MMA vs. Kickboxing — Which One is Better

Mixed martial arts (MMA) and Kickboxing are among the most practiced combat sports worldwide. Still, many people who are looking to learn more about the two or potentially enroll in training wonder — which one is better and why?

As a more versatile style, MMA is considered more effective for real-life and self-defense because the concept includes fighting in the standup, on the ground, and inside the clinch, while kickboxing, which is also effective, focuses only on standup striking. On the other side, this makes kickboxing much easier to learn and very popular among people looking to develop proper fighting skills in a reasonable time.

This article aims to compare these two sports and help you decide which one might be a better fit for your interests and goals. We will take a closer look into how these two compare in various aspects such as self-defense, fitness, safety, and other aspects.

What is MMA?

MMA, or Mixed Martial Arts, is a combat sport that is a mix of multiple disciplines such as striking, grappling, and ground fighting. It is considered the most complex and highly effective combat system as it includes only the most practical techniques from different martial arts.

Fighters use a wide array of skills, such as boxing, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, and more. The rules are designed to be in line with the concept of freestyle fighting so there are few limitations when it comes to strikes and grappling attacks which makes it a very exciting and unpredictable sport.

And because they must be proficient in multiple combat disciplines, MMA fighters are often regarded as the most capable combat sports athletes.

The three biggest organizations in the MMA world are:

• Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
• Bellator MMA
• ONE Championship

What is Kickboxing?

Kickboxing is a striking combat sport that originated in the 1950s in Japan as a mix of traditional martial arts techniques, primarily karate, western boxing, and Muay Thai rules. The concept primarily focuses on standup fighting where athletes use a mix of kicking techniques, punches, and in some organizations knee strikes to do damage and win a match. 

The rules favor a high-paced action which makes just about every match packed with action and exciting to watch. It has evolved into various rule sets and styles, including full-contact, semi-contact, and low-kick, each with its own regulations. These styles are also known as the American, K-1, Dutch style, and Japanese style.

The three biggest organizations in the world of kickboxing are:

1. Glory Kickboxing
2. K-1 World Grand Prix
3. ISKA

What is The Difference Between MMA and Kickboxing?

The main difference is related to concept and techniques as MMA is a hybrid mix of striking, grappling, and ground fighting techniques while kickboxing only focuses on striking with kicks, punches, and knees.

This makes these two styles fundamentally different when it comes to learning syllabus, physical demands, strategies and tactics used in a fight, and in the end, overall effectiveness.

MMA teaches a broader range of techniques

Athletes who want to compete in cage fighting must be proficient in at least two conceptually different martial arts to cover all the aspects of the game. On the feet, they must know how to punch, kick, and use elbows and knees at close range.

Apart from learning how to strike with all limbs, they must know how to clinch, wrestle, and fight on the ground using chokes, joint locks, and striking. On top of that, they must be capable of mixing all of these elements together to develop their own signature style. The majority of techniques come from the following 4 martial arts:

• Boxing (punches, footwork, and head movement)
• Muay Thai (kicks, punches, knees and elbows, clinch fighting)
• Wrestling (takedowns, holds, pins)
• Brazilian jiu-jitsu (submissions, escapes, trips and throws)

Kickboxing is quite simple compared to cage fighting as athletes only use kicks, punches, and in some organizations knee strikes. Kicks primarily come from karate while punches originate from western boxing.

Rules of competition

• Match duration: Regular MMA bouts have 3 rounds with each round being 5 minutes long, so 15 minutes of fight time. Championship bouts and main events are set for 5–5 minute rounds and last 25 minutes in total.
• Fighting gear: fighters compete wearing 4 oz open-fingered gloves, shorts, a groin cup, and a mouth guard. 
• Fighting area: fighting usually competes in a steel cage that comes in different shapes and sizes. The most popular is the UFC octagon.
• Illegal techniques: eye-gouging, striking the groin area, throat, back of the head or spine, or grounded opponent. 

Kickboxing

• Match duration: kickboxing matches usually have 3 rounds with each one being 3 minutes long, so 9 minutes of fight time. 
• Fighting gear: full-padded boxing gloves, shorts, groin cup, mouthguard
• Fighting area: athletes compete inside the squared boxing ring.
• Illegal techniques: striking the back of the head, taking the opponent down, grappling, hitting the groin area.

