The heavyweight era ruled the world. People from all over the world traveled to Las Vegas and other popular cities to see huge, burly men face off in the ring. Now, however, heavyweight champions are a thing of the past. Few consumers are willing to pay top dollar to watch relatively unknown boxers dance against each other for twelve rounds. This is especially true now that the biggest names in boxing are all lightweights or welterweights.

Surprisingly, however, the thirst for live action has only continued to increase. People may not be watching boxing, but they still appreciate a good cage fight. More viewers are coming to respect the unique challenges of fighters participating in a style of mixed martial arts. They know they can see grapplers, boxers, wrestlers and other professionals pitting their skills against each other in a challenge that is as much about strategy and sanity as it is about physical strength.

If you want to participate in this sport, you will find that it is surprisingly easy to get into. The training, however, will be long and hard and guaranteed to rip your body to shreds. This involves full-time, full-body, intense conditioning. You will only have days off to let your muscles recover and prepare for the next vigorous session.

It’s usually best to have experience in some form of wrestling, such as muay thai, judo, jujitsu, or karate. These things involve the intense mental and physical conditioning you’ll need to take on tough competitors. Your new trainer will simply build on what you’ve already learned by teaching you new items and showing you how to fight at different elevations.

To get started, spend some time watching mixed martial arts fights to see if they’re right for you. All fighters invariably take a beating at some point. There is not a single fighter who is guaranteed that he will never meet his match. There are countless talented people out there and they are all thirsty to make it to the top.

You will find that this is much more full contact than boxing. While there are still rules, the ring environment is a bit wilder than most are used to seeing for boxing competitors. Hands, kicks, feet, and headbutts are used to brutally incapacitate opponents. You cannot be afraid to experience pain. In fact, you almost have to like it a bit, even if you just enjoy inflicting it in the gym.

The next and most important step is to find a good trainer. Not only should this person have experience in the ring, but they should also have the connections to help you set up fights when you’re finally ready. This is how you will make a name for yourself and the only way to establish a lucrative career with your fighting skills.

There are countless gyms that currently offer mixed martial arts training. Visiting their websites will allow you to learn more about the conditioning that goes into this fighting style. You can also find out if a gym has trained any champions and the strategies they are likely to use to make them a champion.