Warm Up
Discuss these questions with your partner before you start the lesson.
Question 1
What does a fighter wear?
Question 2
Where do MMA fighters fight?
Question 3
Are MMA gloves big or small?
Vocabulary
9 key words for this lesson
CAGE
The metal fence around the fighting area. MMA fights happen inside it.
The two fighters walked into the cage.
CANVAS
The floor inside the cage at a fight. It is covered with strong cloth.
The fighter fell down on the canvas.
MAT
A soft floor in the gym. Fighters train on it.
We train on the mats every day.
GLOVES
Small, soft gloves for MMA fighters. You can see the fingers.
She put on her gloves before the fight.
SHORTS
Special light shorts that fighters wear in a fight.
His shorts have his country flag on them.
MOUTHGUARD
A plastic thing you put in your mouth. It keeps your teeth safe.
The fighter put in his mouthguard before the round started.
HAND WRAPS
Long pieces of cloth that you put around your hands before you put on gloves.
She always wraps her hands before she puts on her gloves.
BELT
The big prize for the best fighter.
He won the fight and held up the belt.
STOOL
A small chair. The fighter sits on it between rounds.
The fighter sat on the stool while his coach spoke to him.
Phrases
4 phrases and their meanings
STEP INTO THE CAGE
Go into the cage to fight.
She stepped into the cage for the first time and felt nervous.
PUT ON YOUR GLOVES
Put your gloves on your hands. Get ready to train or fight.
Put on your gloves. We start training in five minutes.
WRAP YOUR HANDS
Put hand wraps on before training or fighting.
Always wrap your hands before you put on your gloves.
HOLD THE BELT
Be the champion. Have the belt.
She holds the belt. She is the best in the world.
Videos
Watch these terms used in context
Dialogue
Read the dialogue and hover the blue words for definitions
Mia
CarlosCarlos, I am new here. What do I need to start training?
You need gloves, hand wraps, and a mouthguard.
What are hand wraps for?
You wrap your hands before you put on your gloves. They protect your wrists.
And what about shorts? Can I wear any shorts?
For training, yes. But for a real fight you wear special MMA shorts. They help you move and kick.
Is that the fighting area over there? The one with the fence?
Yes, that is the cage. The floor inside is the canvas.
I want to step into the cage one day.
Then let's start training on the mats. First, wrap your hands.
Exercises
Complete all three exercises to see your final score
Matching
Click a word, then click its correct definition.
Click a word on the left, then its definition on the right.
Words
Definitions
Fill in the Blank
Drag the correct words from the word bank to complete each sentence.
Sentence 1
The fighter walked into the— — —and the crowd cheered.
Sentence 2
She put on her— — —to protect her hands during the fight.
Sentence 3
Always— — —your hands before you put on gloves.
Sentence 4
He sat on the— — —between rounds and his coach talked to him.
Sentence 5
The champion raised the— — —above his head.
Sentence 6
He fell down on the— — —and the referee stopped the fight.
Sentence 7
In the gym, we train on soft— — —.
Tip: Think about the meaning of each word and what makes sense in the sentence.
Multiple Choice
Choose the best answer for each question about the dialogue.
1.What is the cage?
2.What do hand wraps do?
3.Where is the canvas?
4.Where do fighters train every day?
5.What does a fighter sit on between rounds?
6.What does "hold the belt" mean?