5 of the biggest MMA misconceptions, explained

4. MMA and pro-wrestling are the same

There is a belief that is usually shared by casual combat sports watchers, which is that MMA is like professional wrestling. The root of this is in the general misunderstanding of what pro-wrestling, in itself, actually is.

Over the years, the likes of Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey have made the jump between the two sports, which has blurred the lines. In addition to that, the mannerisms of a fighter such as Conor McGregor often seem to mimic the promos (monologues or dialogues to advance the storylines) that pro-wrestlers tend to deliver. This all leads to parallels being drawn between the two sports.

For the casual fan, wrestling is fighting... And so is MMA. So, the two are the same, right? Yes and no. There is one glaring difference between the two sports, and that is that pro-wrestling is scripted and pre-determined. Considering that MMA depends on fighters looking to inflict punishment on their opponents to get a win, and it is pretty much anyone's game, this is the biggest factor that sets the two apart and cannot be ignored.

MMA and pro-wrestling are, however, similar in that they are both combat sports. As such, they do share the features that all combat sports share but it could be agreed on that that is as far as the connection between the two goes. So, the commonalities are there but it would be remiss to say the two are the same.