Armored MMA Presents: Medieval Cage Fighting Championship, Nashville
On November 15, 2025, one of the most exciting and unique combat sports experiences in the world is coming to Nashville, Tennessee, as the Nashville Municipal Auditorium hosts the Medieval Cage Fighting Championship promoted by Armored MMA. It marks the last stage of the brand’s 2025 tour and tickets are on sale now.
A fusion of modern mixed martial arts and medieval fighting techniques, Armored MMA is bringing some of the world’s top fighters to the Music City. Here, we offer a preview for the event, explain more about Armored MMA and how the sport works, explore how to bet on Armored MMA and take a closer look at spectator reactions to the events so far.
Key Event Details
- Promotion: Armored MMA
- Date: November 15, 2025
- Venue: Nashville Municipal Auditorium
- Venue Address: 417 4th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37201
- Doors Open: 6PM
- Start Time: 7PM
- Duration: 4 Hours
- Number of Fights: 10
What is Armored MMA?
Armored MMA, or AMMA for short, ranks among the most engaging and original combat sports promotions around, combining modern mixed martial arts techniques with fighting techniques from the medieval era. Much like with MMA promotions like the UFC, two fighters compete one-on-one in a ring surrounded by a cage.
However, what sets Armored MMA apart is the use of medieval-style armor and steel weapons, including swords, axes and shields. The result is an extremely entertaining and competitive showcase of skill. In a typical fight, you will see a combination of kicks, punches, sword strikes and throws, resulting in spectacular and diverse action.
The armor worn by combatants is reminiscent of a medieval knight, including gauntlets, a helmet and a chest plate. While this offers much-needed protection, it also adds weight to each fighter, making each contest more physically taxing. The weapons are real, but are rounded or blunted, protecting fighters and ensuring the fights are safe.
While audiences can expect flashy entrances and high production values, the combat is completely authentic, with fully trained fighters having competitive bouts, rather than pre-determined or scripted action sequences. In other words, it more closely resembles the UFC with added weapons and armor, rather than pro wrestling or live action role-play.
Fighters typically train in multiple disciplines, which may include judo, boxing, kickboxing or wrestling, along with soft kit sparring, fencing and other sword fighting skills or weapons-based training methods.
What Are the Rules?
Like MMA and boxing, Armored MMA is governed by a set of rules to protect the fighters and determine the winners and losers. Fights can be decided via a points decision, a technical knockout, which occurs when the referee stops the fight, or a knockout. Compared with conventional MMA, knockouts are rare, but spectacular when they do occur.
The weapons are real, but modified for safety, while fighters must wear armor that meets the regulations. There is a mandatory strap to keep the fighters’ helmets on; a rule introduced after Simon Rohrich lost his helmet during a similar contest and suffered a serious skull fracture after being hit with a blunted battle axe.
Fighters are not permitted to use thrusting attacks, due to the high level of danger, even with blunted weapons. Choking is outlawed and if a fighter is knocked to the ground, they have 15 seconds to return to their feet and continue fighting. If they are unable to do so, the referee ends the fight and declares a technical knockout.
Mickey Gallus, one of the co-founders of Armored MMA, usually explains before each show that the weapons are real and the cage is designed to prevent these weapons from flying out of the ring and into the crowd.
Fights are divided into two main types. Both exhibition and professional fights are contested over three rounds, but exhibition rounds last for a minute each, whereas professional fights feature two-minute rounds.
The Rapid Growth of AMMA
Armored MMA was founded by Mickey Gallus and Kelsey Leta, with most early shows based in Nashville.
The brand has experienced a rapid rise in popularity since its inception. The first show under the AMMA banner only took place in 2022. In the summer of 2024, the official Instagram page for AMMA had around 1,000 followers, according to an Esquire report on the organization. Today, that number stands at around 700,000.
In recent years, the shows have earned a positive response and the brand has started to branch out into larger venues and move further afield. In 2025, AMMA has embarked on an arena tour of the United States for the first time.
The show in Nashville on November 15 forms part of the Medieval Cage Fighting Championship USA 2025 Tour, which has featured shows in venues like the Hammond Civic Center in Hammond, Indiana, as well as the Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington, Illinois. To put this into context, both venues have previously staged WWE events.
Although the most obvious comparisons for AMMA are the UFC and other mixed martial arts organizations, the owners of Armored MMA have previously cited a desire to appeal to a broad audience. It is hoped this can eventually include many of those who are put off by some of the more toxic elements of the UFC fanbase.
The Origins of Armored MMA
Armored MMA is a relatively new phenomenon, but its origins can be traced back several decades. Broadly, it can be described as a form of armored medieval combat and this can take several forms. In the 1990s and 2000s, for example, Russia and Ukraine both staged a number of Buhurt events, which were full contact medieval battles.
