Fighting sports have, for many decades, been primarily viewed by male audiences. The introduction of female fighters changed things, and with the addition of the internet, the audiences of fighting sports have grown to include both genders more and more as the years have progressed. That said, sports like Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) are largely male-dominated, but taking the future into account, this might not always be the case for long.
Women are one of the many significant growing audiences that once groups within the MMA industry, estimated to make up 40% of viewership. This is likely helped by the performance of popular female fighter, their athleticism, and strategy.
Additionally, according to a 2025 study by Goknit, at least 52% of Gen Z are interested in sports like MMA from a pool of around 500 people. It’s largely due to the social aspect of viewing these sports with friends, alongside the enthusiastic and tight-knit fan community that draws people in.
Many women don’t watch just for the action; most flock mainly in support of the female fighters and how their simple participation in these events is breaking stereotypes about female participation in contact sports like these.
Additionally its also had an effect on increasing interest in women wanting to learn how to defend themselves with martial arts like MMA and even other styles of fighting. It’s allowed women to be confident enough to try another entertainment field that, for many years, seemed to exclude them.
