What is an exhibition match?

[chamcham]

In Japanese MMA organization, there are sometimes fights under MMA, grappling, and kickboxing rules.
But I've always been confused about exhibition matches.

What exactly is an exhibition match?
What purpose does it serve?

 

[UFCFAN18]

Just makes things easier legally by commissions and such, it's a loophole most of the time really.

 

[SRN]

Watch Fedor vs Aoki and you'll understand.

 

[UFCFAN18]

 

[Asurah]

Usually there's an agreement of no hard strikes and the grappling is typically more of a showmanship type of fashion. DEEP used to do a lot of exhibitions for retirement ceremonies where the retiring fighter would face several opponents in a row in quick matches. I think it might also be a loophole that allows Japanese fighters signed to the UFC to fight outside the promotion (either that or the UFC just allows them to take exhibition fights).

 

[Sakuraba7]

An exhibition bout can either be a half-fake match without real competition, or it can be a real match like those on the TUF show. Ali did some exhibition matches with pro-wrestlers as well (see: Ali vs Kenny Jay, and Ali vs Buddy Wolfe). Its essentially up to the organizers or sanctioning body (the nature of the contest), but its usually announced beforehand.

 

[BisexualMMA]

 

[Kim Jong Un]

High five and spinning shit contest.