Over time, these events, which used similar blunted weapons to Armored MMA, included everything from one-on-one fights and tournaments, to five-versus-five battles and even larger scale fights. International rules were also developed, helping to create a standard framework for fighters and promoters alike.
Some of the other key influences for Armored MMA include specific forms of Japanese Kendo and Kempo, which have experimented with strikes, grappling and the use of weapons, all while the fighters wear protective equipment.
In the United States, the medieval combat movement has traditionally been more of a niche hobby, with people getting together voluntarily to engage in full contact fighting with weapons and armor. Some of these events would also include grappling and strikes, setting the foundation for what would eventually become Armored MMA.
In the 2010s, a number of relatively small organizations in the United States began to experiment with the idea of offering medieval combat with mixed martial arts style presentation. Independent clubs also emerged, providing fighters with the opportunity to train, spar and have competitive fights with one another.
The independent clubs and experimental organizations of the 2010s serve as the clearest examples of predecessors to Armored MMA. Yet AMMA took the concept to the next level with action being presented on an arena scale.
Understanding the Vision
The co-founders of Armored MMA saw two major problems with the wider medieval combat movement. Firstly, in most places, participants were required to fight outdoors, in front of either no audience or a very small audience. Secondly, most people participating in medieval combat were not being paid to do so and often had to pay to take part.
Any combat involving the use of real weapons is inherently dangerous, even when the weapons are rounded or blunted. It still involves swinging heavy metal objects at another human being and Mickey Gallus and Kelsey Leta saw an opportunity to turn the discipline into a spectator attraction, which can generate an income and pay the fighters.
Today, the highly-trained fighters who compete for Armored MMA are able to earn money and share their passion for weapons-based combat with a larger audience. So far, most of the feedback from the shows has been very positive too, with audience members highlighting the entertainment factor and level of skill on show.
Turning Armored MMA into a touring brand has helped to further professionalize the company and enhance its reputation. Spectators in the arena or watching at home will notice some of the staples you would expect from boxing, pro wrestling and mixed martial arts events too, including elaborate entrances and sponsors on the ring.
Another key sign of the sport gaining mainstream recognition and acceptance is the emergence of a betting market. For example, Stake.com now allows you to bet on Armored MMA events. Much like with boxing, MMA and other mainstream combat sports, this means you can potentially earn money by choosing the correct winners.
How to Bet on Armored MMA
When you gamble on an Armored MMA event, the most common bet type involves choosing who is going to win a particular bout. As you view the relevant betting page on a platform like Stake.com, you are going to be presented with a list of matches, along with betting odds, which essentially determine how much you will receive if you win.
A fighter with longer odds will result in you winning more money if you successfully back them. However, the bookmakers set the odds based on complex algorithms, which help them to decide the probability of each outcome. Therefore, while long odds will return more money, they also imply a lower chance of success.
Generally, betting on a fighter with shorter odds is more likely to result in a win, but the amount you actually receive from your stake will be lower. The bookmaker will have reasons for setting the odds the way they have and this will usually involve looking at data like past results and the current form for both fighters.
Ultimately, successfully betting on Armored MMA will involve determining who you think is the most likely winner, while also balancing this against the betting odds. If you believe a particular fighter is more likely to win and they also have long odds, this could represent a hugely profitable bet, assuming you are correct.
Finally, it may also be possible to view live betting odds. These are odds that change while the event is actually happening and will usually reflect the action. So, for example, if a fighter starts off as the favorite to win, but clearly loses the first two rounds, you can expect their live odds to be much longer than they were at the start.
Event in Nashville, TN
The event in Nashville, Tennessee on November 15, 2025 brings an end to the 2025 US tour. Doors open at 6PM and the show is scheduled to start at 7PM. The entire event is expected to last for around four hours, although the precise timings on the night may change, depending on the outcomes of the fights and how long each contest lasts.
Attendees can expect a combination of exhibition and professional fights, meaning some fights will be shorter than others. The venue is ADA compliant, so it is accessible for people living with disabilities and the show is open to all ages, although it is recommended for adults and children who are three years old and above.
At the time of writing, tickets are still available, with prices ranging from $39 for balcony seats to $135 for ringside seats that will put you as close to the action as possible.
Closing Thoughts
Armored MMA is a unique fusion of modern day MMA techniques and medieval weapons-based combat. The sight of fighters throwing punches, kicks and strikes with steel weapons is a spectacle to behold and offers a fresh twist on the combat sports genre, while respecting disciplines and fighting traditions that go back hundreds of years.
This year, the brand has branched out to new locations, but the final show of the current US tour takes Armored MMA back to where things began: Nashville, Tennessee. Whether you are attending live or planning to place bets on the fights from the comfort of your own home, it is sure to be an exciting night.