MMA or Kickboxing — Which One is Better for Self-Defense?

MMA is widely regarded as more effective because the concept is designed for freestyle combat and is more in line with the type of fighting you may encounter on the streets. Kickboxing is also a good option and both of these fighting disciplines teach effective techniques and tactics that individuals can use to protect themselves in a self-defense scenario. But MMA is better.

MMA combines striking at all ranges and grappling both on the feet and on the ground, making it quite practical for real-world self-defense scenarios. Training teaches you how to strike using all points of contact, stop or execute takedowns, maneuver into a dominant position on the ground, escape from the bottom, or submit the attacker. Although it doesn’t teach how to handle weapons or deal with multiple attackers, MMA still covers most scenarios you may face in real life.

Kickboxing also teaches battle-proven striking techniques and is, very, very effective primarily because the majority of street fights begin with one person throwing a strike. On top of that, the system emphasizes simple and direct techniques that do not require much time or effort to execute but do a lot of damage. Also, do not underestimate the durability as kickboxers condition their bodies to receive hard shots and are usually more durable than fighters from other martial arts, which is also very important for self-defense.

In the end, the “better” choice depends on your specific self-defense goals and how much time you’re willing to invest in training. For a more well-rounded self-defense skill set, MMA may be preferred. If you want effective striking skills in a shorter time span, kickboxing could be a good choice.

MMA vs. Kickboxing — Who Would Win in a Fight?

MMA fighters have all-around skills and with that, better chances of beating a one-dimensional kickboxer in a street fight without the rules. Of course, there are scenarios in which a high-level striker can destroy an MMA fighter by landing vicious kicks and punches. But in general, cage fighters will win most of the time simply because they have a broader range of techniques and skills at their disposal, with the most important ones being wrestling and BJJ.

On the feet, especially in the open space such as a parking lot, kickboxers have the advantage. However, bear in mind that MMA fighters also learn the same techniques and are more than capable of blocking punches and checking kicks, and more importantly, countering these attacks by putting their wrestling skills to work. And these grappling attacks will make a lot of difference in this fight.

No matter how good they are on their feet, kickboxers do not know how to grapple. Once an MMA fighter manages to close the distance and secure a strong grip, each striker hits the ground in a matter of seconds simply because grappling is all about weight distribution, balance, leverage, and technique and you can’t use sheer force and physicality to defend. You must know exact procedures and that requires years of practice.

Things get even worse when the fight hits the ground where MMA fighters know how to maneuver in the dominant position from which they can apply dozens of different finishing moves such as joint locks and chokeholds.

MMA or Kickboxing — Which One is Better for Fitness?

Strength and conditioning play a key role both in MMA and kickboxing as improving these areas directly impacts skill development and overall performance and success in competition.

All the skills mean nothing if you can’t last long in a fight or do not have enough strength so both of these disciplines put a lot of emphasis on intense fitness workouts even the regular people can benefit from.

MMA is probably the most intense of them all as grappling and striking for 15 or 25 minutes requires a lot of strength and cardio. As a result, practitioners do a lot of grueling aerobic and anaerobic workouts that push their minds and bodies over the limits all the time. This includes explosive sprints, weight lifting, HIIT workouts, long-distance running, and many, many other exercises. Students burn around 300 calories during the light session or up to 1200 when they are doing cardio workouts.

Kickboxing is equally intense because the rules favor high-pace action so each fighter needs to have top conditioning to be able to perform. Each training session is a full-body workout that will evenly improve every single muscle group in your body. A typical kickboxing session can burn around 500–750 calories per hour, depending on the intensity and effort.

In modern times, most kickboxing gyms also have a “fitness” group where regular people can adapt kickboxing training to their fitness goals. Although not too practical in terms of self-defense skills, this variation of training is very good for losing weight, strengthening muscles, and improving physical and mental health. 

Both disciplines offer exceptional fitness benefits, but the choice depends on individual preferences and goals. Whether one prefers the versatile conditioning of MMA or the striking emphasis of kickboxing, both sports are effective at burning calories, improving fitness, and promoting a healthy lifestyle.

