“Modern Boxing-Like Sport” Crossword Clue: Answers Explained

Crossword clues about combat sports usually point to a short list of answers. For "modern boxing-like sport," the right one depends on the number of letters and any crossing letters you already have. Here are the most likely solutions, sorted by length.

Likely answers by letter count

Letters	Answer	Why it fits
3	MMA	Mixed martial arts, the most common short answer for a modern fighting sport
5	SANDA	A modern Chinese full-contact sport combining punches, kicks and throws
6	SAVATE	French kickboxing, a boxing-like sport that uses the feet
8	MUAYTHAI	Thai boxing (two words, entered without the space)
10	KICKBOXING	Boxing with kicks; a very common answer for "boxing-like sport"

If the clue includes "abbr." or the answer is three letters, MMA is almost certainly right. If you have ten squares, KICKBOXING is the usual answer.

Quick guide to each sport

MMA (mixed martial arts)

MMA combines striking and grappling: fighters can punch, kick, use elbows and knees, take opponents down and win by submission. It is the sport of the UFC, the largest organization in the world. Fights take place in a cage or ring over three or five rounds. Read about some of the sport's most infamous moments in biting in combat sports.

Kickboxing

Kickboxing is stand-up fighting with punches and kicks but no takedowns or ground fighting. It developed in the 20th century from karate and Muay Thai influences, with American and Dutch styles among the best known.

Muay Thai

Thailand's national sport is known as "the art of eight limbs" because fighters strike with fists, elbows, knees and shins. Clinch fighting, in which fighters grapple standing up, is a key part of the sport.

Savate

Savate is a French combat sport developed in the 19th century. Fighters wear shoes and use precise kicks along with boxing punches.

Sanda (sanshou)

The competitive full-contact form of Chinese martial arts. Fighters score with punches, kicks and throws on a raised platform.

Tips for solving combat sports clues

• Check for abbreviations – words like "briefly," "for short" or "abbr." in a clue signal a short answer such as MMA, UFC, KO or TKO.
• Count spaces in multi-word answers – crosswords drop spaces and hyphens, so MUAY THAI fills eight squares.
• Think about the era – "modern" in the clue usually points to MMA or kickboxing rather than old-fashioned bare-knuckle boxing or pugilism.
• Use the crossings – a K in the first square strongly suggests KICKBOXING; an M points to MMA or MUAYTHAI.
• Consider the publication – easier puzzles tend to use MMA and KICKBOXING, while harder ones may use SAVATE or SANDA.

A short history of modern combat sports

Boxing under the Marquess of Queensberry Rules, published in 1867, introduced gloves, three-minute rounds and the ten-second count, creating the modern sport. Through the 20th century, other striking sports were organized with their own rules. Kickboxing grew in Japan in the 1960s and in the United States in the 1970s, blending boxing with karate and Muay Thai. Muay Thai, practiced in Thailand for centuries, became a regulated ring sport with gloves and rounds in the 20th century and spread worldwide.

MMA, the newest of these sports, became widely known after the first UFC event in 1993. Early events had very few rules and no weight classes. Over the next decade, athletic commissions introduced the Unified Rules, and MMA grew into one of the most popular combat sports in the world, which is why it is now such a common crossword answer.

Related clues you may see

• "Octagon org." – UFC
• "Cage fighting, briefly" – MMA
• "Sweet science" – BOXING
• "Knockout, for short" – KO
• "Boxing great Muhammad" – ALI
• "Ring decision" – TKO

Boxing vs the boxing-like sports

Sport	Punches	Kicks	Elbows/knees	Ground fighting
Boxing	Yes	No	No	No
Kickboxing	Yes	Yes	Usually no	No
Muay Thai	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
MMA	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

For more on how demanding these sports are, see our ranking of the hardest sports, where boxing comes out on top.