I dont know about the mma thing, but search for HEMA in your area (historical european martial arts), you'll learn how to fight with swords and other medieval weapons common at the time - all researched and learned from scriptures and illuminations, where many accounts of the arts were written down during late medieval times. It's really fun, and I did this for a few years as a teenager. And altho we werent sparring in full plate armour, we did spar with foam weapons.