Combat sports — boxing, wrestling and martial arts — are experiencing huge participation growth.
Additionally, the reach of these disciplines is now extending into broader demographics with adapted sports such as para-taekwondo and adapted judo for individuals with disabilities, according to research presented by the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
Combine this with expanding coverage on traditional and social media platforms, growth in high schools and colleges (including the NCAA’s recent recognition of women’s wrestling as a championship sport) and inclusion in international events such as the Olympics and it’s no surprise that many locales are adding or improving venues to better serve combat sports competitions.
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Combat sports, particularly wrestling, are a big deal here.
“Fort Wayne is at the epicenter of wrestling at all levels across the Great Lakes Region, with strong high school, collegiate and amateur programs around the area providing greater opportunity to showcase the Midwest talent in a dominating sport,” says Emily Hill, marketing manager, Visit Fort Wayne.
She also notes that Indiana Tech has one of the strongest wrestling programs in NAIA, and Fort Wayne has continued to be a strong host for Indiana State Wrestling events in tandem with USA Wrestling national events due to the championship-style arena that the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum provides.
In fact, the Memorial Coliseum boasts more than 1 million square feet of event space with a 13,000-seat arena. Other venues on offer include PSM Fieldhouse, Plassman Athletic Center at Turnstone, the Warrior Athletic Center, Grand Wayne Convention Center and the upcoming North River Fieldhouse and New Haven Fieldhouse.
Fort Wayne hosts six to 10 combat sports events annually.
“Fort Wayne is positioning itself as a premier hub for combat sports by expanding partnerships with national governing bodies, growing youth and amateur competitions and attracting additional regional and national championships across wrestling, boxing, judo, MMA, taekwondo and adaptive combat sports,” says Hill.
Greenville, South Carolina
This city is home to the Greenville Convention Center (GCC), a premier venue for local, regional and national sporting events. The facility offers 280,000 square feet of flexible event space including a 30,000-square-foot column-free ballroom, ideal for combat sports and mat-based competitions.
Previous combat sports events held in the GCC include the ATA Regional Karate Tournament, Cage Fighting Championship (CFC) and The Competitor’s Tour Sports Martial Arts Great Southeast.
Across all three events, Greenville supported a combined 136 jobs and generated more than $125,000 in direct economic impact and nearly $261,000 in total economic impact.
“Greenville Convention Center hosts an average of four combat sports events per year,” says Dee Dee Holden, assistant director of sales, Greenville Convention Center. “The ATA Karate Tournament runs across two days, and the CFC Cage Fighting Championship is a one-night sanctioned event held twice annually.”
Additionally, she notes, “Greenville Convention Center is actively pursuing growth in mat sports, including martial arts, karate and similar disciplines, which align well with the venue’s floor space and configuration capabilities.”
Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Happy Valley is a premier destination for wrestling and combat sports, with world-class venues, championship-caliber events and a passionate sports culture.
The region hosts more than 15 combat sports events annually, ranging from youth competitions to elite collegiate championships.
Facilities include the Bryce Jordan Center, Nittany Valley Sports Centre and C3 Sports Complex. The Bryce Jordan Center has a 48,000-square-foot event floor, six locker rooms, a full-size practice facility and state-of-the-art athletic training amenities.
Nittany Valley Sports Centre offers 79,000 square feet of competition space, while C3 Sports Complex provides 38,000 square feet with locker rooms and concessions.
Happy Valley has hosted the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Wrestling Trials, Big Ten Wrestling Championships, Keystone State Championships and Pennsylvania USA Wrestling State Championships, along with a strong annual calendar of youth and collegiate tournaments.
“In 2025 alone, youth combat sports events drew more than 7,000 participants, attracted 16,000-plus spectators and produced $9.5 million in economic impact,” says Meghan Boyle, event manager, Happy Valley Sports & Entertainment Alliance. “Supported by the national prominence of Penn State Wrestling, Happy Valley continues attracting competitors and fans seeking championship-level competition as a leading wrestling destination nationwide.”
Janesville, Wisconsin
This locale has hosted or scheduled a variety of combat sports competitions including professional boxing, pro and amateur MMA, boys’ and girls’ wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Southern Wisconsin Fight Night: Legends Rise and the Civil War National Duals wrestling tournament were both standout events with strong participation and spectator turnout.
The newest and most flexible venue is the 140,000-square-foot Woodman’s Sports and Convention Center (WSCC), which allows organizers to configure the space to fit the specific needs of each event.
This year, WSCC is slated to host at least five combat sports competitions and there are plans to continue growing that number.
“We would like to become THE place for regional combat sports (MMA, boxing, bare knuckle, wrestling, etc.),” says Tony Ciopollone, director of sports sales & development, Janesville Area CVB.
“While youth events have already seen success, the destination is also eager to attract larger high school and collegiate wrestling tournaments. We’re actively looking to build upon our early momentum in combat sports by attracting larger regional events and expanding partnerships within the industry. Continued growth across multiple disciplines and niches remains a priority.”
Palm Beach, Florida
The Palm Beaches have excellent venues for combat sports events, such as the Palm Beach County Convention Center, South Florida Fairgrounds, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Wellington Sports Academy and the SoFi Center, which offers state-of-the-art technology and is set up for TV production.
“The Wellington Sports Academy has seven indoor basketball courts which allows us to host much larger MMA and similar events,” explains Scott Glinski, director of marketing, Palm Beach County Sports Commission. “By the end of 2026 we will also have a brand new, 66,000-square-foot indoor sports complex on the property at North County District Park in Palm Beach Gardens. These types of indoor facilities will help our destination significantly when it comes to hosting [combat sports] events.”
