MMA commercial breaks are a lot like a steaming hot shower. They give fans time to ponder on all the little things. Th details that otherwise escape them in their busy day-to-day lives.
One of those little things I’ve been pondering is: Where do the athletes fighting for these promotions come from? Where does the UFC go to find their talent? What about Bellator? Or ONE Championship? Or the PFL?
To answer those questions, I’ve put together several heat-maps to show how mainstream promotions stack up with their fighter-nationality representation. Most of the data is readily available for public access. Bloody Elbow have compiled a comprehensive list of current UFC fighters. Sources for other promotions such as Bellator, PFL and ONE Championship came from the athlete section of their respective promotional websites—cross-checked through secondary sources.
So, let’s see where top MMA promotions are getting their talent...