibition shall not exceed 5 minutes. Rest time between rounds in a mixed martial arts competition or exhibition is 1 minute.

(entered into force on 31.08.2001; amendments made on 27.10.2009)

The MMA rules regulate the division of athletes into the following weight categories:

Existing weight categories Athletes competing in mixed martial arts competitions or exhibitions and the weight for each category are listed below:

Flyweight
Flyweight up to 125 lbs.

Bantamweight
Bantamweight 125 to 135 lbs

Feather-weight
Featherweight 135 to 145 lbs

A light weight
Lightweight 145 to 155 lbs

Welterweight
Welterweight 155 to 170 lbs

Average weight
Middleweight 170 to 185 lbs

Light heavyweight
Light Heavyweight 185 to 205 lbs

Heavy weight
Heavyweight 205 to 265 lbs

Heavyweight
Super heavyweight over 265 lbs

Note... In some MMA organizations, weight categories up to 145 pounds and over 265 pounds are not available.

1. After the official weigh-in before the competition, in the event of an overweight, the weight dropped by athletes participating in competitions or exhibitions in mixed martial arts must not exceed 2 pounds.
2. The weight indicated in the previous point must be dropped no later than one hour after the initial weighing.

(entered into force on 31.08.2001; changes were made on 04.12.2007)

Athletes' clothing

Athletes taking part in competitions or demonstrations:

1. Must wear shorts approved by the MMA rules
2. During the competition, competitors must not have shoes or other materials covering their feet on their feet.

(entered into force on 31.08.2001)

Judging methodology

1. In accordance with the MMA rules, each judge of a mixed martial arts competition or exhibition must evaluate the competition or exhibition and determine the winner using the following system:
1. The best fighter of the round gets 10 points, and his opponent gets correspondingly less.
2. If the round was equal, each fighter gets 10 points.
3. Fractional points cannot be awarded.
4. Points for each round are awarded immediately after the end of the round.
2. After the end of the competition or demonstration performances, the commentator takes the cards with the points assigned by the judges from the Athletic Commission table.
3. The decision is made by a majority vote. If the majority is not achieved, a tie is awarded.
4. After the panelist has verified the scores, he or she communicates the decision to the commenter. The commentator communicates the decision to the audience through a speaker system.

(entered into force on 31.08.2001)

MMA rule violation (fouls): deduction of points

1. 1. If an athlete violates the rules against an opponent during a mixed martial arts competition or exhibition, the referee may punish him or her by removing his or her points, whether the violation was intentional or not. Unless otherwise specified, the referee may, on a case-by-case basis, determine the number of points to be awarded, taking into account the severity of the violation and the degree of damage inflicted on the opponent.
2. 2. If the referee decides to deduct a point or points due to a rule violation, he or she must inform the offending person of the penalty imposed.
3. 3. As soon as possible, after breaking the rules, the referee should inform the judges and both athletes of the number of points deducted from the offending account.
4. 4. A point or points deducted for a violation are deducted in the round in which the violation occurred and cannot be deducted in subsequent rounds.

(entered into force on 31.08.2001; changes were made on 03.12.2003)

Breaking the MMA rules: unintentional

1. If a competition or martial arts demonstration is stopped because the rules were inadvertently violated, the referee will determine if the athlete in respect of whom the rules were violated can continue the fight. If, as a result of the violation, the athlete's chances of winning were not seriously jeopardized and if the violation did not include a blow to the head of the athlete in respect of whom the rules were violated, the referee may order the competition or demonstration performances to continue after a recovery pause of no more than 5 minutes. Immediately after the athletes disperse, the referee must inform the Commission representative if the violation was unintentional.
2. If the referee determines that a mixed martial arts competition or exhibition cannot be continued due to injury resulting from an unintentional violation of the MMA rules, the competition or exhibition will be declared invalid if the violation of the rules occurs:
1. During the first two rounds of a competition or exhibition of three or fewer rounds; or
2. During the first three rounds of a competition or exhibition performance lasting more than three rounds.
3. If, due to an unintentional violation of the rules, the athlete cannot continue to participate in competitions or exhibitions after:
1. the completion of the second round of a competition or exhibition of three or fewer rounds; or
2. the completion of the third round of a competition or exhibition performance consisting of more than three rounds, the outcome of the bout is determined by counting points for the completed rounds and the round during which the competition or exhibition performance was stopped by the referee.
4. If subsequently, as a result of a legal blow, the injury sustained as a result of the violation of the rules is aggravated and the referee stops the competition or demonstration performances, the outcome of the fight is determined by counting points for the completed rounds and the round in which the referee stopped the competition or performances.

