María Perrino-Peña

Department of Physical and Sport Education, Universidad de León, Spain

‘Mixed Martial Arts’ (MMA) is a global sport and an entertainment phenomenon in constant growth (Acevedo & Cheung, 2010), combining features such as sport competition, spectacle, violence, erotism and business (Camilo & Spink, 2018). The success of MMA has raised both interest and concerns among sports authorities, which have moved between including the ‘new’ sport into the official sports system (in certain countries) or even ban it (in others). In Portugal and Spain, MMA is considered an official sport, and it is included as a specific style in the Portuguese and the Spanish Amateur Wrestling Federations. Nevertheless, there are other organizations interested in taking control over MMA development. This study aims to describe the current situation regarding the intention of institutionalization of MMA, from the perspective of members of these sports organizations. Semi-structured interviews were used as main source of information, followed by content analysis of interview transcripts. Results point towards an almost inevitable inclusion of MMA in official sports organizational structures, from the amateur to the professional level. However, not all MMA practitioners and stakeholders agree with this inclusion. In order to deepen on this question, we present a questionnaire to be delivered among MMA practitioners and stakeholders in the near future.

Key words: MMA, sport, institutionalization, interview.