Mixed Martial Arts is the fastest growing sport in the world. When looking for gift ideas for MMA fans, the best gifts relate to the sport. This may be easy if you share their passion for the sport, but for everyone else here is a list of the top 10 gift ideas to help you mark all occasions whatever your budget.
MMA fans are dedicated to the sport in many ways, following a favorite fighter, dreaming about being a professional, or simply wishing to see their idol at an MMA tournament to soak up the atmosphere there. Whether you are looking for birthday or 5th anniversary gifts, you can find something that shows that you support their passion for the sport. From coaching to computer games, a streaming service subscription, or tickets to a live event your gift will be guaranteed to be well received.
MMA clothing
Every MMA fan will appreciate MMA apparel to show off their interest in the sport. Choose streetwear related to Mixed Martial Arts, boxing, and fitness brands. A classic T-shirt with a picture of their hero, or simply a print of their hero’s name. Choose from Michael Bisping, Georges St Pierre, Jon Jones, Nate Diaz, or whoever they most admire. You could also choose a pair of MMA fight shorts, designed to wick sweat away from the body when Boxing, MMA, or circuit training, but can look good on a summer’s day at the beach.
Coaching experience
For the individual who is looking to move into MMA after becoming proficient in boxing, martial arts, or similar, book a session with a respected MMA coach at a nearby gym. This is the perfect gift for someone looking for confirmation that they are ready to enter into MMA fights in amateur competitions as they will be able to assess abilities and suggest ways to progress. You could also gift classes at a local gym in areas they need to progress in the sport. Choose a gym that offers kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai if there are no MMA-specific classes or training.
Fight club membership
A professional MMA fighter has to be showy and able to self-promote in order to make a living. This is because pay relates to the number of people that watch the fights. Most successful professionals make good use of social media to raise their profiles and to get people to care about them.
To help gain experience in self-promotion, gift an annual subscription to Fight Club or similar. This will give first access to seats at major MMA events as well as a monthly magazine and regular question-and-answer sessions with professionals. There is also a strong online community, access to exclusive videos, and discounts on merchandise.
There are several other good MMA organizations to choose from, including Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Bellator MMA, Absolute Championship Berkut (ACB), Fight Nights Global (FNG), ONE Championship, Rizin Fighting Federation (Rizin FF), Invicta FC, Pancrase, M-1 Global, and Caged Steel.
Streaming service
Gift streaming membership to UFC fight Pass, DAZN, or ESPN+ so they can watch a wide range of combat sports events including live fights from across the globe. There is always something to watch whatever the time of day or night. A subscription will guarantee that they will be able to watch some of the big fights that are not available to watch on regular television channels.
ESPN+ offers not only live events, but The Return of the Ultimate Fighter reality show that brings top UFC prospects together under one roof to compete for a UFC contract. Past seasons featured Conor McGregor, Kamaru Usman, Rose Namajunas, Nate Diaz, and others. There are also original shows including UFC Destined, Dana White’s Contender Series, and UFC Fight Island: Declassified. There is also access to a wide range of other sports.
Live event
Going to a live MMA event is exciting and a whole new experience from other professional sports events. The UFC is not the only event team in the business, but their events are the biggest and offer a truly unique experience. Any MMA fan would greatly appreciate going to a live show, and tickets to a Fan Expo make amazing gifts as they are rare events.
There are live events worldwide, so if you have a place you really want to visit, look out for events around the fan’s birthday or your anniversary. Examples for August 2021 include the ONE Championship: Battleground Ill in Singapore, the PFL Playoffs 3 in Florida, and Invicta FC 44: A New Era in Kansas City. If travel is not possible, look out for online broadcasts that you can subscribe to.
Workout playlist
If your MMA fan likes to work out, create a playlist that will help them remain motivated. Each workout has a rhythm and music that matches this can enhance performance by increasing the intensity of the workout and better concentration. Music can also be a good stress release. Some music suggestions for an MMA workout playlist include “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” by C+C Music Factory ft. Freedom Williams; Roy Jones – Can’t be touched; Disturbed – Indestructible or choose some epic anime soundtracks, traditional soviet army songs or old school pump up rap
Martial arts gear
If your MMA fan wants to train and wants some equipment of their own instead of sharing it with others in the gym, the gift of MMA gear would be well received. Some recommended starter equipment includes hand wraps, gloves, and a gym bag or you could gift more specialist gear such as focus mitts, Thai pads, or head and shin gear. There are also specialist MMA fight shorts and shirts that will make the sport more comfortable than simply wearing streetwear style shorts and T-shirts. You may want to gift training gloves that they can take to events to get signed by fighters.
Nutrition work up
MMA fighters have to be primed to be their best on fight night. This means that what they eat is just as important as training sessions. If your MMA fan is also an amateur fighter, gift a session with a sports nutritionist to look at the best diet plan to reach their goals. A nutritionist can help find the difficult and delicate balance between making sure that food intake is good enough to progress training whilst making sure there is not too much weight gain which could lead to disqualification from a match.
Upgrade desktop computer for MMA viewing
For those who love watching MMA a gift that improves their viewing experience is much appreciated. You may wish to upgrade a desktop computer with a larger screen or a better spec to make the most of HD fight recordings. Other options include noise-canceling headphones so they are not distracted and enable them to communicate with others in online community forums. A new computer chair would be appreciated, with gaming chairs a comfortable option.
Virtual MMA games
For those who love to fight in the virtual world, look for MMA games to play online. If they have not tried it yet, Ultimate MMA is a mixed martial art fighting game where players can fight in the tournament, unlock new moves, create unique fighters and play with friends. eSports Boxing Club is an action-simulation boxing game where players can work their way up to World Champion in Career Mode. It is also possible to play online multiplayer in ranked and unranked matches.
