MMA Is NOT a team sport!

I hear from many places around the internet about how MMA is a team sport, and that you'll get nowhere thinking it as an individual sport. That is something I have NEVER understood. Why? Because, when a fighter steps in a ring or a cage, they go in alone. No one in there except their opponent and the referee.


Team sports, like baseball, football, hockey, etc., are called team sports because each player works with their teammates and their success or failure will be awarded to the team as a whole. Those acolades will also stay with the team, even all the members of that particular team are no longer with the team. For example, the Toronto Blue Jays were the 1992/1993 World Series Champions. They are still the 1992/1993 Champions, even though all the members of those winning teams have either retired or moved onto other teams.

On the other hand, despite the existence of training teams in MMA, each fighter competes on their own for their own personal successes or failures. Their records are their own, their titles are their own.

As an example, look at one of the big teams in MMA right now, Team Jackson led by Trainer/Coach Greg Jackson. They have an impressive stable of fighters, including current Welterweight Champ Georges St. Pierre, former Light-Heavyweight Champion and current #1 Contender Rashad Evans, and former Interim Heavyweight Champion Shane Carwin. There is also Diego Sanchez, returning to the team after a couple years exploring other opportunities, Light-Heavyweight rising star Jon Jones, and the TechnoViking Keith Jardine, to name a few.

They are a team. They fight under the Team Jackson banner, they train with each other, and rely on each other to prepare for their fights. They are much like a team in the NFL, but with one notable exception. MMA Fighters do not share records/titles.

For example, Rashad Evans and Keith Jardine go way back, both being The Ultimate Fighter Season 2 alumni (Rashad being the winner of the season), as well as both holding knockout victories over former LHW Champions Forrest Griffin and Chuck Lidell. The similarities end there, though.

Rashad has a nearly unblemished fight record (15-1-1), with his only loss coming at the hands of Lyoto Machida during Evan's first title defense. Rashad went on to coach The Ultimate Fighter Season 10, which featured former EliteXC fighter and internet street brawler Kimbo Slice and the only IFL Heavyweight Champion Roy "Big Country" Nelson (who went on to have one of the highest rated fight of any MMA fight, ever). After the show (and after opposing coach Quentin Jackson finished filming/promoting "The A-Team" movie), Rashad defeated Jackson to earn a second shot at the LHW title against Champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (after a highlight-reel KO of formerly undefeated Lyoto Machida, in a rematch of their previous fight which saw Shogun lose a decision despite the vast majority of fans, and Dana White himself, being sure he won).

Jardine, however has had a less successful, albeit longer, record of 15-8-1, while going 2-6 since his KO of Griffin, and dropping his last 4 fights. Needless to say he was cut after his most recent loss, despite a Fight Of The Night bonus (and unnofficial Bloodbath of the Night award, for Jardine spraying enough blood to hit one of the cameras, and having some land on "Best of Pride FC" host Kendra Perez while she watched from the crowd) earning performance. He's currently slated to fight for the "Shark Fights" promotion in September.

Keith Jardine, despite being a friend and teammate of Rashad Evans, and despite both competing in the 205 pound division (and up till now, both in the UFC), they do not share records. Jardine cannot call himself a former LHW Champion. Nor can he call himself a former HW Champ or the current WW champ, despite being teammates of both.


As you can see, despite having the same coaches, training partners and facilities, Rashad Evans has a much better record than Keith Jardine. What this shows, is that there is an additional component that differentiates them, and that would be the fighters themselves. Rashad is a different fighter than Jardine, they perform differently, have different styles and are able to adapt with different levels of success.


Am I dismissing the importance of having the right team of trainers, coaches and training partners? No, not in any way. Team work is necessary for training, and without it there can be no success.

HOWEVER, training is not the sport. The sport is not Team vs Team (the IFL tried that, and while a novel idea, failed). It is One vs One. If I were to compete, and went to train at Xtreme Couture with Randy, I wouldn't be able to call myself a 5-time UFC Champion, would I?


So, despite teamwork being a major part of training, it is not a part of the actual competition.