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Step 1
Listen carefully to the ring announcer to hear the weight classes and rules specific to the fight. Although there may be some similarities to boxing such as a standing 8 count, there are typically fewer weight classes and longer rounds in mixed martial arts bouts. Some bouts cannot be decided by judges and will continue until someone is knocked out, choked out or submits.
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Step 2
Watch the fighters as the match begins. Like boxing and other fight sports, combatants fall into 2 broad categories: brawlers, those looking to end the fight quickly, and boxers, fighters willing to go the distance to wear down the opponent and try to win on the judges' decision. However, in MMA, there are 2 other broad categories that apply to fighters: strikers, those concentrating on punches and kicks, and grapplers who specialize in wrestling technique.
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Step 3
Judge the strengths, weaknesses and strategies of each fighter as they test each other's defenses early on in the fight. Do not make the mistake of thinking that a grappler cannot be a brawler! MMA fights can be decided by knock-out, submission or the decision of the judges. Grapplers can use submission holds or chokes to achieve the quick victory that a brawler seeks or use a series of holds and locks to neutralize an opponent, and run down the clock.
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Step 4
Analyze the fighters as the match progresses. Is the fight taking place on the ground or in the open ring? Is one fighter's ability to score quick take-downs negated by the other's ability to escape? Is either fighter obviously tiring or injured? All of these factors must be considered when analyzing a mixed martial arts bout.
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Step 5
Look for surprises throughout the match. Very few MMA matches make it through the entire allotted time. Because of the lighter gloves and less hand-wrapping necessary in MMA, strikers cannot punch as hard as when wearing boxing gloves without risking injury to their own hand and wrist, but big blows and knockouts by fist, foot and knee are still extremely common. The fortunes of a fight can completely reverse in a matter of seconds, and the longer rounds of MMA give fighters much less of a chance to recover. All of this adds to the excitement of unpredictability of mixed martial arts.