(entered into force on 31.08.2001; 03.12.2003; 04.12.2007)

Match outcome

According to MMA rules, mixed martial arts competitions can end as follows:

1. Voluntary surrender:
1. Physical surrender (tapping on the floor or the opponent's body).
2. Verbal surrender.
2. Knockout (KO): as a result of a legal blow, the athlete is unconscious and cannot continue the fight.
3. Technical knockout (TKO):
1. The referee stops the bout.
2. The doctor stops the fight.
3. The fighter's seconds (corner) stop the fight.
4. Decision based on scoring, in particular:
1. Unanimous decision.
2. Dissent (split) solution.
3. Majority decision.
4. Draw, in particular:
1. Unanimous draw.
2. Draw by majority decision.
3. Separate draw.
5. Technical solution.
6. Technical draw.
7. Disqualification.
8. Cancellation.
9. Recognition of the battle as invalid.

(entered into force on 31.08.2001; changes were made on 04.12.2007)

Note

Three judges give the round to one of the fighters, assessing in aggregate the effectiveness of their actions in the ring, such as:

1. Hitting
2. Grappling (any wrestling actions and the use of painful and suffocating techniques)
3. Aggression
4. Ring (arena) area control

Prohibited actions

The following list of actions lists those that are considered rule violations when conducting exhibition matches or mixed martial arts competition:

1. Headbutting is prohibited.
2. Any kind of eye attacks are prohibited.
3. It is forbidden to bite the opponent.
4. It is forbidden to hold, pull out or pull the opponent's hair.
5. Any attempts to tear apart the anatomical holes of the opponent with your fingers (for example, an attempt to break the mouth) is prohibited.
6. Any penetration of fingers into anatomical holes, as well as into cuts and wounds of the enemy is prohibited.
7. Any type of attack on the groin area is prohibited.
8. Forbidden painful holds small joints of the opponent, such as fingers or toes.
9. Any blows to the back of the head or spine are prohibited.
10. It is forbidden to strike from top to bottom with the tip of the elbow.
11. Any blows to the throat, as well as trachea seizure are prohibited.
12. Scratching, pinching, twisting of flesh is prohibited.
13. The seizure of the clavicle is prohibited.
14. Kicking to the head of a prone opponent is prohibited (an opponent is considered prone if he touches any third point on the floor).
15. Knee strikes to the head of a lying opponent are prohibited (see the previous point).
16. Trampling of a recumbent opponent (blow with the sole of the foot) is prohibited.
17. Heel strikes to the kidney area are prohibited.
18. It is forbidden to stick the opponent into the canvas upside down or on the neck (see the note to this point at the end of the list).
19. It is forbidden to throw the opponent out of the cage or ring.
20. It is forbidden to grab the opponent's shorts or gloves.
21. Spitting at the enemy is prohibited.
22. Any kind of unsportsmanlike behavior that entails injury to the opponent is prohibited.
23. Gripping and holding the cage or ropes is prohibited.
24. Any kind of insults in the cage or ring are prohibited.
25. It is forbidden to attack the enemy during the break.
26. It is forbidden to attack an opponent with whom the referee is talking or examining.
27. It is forbidden to attack the enemy after the end of the battle.
28. It is forbidden to explicitly disregard the instructions of the referee.
29. It is forbidden to evade the fight, including avoiding contact with the enemy, deliberately or repeatedly spitting out the mouthguard, and feigning injury.
30. Angle intervention prohibited.
31. It is forbidden to throw away the towel during the fight.

(entered into force on 8-31-2001; changes made on 10-27-2009)

Note

At UFC 111, there was an incident when fighter Kurt Pellegrino, who is in the photo below, straightened up sharply and with a downward movement of his body stuck his opponent, Fabricio Camoes, who grabbed his neck, into the canvas. On this occasion, the Athletic Commission explained that the technique performed, according to the rules of MMA, is considered legal, and clarified that situations where a fighter controls the position of the opponent's body, and, bringing him to a vertical position upside down with his feet up, sticks with force his head in the canvas. In the situation in the photo in question, Kurt Pellegrino did not have control over the position of the opponent's body, which means he did not violate the MMA rules , and the opponent, in turn, had the opportunity to avoid hitting the canvas with his head.

