The Sport Combat sports are discipline-based athletics focused on striking or grappling, including Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Boxing, Wrestling, and Muay Thai. These sports challenge an athlete’s physical resilience, strategic thinking, and emotional control. In 2026, the category is defined by a massive expansion in amateur recognition, with the IMMAF and World Boxing establishing clear, safe, and professionalized pathways for youth competitors on a global scale.

How We Can Help TheGlobalSportsMarket.com prioritizes a “Character First” approach to combat athletics. We help parents find certified gyms that emphasize mental toughness and age-appropriate safety protocols over raw aggression. Our platform provides technical benchmarks for selecting protective gear—from Shock Doctor mouthguards to Winning or Cleto Reyes sparring gloves—ensuring that young athletes are equipped with the highest standard of protection while they build their skills.

Governing Organizations

• IMMAF (International Mixed Martial Arts Federation): https://immaf.org
• World Boxing (International Boxing Federation): https://worldboxing.org
• USA Boxing: https://www.usaboxing.org
• United World Wrestling (UWW): https://uww.org
• ONE Championship: https://www.onefc.com

Equipment Needed Essential protection for youth athletes includes custom-molded mouthguards, high-impact groin protectors, and discipline-specific headgear. Athletes require specialized gloves (ranging from 4oz open-palm grappling gloves to 16oz high-density sparring gloves), hand wraps, and reinforced shin guards. Footwear varies by discipline, from the high-grip rubber soles of ASICS or Adidas wrestling shoes to the bare-foot tradition of Muay Thai and MMA.

Major Global Events

• Professional: ONE Championship 2026 Event Series, PFL World Championship, UFC 320+.
• Amateur: 2026 IMMAF European Championships (Belgrade), 2026 USA Boxing National Championships (Lafayette), 2026 Senior World Wrestling Championships (Bahrain).

Local Amateur Clubs Finding a safe training environment begins with sanctioned affiliations. We recommend parents use the USA Wrestling “Find a Club” tool (https://www.themat.com/membership/athletes/find-a-club) or the USA Boxing “Registered Clubs” directory (https://www.usaboxing.org). For MMA, look for academies registered with the US Fight League (https://fightleague.org), which specializes in developmental youth Pankration and MMA with strict safety standards. Many local PAL (Police Athletic League) programs also offer free or subsidized boxing and wrestling classes for inner-city youth.