It stands for Mixed Martial Arts. It's a full contact sport.
what is MMA?
MMA stands for Mixed Material Arts.
MMA is the product of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
The UFC started in November 1993, and invited the best Martial Artists in ANY Martial Art. You could have Ninjitsu versus Maui Tai boxing, or Sumo versus Kenpo. This all changed when Brazilian Jujitsu entered the tournament. It was designed for one on one fighting and goes very rapidly to grappling on the ground. Once the Gracie family dominated the UFC with their grappling style, people started intermingling different Martial Arts to get the best leg strikes, boxing and elbow strikes, and grappling.
Now many MMA fights will start with a few punches or kicks, but tend to end up in either a "Choke out" or "Lock Out" to finish. If you've ever heard the term "Tap Out" . . That is what the opponent does when they have had enough and quit.