• COMPETITIONS
• FIGHTERS
• MIXED FIGHTING

This article is devoted to the safety of mixed martial arts competitions. It outlines the main points related to the organization and participation in mixed martial arts competitions at various levels.

• Organization of safety measures during athletics competitions
• The influence of sambo wrestling on the training of employees of the State Fire Service of the Ministry of Emergencies of Russia

"Mixed Martial arts»(Eng. MMA - Mixed Martial Arts) - a type of contact sports martial arts, in which different percussion and wrestling techniques are used. The MMA fight is conducted both in a standing position and on the ground (parterre). Previously, MMA was called "ultimate fighting", but this term is outdated, since in martial arts there are rules and regulations to ensure the safety of fighters.

The history of the emergence of mixed martial arts

The first "fights without rules" or pankration were carried out in the ancient world, in Ancient Greece on Olympic Games representing a fight where it was possible to apply various blows legs and arms, carry out grabs and throws, do choke techniques.

Figure 1. Pankration

Already at the end of the nineteenth century all over the world it was possible to observe the battles that were carried out between representatives different types martial arts. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Gracie family, known around the world in mixed martial arts, organized mixed style fights called the "Gracie Challenge". Gracie offered anyone who wanted to fight with their fighter, so they proved to everyone that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the champion of all world martial arts.

In the second half of the twentieth century, the mixing of different styles was promoted by the famous actor and fighter Bruce Lee, whom, many years later, the president of the UFC MMA, Dana White, will call "the father of all mixed martial arts."

Bruce Lee has repeatedly stated that the best fighter is the one who combines different styles when conducting combat with the enemy, can freely apply powerful blows hands and feet, possesses the skills of wrestling, and representatives of only one type of martial arts, such as boxing, wrestling, karate and others, will be less dangerous, since they are specialists in only one direction.

In the 70s, Japanese Kanji Inoki conducted mixed martial arts fights in his country. The most difficult opponent for him was the legendary boxer Mohammed Ali. Inoki's fighting interested his friend Satoru Sayame so much that he decided to unite the mixed martial arts fighters into the world's first organization called Shotoo.

Mixed martial arts as we see them now originated in 1993, when the first fights were organized by the UFC. These fights were called "fights without rules", the fighters went into the octagon for a duel without any equipment, protection of arms, legs, head, then there were no time limits and rounds, the fight lasted until the knockout or until the opponent surrendered.

A significant step towards the formation of MMA as an independent sport was made in 2000, when all the basic rules were formulated, which all MMA promotions are guided by today.

The first Russian representative and UFC champion became Oleg Taktarov, nicknamed "Russian Bear".

Today the President of the MMA Union of Russia is multiple champion the world and Russia in mixed martial arts and combat sambo Fedor Emelianenko.

Drawing. 2. Union of MMA of Russia

The tactics of the fight have also undergone significant changes: previously, fighters entered the ring to prove that their style was the best, now fighters are trying to develop all skills at the same time, to be ready to take a fight, both in standing and on the ground.

The place and significance of mixed martial arts in the system of physical education

Mixed martial arts classes improve the impact on the physical, emotional state of an athlete: dexterity, strength develops in him, endurance increases, the body becomes more plastic. According to medical research, mixed martial arts classes improve the state of the circulatory system and respiratory system, include all human muscles in the work, and accelerate the metabolic process in cells. It follows from this that MMA (mixed martial arts) classes are useful for citizens of all age categories, since regular classes will have an effective effect on maintaining a person's health and capacity. Unfortunately, cruelty, violence is the most frequent occurrence today. Almost all schools of mixed martial arts have their own methods of self-defense, by owning them, a person develops self-confidence and self-confidence, increases his self-esteem, and, consequently, creates a favorable situation for mental and emotional comfort of the individual. Mixed martial arts classes not only train the body, but also help to gain control over one's weaknesses, forget about aggression, cultivate strength of mind, and learn to live in harmony with oneself. People leave the hall less angry, leaving their aggression and anger there.

