Dive into the World of MMA in Germany – Betting on MMA in Germany
What is Happening in the World of MMA in Germany?
Germany has had a good run when it comes to boxing in the last decade. It has produced different professional boxers like Jürgen Brähmer, Timo Hoffmann, Max Schmeling, and René Monse. However, MMA has not got the recognition boxing has in the country. The first major issue the UFC had when it was trying to penetrate the German market was acceptance. It spent a long time educating the media about the sport.
German MMA Championship
The history of MMA in Germany can be traced to Erich Rahn, the son of a popular Berlin trader. It was the Japanese ambassador who came to visit Rahn’s family when he got into a friendly fight with his sons. He got beat up so badly, which forced him to learn how to fight and defend himself. His quest to defend himself during fights quickly turned into a burning passion for jiu-jitsu. Later, in 1906, he launched the first jiu-jitsu school in Berlin.
The growth of MMA in Germany has been slow, and this can be traced to the fact that the government doesn’t approve of the sport. A glimmer of hope came for MMA in 2009 when the UFC organization announced that it would host the first UFC bout in Germany. The bout was between Rich Franklin and Wanderlei at the Lanxess Arena. Ticket sales for the event were low as the organization sold 12,854 out of the 20,000 available ones.
Just when the UFC organization in Germany thought everything was getting back to normal – it was hit by the news of its ban by the German Television in 2010. The Bavarian state office for news media banned the UFC from broadcasting their major bouts on the German sports television channel — DSF. They believed that UFC events were a violation of general morality and had a negative impact on the youths.
Eventually, the UFC took a four-year break from operating in Germany as a result of the ban. On October 9th, 2014, the court ruled in favour of Zuffa, the company representing UFC in a lawsuit against the Bavarian State Office. The court stated that UFC content can be broadcast across different media houses.
The UFC got back into the German market with its first event hosted at the O2 World in Berlin. This event sold more than 8,000 tickets to people and the good news was that it was viewed by 500,000 people in Germany across different platforms.
Good and Successful German MMA Fighters and Their Place in the World
Despite the setback, Germany has different MMA players doing well for themselves worldwide. Some of them are Dennis Siver, Peter Sobotta, Pascal Krauss, and Nick Hein.
Dennis Siver
He is one of the most prolific UFC fighters on the international stage because of his powerful strikes and aggression in the cage. Dennis is currently ranked 23 out of 45 on the list of “The Best Kickboxers in UFC History.”
Peter Sobotta
Peter is also among the most accomplished UFC fighters from Germany, all thanks to his solid background in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Pascal Krauss
“Panzer” as he is fondly called by many, has an admirable work ethic, which has placed him in the leagues of successful MMA fighters in Germany. What makes him dangerous in the cage is his in-depth understanding of the game and amazing striking skill.
Betting on MMA in Germany
Most sportsbook providers gave up on UFC/MMA betting after the German Television banned the UFC/MMA broadcasts in 2010. By the time the ban was revoked, however, German sportsbook sites have already removed UFC/MMA odds from their sports list. This action was also a result of what the German law says about sports betting – bookmakers should not allow bets on discipline that don’t fall under the sports category.
Generally, sports like basketball and tennis have a long history and are absolutely defined as traditional sports. MMA/UFC, however, are still not fully accepted as sports in Germany, despite its active MMA community for the past 20 years. This peculiar situation leaves the bookmakers at odds with the German law. German MMA/UFC odds do exist though, as can be found on websites such as WettscheinPlus.de – who apart from MMA, offer traditional sports like football, basketball, tennis, and handball.