The locale currently hosts four to six combat sports events annually. Previous competitions include the Sunshine State games, an Olympic-style festival featuring MMA; youth/amateur events such as the AAU Karate-Florida Gold Coast District Championship; the AAU Karate-Florida Kick Off Tournament; the Police Athletic League (PAL) USA boxing tournament; as well as the Florida State Golden Gloves Championship.
“AAU karate has grown significantly while being here in the Palm Beaches, with the latest event having nearly 1,000 competitors,” says Glinski. “The destination hosts many youth tournaments as well as events for older male and female participants. We always look to expand our portfolio of these types of events as well as grow the events that are currently here in the Palm Beaches.”
Revolutionary Valley, Massachusetts
Positioned just outside of Boston, Revolutionary Valley hosts a wide variety of combat sports competitions — about two dozen events annually — including the New England Golden Gloves boxing tournament, established in 1947.
This event has an annual economic impact of approximately $2.4 million, and next year, with the National Golden Gloves added, the amount will increase by about $5 million, averaging $4 million to $6 million in economic impact.
Among the venues on offer are Shriners Auditorium (pro and amateur MMA cards and martial arts competitions), Lowell Memorial Auditorium (WWE and AEW pro wrestling, the New England Golden Gloves tournament and the upcoming National Golden Gloves) and Tsongas Center (WWE AEW, MMA, kickboxing and martial arts).
There are also numerous other venues that can and do accommodate a wide variety of professional, amateur, collegiate and youth competitions.
“Revolutionary Valley demonstrates a strong and scalable combat sports ecosystem, anchored by nationally recognized events like the Golden Gloves,” says Brian Bradbury, executive director, Revolutionary Valley Regional Tourism Council. “The region is well-positioned to attract additional tournaments, fight promotions and sports tourism opportunities with measurable economic return.”
Shores & Islands, Ohio
The Cedar Point Sports Center and Kalahari Resort, both located in Sandusky, are at the center of combat sports action in this area.
The Cedar Point Sports Center is the premier destination for sports, events and entertainment in the Midwest. With more than 145,000 square feet of space, this state-of-the-art facility accommodates 10 basketball hardwood courts or 20 volleyball courts, a championship arena with retractable seating, a 9,500-square-foot entertainment center, onsite café and concessions and meeting and event spaces.
Kalahari Resort offers 215,000 square feet of flexible space, perfect for hosting martial arts events and more.
Among the combat sports events Shores & Islands has hosted are Nuway Wrestling, Ohio Athletic Committee Defense Soap Duals (a K-8 wrestling tournament), OAC Grade School State Duals (a premier youth wrestling event) and FUJI BJJ Northern Ohio Championships (a regional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament with divisions for all ages, weight classes and skill levels).
Going forward, “We’re looking to attract any and all age ranges and ability levels,” says Tiffany Frisch, director of group accounts, Shores & Islands Ohio. “In 2027, we’ll be adding two new events with Firelands Boxing.”
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
Combat sports play an important role in Valley Forge’s broader sports tourism portfolio, which includes more than 100 events across 24 sports annually. The two key venues are the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks and the Valley Forge Casino Resort.
The Expo Center boasts 240,000 square feet of space across five halls, allowing for multiple mats, rings and competition areas to operate simultaneously. Valley Forge Casino Resort provides more than 100,000 square feet of flexible event space, including a 55,000-square-foot event center, ideal for boxing showcases.
The USA Wrestling 14U National Duals and Junior Duals have been hosted at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, bringing more than 1,300 athletes representing state wrestling associations from across the country. Valley Forge has also hosted the ICWL Championship.
In martial arts, previous events have included the USA Taekwondo American Open East and the Philadelphia Pro-Am Sport Martial Arts Championship. Boxing and MMA events, including those aligned with USA Boxing programming, have been staged at the Valley Forge Casino Resort.
“Valley Forge Sports is focused on expanding its role in the combat sports space by introducing a greater variety of events, strengthening partnerships with organizations such as USA Wrestling, USA Taekwondo and USA Boxing, while also welcoming new promoters and event owners,” says Rachel Dailey, associate director of sports, Valley Forge Sports.
Wildwood, New Jersey
Multiple boxing, wrestling and martial arts events are held at the Wildwoods every year, the most recent being the National Youth Wrestling Duals, War at the Jersey Shore National Youth Wrestling Tournament, the NAGA Battle at the Beach Mixed Martial Arts Tournament and the WWE pro wrestling shows.
“These events attract thousands of sports fans to the area, resulting in significant economic benefits to the Wildwoods and the surrounding area,” says John Lynch, director of sales, Greater Wildwoods Tourism & Development Authority.
“Youth sports competitions, which grow in diversity and number year after year, happen year-round at the Wildwoods Convention Center and on the destination’s expansive beaches. Combat sports have attracted more 19,000 spectators with an economic impact of more than $2.2 million.”
The 260,000-square-foot Wildwoods Convention Center can accommodate events with up to 5,000 competitors and has bleacher seating for 4,500 people. The facility hosts numerous sporting events and tournaments annually, ranging from youth wrestling, MMA competitions, professional and amateur Boxing and WWE.
The venue’s prime Boardwalk location is serviced by more than 8,000 hotel/motel rooms and 4,000 vacation rentals.
“The Wildwoods are an award-winning mecca for sporting events, with the Wildwoods Convention Center hosting numerous year-round events, turning the shore town into a hub for sports activity,” says Lynch. “With thousands of accommodations and a fully equipped beachfront convention center, the Wildwoods have proven to be a destination that’s fully committed to and experienced at hosting sporting events. SDM
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