Pankration is an ancient Greek martial art that's like the grandfather of modern mixed martial arts. Set up an account today at 1xBet - easy bet online can be made on modern fighting sports too.

Imagine a sport that kicked off around 648 BCE, back when the 33rd Olympiad was a big deal. This wasn't just any sport. 3 of its most important aspects include:

• being a thrilling mixture of boxing and wrestling;
• it was almost an “anything-goes” kind of sports;
• however, some things were still not allowed, like biting or eye-gouging.

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Some crazy aspects about this sport

A crazy thing about this discipline was that there were no weight classes. Also, this was everything about endurance, as these matches had no rounds, no time-outs. You fought till someone gave up, couldn’t go on, or in really rare and grim cases, didn't make it out alive. Right now you can get bet app on 1xbet.pk/mobile and use this to place wagers on the most extraordinary fighters of modern sports too.

It's tough to pin down exact stats for a sport that old, but we know pankration was a big hit in ancient Greece. It became a staple at the Olympic Games, overshadowing other events. The crowd loved it, and it drew everyone from battle-hardened soldiers to the guy next door who just happened to be super athletic. Currently on 1xBet you will be able to get its bet app and start wagering on a wide range of disciplines too, including fighting ones.

Versatile fighters

The fighters were all about versatility. They had a whole arsenal at their disposal, which included punches, kicks, joint locks, chokeholds. Also, they needed to master stand-up fighting and grappling on the ground. The best virtual sports betting is available on 1xBet, and here you will also be able to wager on virtual fighting events too.

One of the legends of pankration is Arrhichion of Phigalia. Imagine this, it's 564 BCE, and Arrhichion is in a chokehold during his final match. In a crazy twist, he breaks his opponent's toe, making him tap out, but sadly, Arrhichion doesn't survive the chokehold. Still, he wins the Olympic crown, even though he's not around to celebrate. This crown can be considered as a posthumous award. The best betting is available on 1xBet, where virtual sports are featured too.

As the Roman Empire rose, pankration started to fade, especially after the Olympic Games got the ax in 393 CE by Emperor Theodosius I. But fortunately, pankration didn't just vanish into thin air. It left its mark, influencing today's MMA. It's a nod to the ancient Greeks' respect for physical and mental strength, and their pursuit of arete, which is their word for excellence or virtue.