Could Mixed Martial Arts possibly become the next Olympic sport?

Wrestlng is as old as humankind. The creation story of numerous cultures centers on it. The Japanese trace their origin to a wrestling match between Takeminakata no Kami (representing man) vs. Takemikaza no Kami (representing God). In the 32nd chapter of Genesis (Old Testament) Jacob wrestled an angel (he lost). And in the United States, in Plymouth, the founding fathers wrestled braves from the friendly Massasoit tribe, as an early exercise in strong-arm diplomacy.

The first ancient Olympic Games was held in 776 BC. It began with a single event, the stade, a 200-yard foot race. This was the only event for the first 13 Games.

In the 18th Olympiad, in 708 BC, wrestling (pale) was added. In 648 BC mixed martial arts (pankration) was added.

Olympics continued for over 1,000 years, until in 394 AD, when it was banned by the Roman emperor Theodosius I, as part of his campaign to impose Christianity in Rome.

When the Olympics were reborn in Athens in 1896, wrestling again became a focus of the Games.

Karate will be an Olympic sport at the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo, Japan, joining fellow combat sports Boxing, Freestyle Wrestling, Greco-Roman Wrestling, Judo, and Taekwondo.

Now, 2,664 years since mixed martial arts first entered the Olympics, Simon Keegan for England’s The Mirror has exclusively revealed that the governing body for MMA is submitting its application to Sport Accord this month. SportAccord is the umbrella organization for all Olympic and non-Olympic international sports federations, as well as organizers of multi-sports games and sport-related international associations.

“The Olympics are a business and they want to attract those younger viewers for all these big television deals,” said then UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta recently. “Where we’re going with UFC, eventually we will be part of the Olympics.”

While the UFC is synonymous with MMA in the eyes of casual fans, amateur MMA on an international basis is sanctioned by the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF). IMMAF CEO Densign White, a former Olympic Judo player, made the announcement.

“Firstly, I’d like to congratulate the World Karate Federation,” said White. “It is fantastic to see another MMA core sport welcomed into the Olympics. Like judo, Taekwondo, boxing and wrestling, Karate has very much informed the development of MMA and shares many of its values.

“Karate’s acceptance by the IOC also gives us hope as IMMAF submits it’s application to Sport Accord this month for sport recognition, having exceeded all criteria.”

There are a number of criteria that the IMMAF must meet for Olympic inclusion, including official recognition from national governments and Olympic committees. Over half of the 50 member nations of the IMMAF meet this critical criteria.

Los Angeles, Paris, Rome, and Budapest are all in contention to host the 2024 games. The decision will be announced at the 130th International Olympic Committee Session in Lima, Peru in September of 2017. Modern MMA was born in the USA in the 1993. If Los Angeles becomes the host city in 2024, Olympic inclusion would bring the sport full circle.