How Armored MMA Has Emerged as an Alternative to Mixed Martial Arts

Mixed martial arts has quickly grown into one of the world’s most popular sports and the market leader, the UFC, also ranks as one of the world’s most valuable sports brands. However, there are also a growing number of combat sports alternatives out there, each looking to carve out their own space and attract an audience.

One of the most exciting examples of this is Armored MMA; an upstart promotion that embarked on its first full tour of the United States this year. November 15 marks the brand’s final event of 2025, held at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium. So what does the sport entail and can it continue to grow into a viable challenger brand?

Real Combat, Real Weapons and Real Stakes

The idea behind Armored MMA is simple: what would happen if you combined modern day mixed martial arts with fighting techniques from the Middle Ages? To find out, the fighters don armor like a medieval knight and fight each other in a ring surrounded by a cage, much like you would see at a UFC event. However, the single biggest difference with modern MMA is that they are also equipped with medieval-style weapons: long swords, battle axes and shields.

As a result, a typical fight in Armored MMA will see the combatants strike each other with steel weapons, while also utilizing kicks, punches, throws, takedowns and other techniques and tactics commonly seen in MMA. The cage keeps the action in the ring, while also protecting the spectators if a weapon is knocked out of a fighter’s hands.

Of course, the weapons are blunted to protect the fighters, but the spectacle remains. Viewers will get to see real sword fighting techniques, hear the sounds of steel on steel and see a real athletic contest between highly skilled competitors. To be clear, this is real combat, with real weapons and real stakes. Injuries happen and the fighters go through intense training to become proficient with weapons, their hands, their feet and more.

There are three ways for a fight to end:

• Knockout – Where a fighter is knocked out, much like in boxing or MMA

• TKO – Where a referee stoppage occurs, such as after a knockdown

• Points – Where one fighter out-performs the other over three rounds

As a sports league, Armored MMA is rapidly gaining mainstream support and acceptance. For instance, viewers are now able to access an Armored MMA sportsbook on Stake.com and can place bets on the outcomes of fights. Clips from fights are also increasingly being shared on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Full fights and highlight videos are uploaded to the brand’s YouTube channel and live events are now held in large arenas.

Understanding the Nuances of Armored MMA

Fights in Armored MMA are contested under approved rules, which prohibit certain techniques, including jabbing or thrusting motions with the weapons, as well as choking and other common illegal moves in MMA.

For professional fights, the basic rules are as follows:

• Fights are contested over three rounds

• Each round lasts for two minutes

• Fights can be won by knockout or TKO (referee stoppage)

• If neither occurs, the winner is decided by points, much like boxing or MMA

• When a fighter is knocked down, they have 15 seconds to return to their feet

Most cards are made up of a combination of professional fights and exhibition fights. The main difference here is that the rounds in an exhibition fight only last for one minute. Some exhibitions focus on specific weapon types too, which can help to add a sense of variety to a match card, keeping the bouts exciting and fresh.

Among the most fascinating aspects of Armored MMA fights are the tactics involved. Not only do the fighters have to contend with the rules, which allow for a mix of weapons-based fighting and MMA techniques, they also have to wear armor, swing heavy weapons and manage their stamina and conditioning accordingly. This leads to interesting game plans. Does a fighter come out swinging immediately, or do they plan to fight for the full three rounds?

There are strict rules in place regarding the type of armor that can be worn and the types of weapons that can be used. These are primarily designed to keep fighters safe and prevent serious injuries.

When comparing Armored MMA to conventional MMA, one of the more interesting dynamics is accessibility to newcomers. While MMA can be extremely intimidating for first-time viewers, especially as most fans have built up knowledge over years and even decades, most of the audience for Armored MMA is approaching it with a similarly low level of knowledge and expertise. This can help to make it less daunting to a complete novice.

As a result, someone attending the show in Nashville on November 15 can do so without worrying about whether they understand the sport enough to enjoy it, or whether they will feel lost compared to other fans in attendance.

Exploring the Foundation, History and Growth

Armored MMA was founded by Mickey Gallus and Kelsey Leta, who are both also fighters in the league. The first official event, which is now known as AMMA #000, took place in November 2022 at the Nashville Palace.

Gallus initially learned sword fighting techniques from Nicholas Homa, an American with an extensive history in armored medieval combat. He subsequently set up a backyard training facility for fighters in Nashville, Tennessee. Leta trained with Gallus’ group of fighters and was partially inspired by the first woman to join the group, Megan Themm.

These training sessions, which continued as an outdoor activity throughout the COVID-19 lockdowns, brought likeminded people together to hone their skills and eventually gave rise to what is today known as Armored MMA, or AMMA. The growth of the promotion has been impressive in such a short space of time. Today, it is nearing 700,000 followers on Instagram alone, with thousands more spread across platforms like X, Facebook and TikTok.