MMA or Kickboxing — Which One is More Dangerous?

Safety is the biggest concern in both MMA and kickboxing, as these combat sports involve intense physical contact and the risk of injuries is high. As a result, understanding the safety measures and injury risks associated with each discipline is crucial.

In general, MMA has a reputation for being riskier in terms of the diversity of techniques involved. MMA fighters engage in a combination of striking and grappling, which can lead to a broader range of potential injuries, including joint injuries and submissions that can put pressure on various body parts.

According to stats, MMA has the highest rate of injuries out of all sports. However, bear in mind that a large portion of these are minor injuries such as lacerations, sprains, and bruises caused by grappling, clinching, and intense pulling on the joints. This is mainly because fighters spend a lot of time grappling rather than striking. Of course, there is also the possibility of head trauma and concussions due to strikes and ground-and-pound techniques.

The most common injuries are:

• Head/face (77.8%) — cuts, facial abrasions, bruises, concussions
• Wrist and hands (19.5%) — joint dislocations, sprains, torn ligaments and muscles
• Knee injuries (15.6%) — torn ACL and PCL, meniscus tear, dislocations

Kickboxing, on the other hand, primarily focuses on full-contact explosive striking, which can result in injuries such as contusions, fractures, and head trauma. While the injury risk in kickboxing is certainly present, it may be more concentrated on the impact of strikes which makes it potentially more dangerous than MMA. Kickboxers absorb more damaging shots to the head and body over the course of their careers. According to studies, the rate of injuries is around 25.6 per 1000 fight participants, which is quite high.

MMA or Kickboxing — Which is Harder To Learn?

As a more versatile and complex sport, MMA is physically and mentally more demanding, and it also takes more time. Kickboxing is not a walk in the park either, however, it is conceptually simpler which makes it easier to learn.

Cage fighters must develop all-around skills and learn how to fight in all elements: ground, on the feet, and inside the clinch. To achieve this, each athlete must train in at least 2 separate combat systems to develop striking and grappling skills and they usually combine BJJ and Muay Thai or Wrestling and Boxing. Each week of training is a mix of wrestling, ground fighting, standup striking, and of course, intense strength and conditioning workouts, and not many people can sustain such a workload and stay consistent and healthy.

As far as striking is concerned, they learn very much the same kicking and punching techniques as kickboxers. But what makes MMA so complex is the grappling segment which requires many years of practice. So overall, a person with average fitness and talent needs around 5 years of consistent training to develop skills to compete in pro matches.

Kickboxing is different because the emphasis is on 5 different punching techniques, a few kicks, and learning how to mix it all together with footwork and head movement. Each person, regardless if they are talented or not, can master all the basics in around 6 months, and become an amateur after around 1.5 years of training.

Which One is Better For You?

Which one is better for you between these two disciplines is subjective and based on personal preferences, goals, and circumstances. What may be “better” for one person might not hold the same value for another.

When choosing between MMA and kickboxing, several factors should be considered:

Goals and Interests

Determine your primary objectives. If you want to develop an all-around skill set and mix grappling and striking, then MMA might be your choice. If you’re more inclined toward striking techniques, kickboxing might suit you better and is easier to learn.

Fitness and Conditioning

Both sports offer excellent physical training, but MMA provides more comprehensive conditioning because it is multidimensional and conceptually more versatile.

Time Commitment

Consider the time you can dedicate to training. Kickboxing typically requires less time to become proficient in striking, while MMA requires a more extensive time investment for mastering various techniques.

Injury Tolerance: be realistic when it comes to injuries and workload. MMA poses a broader range of potential injuries due to its versatility, whereas kickboxing carries risks primarily related to striking.

MMA Cons:

• Versatility in combat techniques.
• Preparation for various self-defense scenarios.
• High-intensity fitness and conditioning.

MMA Disadvantages:

• Greater risk of joint injuries and submissions.
• More complex skill set takes much more time to learn.

Kickboxing Advantages:

• Simplicity and practicality in striking techniques.
• Effective for self-defense in stand-up scenarios.
• Faster skill acquisition.

Kickboxing Disadvantages:

• Limited ground combat skills.
• May not offer as well-rounded conditioning as MMA.