mixed martial arts

noun

: a contact sport that allows a wide range of fighting techniques including striking, kicking, and grappling

Examples of mixed martial arts in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Smashing Machine stars Johnson, 53, as mixed martial arts legend Mark Kerr, with Blunt, 42, as his now-ex-wife Dawn Staples. Jen Juneau, PEOPLE, 5 Oct. 2025 The conversation took a turn when the topic shifted to mixed martial arts. Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025 The film is based on the 2002 documentary of the same name about the life of Mark Kerr, one of the first American stars of mixed martial arts, a grueling sport. Richard Lawson, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025 Safdie’s presentation of these comments foregrounds Mark’s understanding of what’s profound, and profoundly disturbing, about mixed martial arts, and perhaps all martial arts—the channelling and professionalizing of brutality. Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mixed martial arts

Word History

First Known Use

1990, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mixed martial arts was in 1990

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Cite this Entry

“Mixed martial arts.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mixed%20martial%20arts. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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