File Photo: Marcelo Alonso/Sherdog.com
-- Matteo from Ecuador
Jordan Breen, FightFinder Czar: This is a question that doesn't have a short, tidy answer. So, permit me to go off, here.
MMA is still largely a middle and upper middle class sport. The only major nation producing tons of elite talent which is an exception to the rule is Brazil. The reason for this is that vale tudo and jiu-jitsu have a rich history in the country; there is no novelty effect with MMA as there is in the rest of the world at this point. As a result, academies aren't charging an arm and a leg to train, whether you're from metropolitan Sao Paulo, or the slums of Piaui. This is a crucial point, because it's exactly the sort of reason why boxing, and prizefighting in general, has always been considered a sport of the economically disenfranchised: in the American inner city, any wayward youth can stroll into a boxing gym, and train for pennies if he's dedicated.
This dynamic exists for MMA in Brazil, but not too many other places. Though the Brazilian MMA influence has helped to kick start neighboring MMA scenes -- specifically in Peru and Argentina -- at this point, there's still too much money to be exploited from giddy teens and young adults wanting to be "ultimate fighters" in developed countries which drive up the cost of training considerably.
So, with that middle- and upper-middle class model in mind, you'll want to consider developed European countries. The UK is producing more and more talent all the time. Germany, with a rich fighting tradition and an immigrant population who love prizefighting, will definitely be a big factor in MMA when the conservative political rhetoric and pro-boxing establishment eases up, just as was the case in America in the 90's. Also, be on the look out for France, too: though the political climate for MMA there is still chilly -- there's no ground-and-pound permitted in MMA bouts in France, for instance -- France has a rich tradition in traditional martial arts, kickfighting, wrestling and judo.
Some smaller nations have already proved effective at turning out MMA talent, as well. Poland has a very strong local scene and great MMA fans, despite the fact the UFC doesn’t even have a TV deal in Poland. Sweden and Finland have turned out some good MMA fighters as well, and additionally, have turned out some great international wrestlers despite being comparatively smaller nations without an emphasis on the grappling arts.
Heading east is where the dynamic changes a bit. We're well-acquainted with the enormous amount of wrestlers who get into MMA, and there is no bigger hub for international wrestlers than Russia, former Soviet nations, and the Middle East. These nations dominate the podium at any FILA-sanctioned event, plain and simple.
The problem here is two-fold. One, there is almost no infrastructure for MMA in Russia, let alone former Soviet nations and the Middle East. Though people like to imagine Russia is a serious MMA nation because of Fedor Emelianenko and a small handful of other Russian notables, that’s really not the case.
The second issue, and one that more prominently effects the “-istan” states, is that wrestling is a road to an Olympic gold medal. For many of these athletes, who come from backgrounds ranging from "modest" to "horrifyingly destitute," wrestling their way onto the podium at the Olympics is a way to ensure security for themselves and their families, given the considerable financial kickbacks governments provide for that level of success. Though MMA is now considerably more lucrative than the past, the prospect of goal attainment in MMA for an Azerbaijani wrestler is significantly more difficult given the lack of resources and state-sponsored support.
That's what the future of MMA's globalization looks like, for now: the rich get richer, the poor get poorer, at least until some intrepid MMA entities open up serious gyms from in Kazakhstan, or start poaching athletes from Iran to come train stateside. One can only hope.