Mixed martial arts should not be added to the Olympics. MMA would be chewed up and spit out in a watered down version of the sport we know and love. The rule restrictions would be impossible to ignore. Compound that with possible headgear, sponsors not wanting to see blood, and the fact that the best in the world wouldn't be allowed to compete would scare most away.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) would have a field day with the rules of MMA. In a perfect world, MMA should be as close as possible to a no holds barred fight. The Olympics would probably take out knees and kicks to the face while standing or grounded. Next, they would ban elbow strikes of any kind. I wouldn't be surprised if punches to the face of a downed opponent found there way to the ban list. Heel hooks and other leg locks would fall victim to the Olympic rulebook. Then comes the bout duration, which would probably consist of three, three minute rounds.
In Olympic boxing the competitors wear headgear to prevent injury. Anyone who has seen Tae Kwon Do knows the amount of padding that they wear. The Olympic commission would likely mandate MMA fighters to wear headgear, knee pads, and lord knows what else. The most difficult aspect of the Olympic format is participants staying injury free with three to four matches over a two week and a half week time frame.
Olympic scoring in Boxing and Tae Kwon Do give points to effective techniques in cumulative fashion throughout the bout. You can essentially win a fight if you have one big round. If a boxer lands far more punches in the first round he could be up 6-1 in the first, leaving him to coast and stall for the final four rounds and win 8-5.
Another problem would be what fighters would be involved in the event. The UFC holds exclusive contracts over most fighters. The exclusivity restricts fighters from competing in other MMA organizations as well as any other combat art. The MMA amateur circuit is pretty barren and fraught with corruption.
Rather than having the Olympics butcher MMA, why not an MMA World Grand Prix held outside the Olympic banner?
A World Grand Prix could consist of eight countries competing over three events that are spread out over six months. The rule-set would be the unified rules without elbows to the face of a downed opponent in an effort to reduce cuts. You could have weight classes from 135 up to heavyweight and a women's competitor. There would definitely have to be alternates in place.
The biggest challenge would be getting the best fighters in the world. As such, the competition would probably have to be co-promoted by the UFC, Strikeforce, Dream, Sengoku and Bellator. If each promotion would be able to make money from the event, promoters might be fine with the idea.
We could see teams from Brazil, Japan, USA, Canada, Russia, United Kingdom, South Korea, and Australia(New Zealand). Or Team North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Or you could take the top eight fighters from each weight division regardless of country. It is very fun to think about. What country would win it all?
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