Competition planning

Preparation for holding competitions in mixed martial arts begins in advance of their holding with the preparation of calendar plan competition and competition regulations. The ideal holding of mixed martial arts competitions largely depends on the timely and high-quality preparation of these documents.

The competition schedule is drawn up by the organization responsible for the competition and in accordance with the following features:

1. The gender of the participants, their age group and the qualifications of the athlete.
2. The number of competitions for their entire period.
3. Competitions will be held at the same time as last year.

Preparation for the competition

Preparation for holding mixed martial arts competitions begins long before their start. Not only the organization responsible for their conduct is involved, but also the panel of judges, physical culture activists, the federation of mixed martial arts. For large-scale competitions, an organizing committee is created depending on the size of the competition.

The organizing committee creates a credentials committee and a panel of judges.

At the venue of the competition, it is necessary to provide premises for changing the clothes of the participants, for panel of judges and separately for the doctor of the competition, for the buffets, serving the participants, spectators and judges. Allocate a room for storing clothes (wardrobe), a sufficient number of washbasins and toilets, etc.

A prerequisite is the presence of a doctor at the competition, it is necessary for the medical examination of the participants in the competition and constant monitoring throughout the competition.

Depending on the level of the competition, athletes are tested for the use of prohibited drugs (doping test).

It is also necessary to organize public order and ensure the safety of participants and spectators of the competition.

Logistics of the competition

According to the rules for holding MMA competitions, fights are held in the ring or in an octagonal cage (octagon).

The ring (arena) is equipped with stretched ropes made of soft material. The floor should extend 45 cm beyond the ropes. Gymnastics mats should be placed on the floor with a thickness of at least 3 cm. The platform rises 12 cm above the floor level. On each side of the ring there must be five rows of ropes with a diameter of at least 3 cm, covered with soft material. The distance from the surface of the ring to the lower rope is 36cm. There should be no foreign objects in the ring.

Equipment and protective accessories of fighters:

1. Boxing pants (shorts).
2. Special gloves with open fingers (such half-gloves allow fighters to box and perform various techniques) to protect the fists.
3. Mouthguard to protect teeth.
4. Groin shell (worn under shorts) to protect the groin.
5. Protective shields to protect the shin and foot on impact.

Drawing. 4. Competitions in MMA

Participation in competitions

Competitions are held in sports facilities that meet the requirements of the relevant regulatory legal acts in force in the territory Russian Federation and aimed at ensuring public order and safety of participants and spectators, as well as in the presence of acts of readiness of the sports facility for holding competitions, approved in the prescribed manner.

Participation in the competition is carried out only if there is an agreement (original) on life and health insurance against accidents of the competitor, which is submitted to the credentials committee for each fighter. Insurance can be carried out at the expense of budgetary and extrabudgetary funds, in accordance with the current legislation of the Russian Federation.

Providing an ambulance medical care carried out in accordance with the order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation dated 09.08.2010, No. 613n "On the approval of the procedure for the provision of medical care during physical culture and sports events."

Mandatory doping control for sporting events is carried out in compliance with the requirements of the international standard for testing participants in the competition, defined an international organization, carrying out the fight against doping and recognized by the International Olympic Committee.

Each participant in the competition must have a valid medical admission to a sports dispensary or a one-time medical certificate to participate in competitions, which are the basis for admission to sports competitions.

Bandaging of hands and shins, except for the cases permitted by the tournament organizing committee, is prohibited.

It is forbidden to apply any oils and creams to the body.

Fingernails and toenails should be trimmed short.

Bibliography

1. Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation dated 09.08.2010, No. 613n "On approval of the procedure for the provision of medical care during physical culture and sports events."
2. Full Contact Fighter August 2001 News Archives / Fcfighter.com - FULL CONTACT FIGHTER site.
3. http://tigrismma.ru/cto-takoe-mma/ - site of the mixed martial arts club. Member of the MMA Federation of Moscow.
4. http://www.mixfight.ru - site of mixed martial arts
5. http://unionmma.ru - site of the Russian MMA union.
6. https: //www/sports.ru/tribuna/blogs/m ... is the site of the flagship project of the digital sports publishing house Tribuna Digital.