Just like the way MMA is celebrated in the US, the same enthusiasm is also seen in Europe. While they might not have elite promotions like UFC, Bellator, One Championship, or PFL, they still have a lot of great promotions with really good fighters.
Eventually, when these fighters make a name for themselves they are snatched by the best MMA promotions in the world.
Here is a list of promotions that you need to watch to catch the most promising rising prospects in the sport.
1. Cage Warriors
Created in 2001, Cage Warriors is one of the oldest promotions in Europe. The promotion is based in London, England.
Perhaps it is most known for being the birthplace of Conor Mcgregor, other stars like Micheal Bisping, Anderson Silva, Dan Hardy, and many more started out from Cage Warriors.
This is one of the few European promotions that set foot on foreign soil, it promotes shows all over Europe, America, and even the Middle East.
CW is one of the biggest and most popular promotions in Europe. A lot of big-name fighters who come out of Europe go through this promotion.
2. Venator FC
Venator FC originated 6 years ago in 2015, it is based in Bologna, Italy. Though this is still in its early stages, it is a popular promotion in Italy and Europe.
Venator FC was the birthplace of Marvin Vettori who now resides in the UFC.
3. KSW
Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki is abbreviated as KSW. The promotion was founded back in 2004 and operates based in Warsaw, Poland.
The promotion is one of the most popular promotions on TV, if you are an international viewer who wants to catch the KSW action, the fights are streamed on YouTube and KSWTV.
For Polish viewers, the promotion is broadcast on local TV channels.
KSW doesn’t put out a lot of events but when they do they are one of the best MMA events to watch. This is one of the promotions with the most number of attendees when it comes to European promotions.
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz started his fighting career at KSW.
4. World Warrior Fighting Championship (WWFC)
World Warrior Fighting Championship is based in Moldova which is in East Europe.
The promotion had a good run in 2021 putting out a lot of events. They have a roster consisting of a lot of veteran European fighters.
5. German MMA Championship
This is one of the oldest MMA promotions in Germany, it has been around since 2010.
GMC is one of the most sought-after MMA promotions in all of Europe, for both fighters and fans alike.
6. Elite MMA Championship
EMC is relatively new to the MMA circuit in Europe but had some really good events. It is based in Dusseldorf Germany.
It has gained a lot of popularity recently, with its last few events, even surpassing the ratings of GMC.
7. Babilon MMA
Babilon MMA is a promotion based in Poland. It has been around since 2017 and orchestrated more than 27 events. It is one of the top-rated promotions in Poland.
8. European Fight Masters
This is another promotion based in Poland. The promotion has been around since 2015 but did not get a lot done in its early stages. As of 2020, the promotion only had 3 events.
With 2 events under its banner in 2021, the promotion shows a promising comeback in the upcoming years.
9. Lyon Fighting Championship
This is one of the premier promotions in France.
France is known for its MMA and has a bunch of quality fighters, including UFC Heavyweight star Cyril Gane. But France does not have many top-tier MMA promotions.
Lyon Fighting Championship has been around since 2013, but it is yet to make a big impact. It has 17 events to date.
10. Superior Challenge
Superior Challenge is a promotion based in Stockholm, Sweden. The promotion has been around since 2008.
During its 13-year run, the promotion has held a total of 23 events. It has been consistent with 2 events almost every year.