The inspiration for Armored MMA and other fighting leagues like it primarily comes from the rise of Buhurt and historical medieval battles, which became popular in countries like Ukraine and Russia in the 1990s.

Similar events have been happening across the United States for years, but these were primarily hobbyist events, attended by people who were paying to share their enjoyment of history, weapons and medieval battles. One of the challenges of establishing AMMA was separating those who were there for fun from those who wanted to seriously train, improve, learn new techniques, become rounded fighters and compete with other people.

A key motivation for starting the league was the ability to provide fighters with a place to test their skills, but also earn money while doing so. This is why the decision was made to move fights into a ring surrounded by a cage, with an audience of paying spectators, much like the biggest combat sports.

One of the biggest challenges for any combat sports league is gaining an audience outside of the immediate location where events are being held. AMMA has already stated to crack this, with live airings of major shows on TrillerTV. These events are available for TrillerTV+ subscribers, along with a back catalog of previous events available on demand.

The 2025 US Tour and Event in Nashville, TN

The upcoming event on Saturday November 15, 2025 is taking place at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium. Fights are expected to start from 7PM and the show is provisionally scheduled to last for around four hours. Those who are unable to attend the show live can keep up with all of the action on TrillerTV.

Attendees and TrillerTV viewers will get to see 10 fights, which will be made up of a combination of exhibition and professional bouts. Some tickets are still available and the event is open to all ages.

The Nashville show marks the final show of Armored MMA’s first major US arena tour, officially named the Medieval Cage Fighting Championship USA 2025 Tour. Over the course of 2025, the traveling roadshow has taken the fighters to a variety of locations, including San Antonio in Texas, Canton in Ohio and Winston-Salem in North Carolina. 

Respect, Honor, Sportsmanship and Positivity

Armored MMA and armored medieval combat in general are highly competitive and, just like at a UFC event, the fighters are out there to win. However, it is also a niche sport, which has historically been seen as a unique hobby. Therefore, unlike with many combat sports, there is also a natural camaraderie among the fighters.

In addition to being highly skilled gladiators, the competitors are also largely enthusiasts. Many are fascinated by medieval weapons or have become experts on topics related to the Middle Ages. They share a lot of interests and there is a lot of mutual respect between combatants. Exhibition fights are also set up, allowing fighters to compete using specific weapons, which may range from swords and shields to halberds and axes.

The live events are marketed as being suitable for all ages and there is an emphasis on avoiding some of the “trash talk” that is sometimes associated with mixed martial arts and especially the UFC. Fighters are encouraged to show respect for their opponents and promote core values like sportsmanship.

What Might the Future Look Like for AMMA?

Armored MMA has experienced a rapid rise, moving from a backyard training facility to full-size arenas, many of which have also hosted major music concerts, professional wrestling events and other combat sports. In the future, it is hoped that it can become a challenger brand to some of the bigger names in combat sports.

At the moment, the majority of fighters for Armored MMA come through Nashville Armored Combat, which is a school operated by Mickey Gallus and Kelsey Leta. Here, they focus on a variety of disciplines, including soft kit sparring to develop weapons technique, judo for MMA and even yoga for fitness and flexibility.

It will be interesting to see how this develops over the next decade and whether new schools emerge, teaching different techniques or focusing on different aspects of medieval combat.

It is also exciting to think about the potential for international expansion, either from AMMA itself, or via the emergence of new medieval combat leagues in other countries. As the popularity of the sport increases, it is also likely that the talent pool will become deeper, which could enhance the level of competition even further.

The betting market for Armored MMA is also taking off, with Stake.com having a presence at AMMA events and offering their customers the chance to bet on fight outcomes. There is a growing interest in Armored MMA betting tips online and this particular avenue may help to attract a larger audience and help spectators to become more invested in results.

Of course, the staying power of Armored MMA is open to question right now and it remains to be seen whether or not the sport can start to produce fighters that more casual audiences become familiar with. There is clearly a novelty element to the show, but it is also an intriguing test of skills and feedback from fans attending shows has been positive.

The Last Word

Armored MMA is a unique offering in the world of combat sports, appealing to conventional fight fans, history buffs, weapons enthusiasts and families or groups of friends looking for a great night out. It has grown in popularity quickly and with the emergence of betting markets, is gradually gaining a level of mainstream recognition too.

The upcoming event in Nashville, Tennessee on November 15 brings down the curtain on a successful 2025 USA tour. It remains to be seen whether Armored MMA can maintain its momentum and eventually become a major competitor to some of the MMA organizations out there, but the combination of techniques on show make it an enthralling watch.