In the modern world, sports data plays a key role: whether it’s analytics, betting forecasts, or media platforms. Sports APIs help obtain relevant information instantly, without manual searching and processing. With their help, one can track fight results, athlete statistics, odds, outcome predictions, and much more.
API-sport — is one of the most popular services providing a full range of sports data in convenient formats. It is useful for:
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Developers who create applications and websites with up-to-date sports information.
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Betting platforms for calculating bets and odds.
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Sports media to publish fresh news and analytical reviews.
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Analysts who assess athlete performance and predict fight outcomes.
By using the API, you get a single source of data that saves time and increases the accuracy of analytics.
What is API-sport?
API (Application Programming Interface) is an interface that allows programs to interact with each other. API-sport specializes in providing real-time sports data and archival statistics.
History API-sport started with the idea of making sports accessible to developers and analysts through a convenient and fast interface. Now the platform is popular worldwide, thanks to its stability, data completeness, and ease of integration.
The data provided by API-sport includes:
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Live results: real-time updates for all sports.
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Player and team statistics: points, wins, losses, performance metrics.
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Archival data: historical matches, tournaments, and championships.
The feature of API-sport lies in supporting numerous sports disciplines, high update speeds, and flexibility of data formats (JSON, XML, WebSocket).
API MMA and boxing: statistics and forecasts
For MMA and boxing, API-sport offers:
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Fight and tournament results.
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Odds and outcome predictions.
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Team rosters and athlete profiles.
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Statistics on strikes, knockout wins, submissions.
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Transfers, weight changes, and other key events.
This data helps analysts and betting platforms create accurate predictions and track changes in fighters’ careers.
Supported sports
In addition to MMA and boxing, API-sport covers:
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Football, hockey, basketball, tennis.
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Esports (CS:GO, Dota 2, LoL, etc.).
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Rugby, American football, volleyball, and other disciplines.
This makes the service a universal tool for sports analytics.
Technologies and formats
API-sport supports:
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REST API for standard requests to the server.
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WebSocket for live real-time updates.
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Data formats: JSON and XML, which are convenient for integration into any systems.
How to access the API?
For full functionality with API-sport you need to go through several steps to obtain legal and stable access to the data.
- Registration on the website
First, you need to create an account on the official API-sport platform. Registration takes just a few minutes: you only need to provide your name, email, and create a password. After confirming your email, your account will be activated, and you can proceed to the next step. - Obtaining a personal API key
After registration, the platform issues a unique API key, which is your “passport” for all requests to the service. This key is needed to identify your application or project so that the API can control limits and access to the data. One key can be used for multiple applications, but it is recommended to create separate keys for different projects for convenient usage statistics control. - Choosing a plan
API-sport offers several pricing plans:
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Free — limited access to data, basic statistics, a small number of requests per day. Ideal for testing the API or small projects.
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PRO / Premium — full access to all sports, live results, forecasts, advanced analytics, and historical data. Suitable for large platforms, betting services, and analytical projects.
The plans differ in the number of allowed requests, data update speed, and the volume of historical statistics.
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10. RapidAPI, SportRadar, and other platforms provide access to BetsAPI and Livescore API through their channels. This is convenient for developers who need ready-made integrations and reliable SLAs.
In addition to the official website, access to API-sport is possible through third-party platforms:
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RapidAPI
Allows connecting to API-sport through a single interface, which is convenient for quick testing or integration with other services. RapidAPI simplifies key management and tracking API usage statistics. -
SportRadar
A competitor to API-sport with advanced analytics and a larger volume of data on sports events. More often used by large projects and bookmakers, but the subscription cost is significantly higher.
Third-party providers are convenient for multi-sport projects or when there is a need to test the API without direct registration on the site.
17. Number of requests per minute/hour
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The number of requests depends on the chosen plan. Free plans are limited to hundreds of requests, while paid plans allow thousands and tens of thousands.
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The speed of data updates also depends on the access method:
REST API is the classic way, data is updated with each request.
WebSocket provides instant updates, suitable for live betting and real-time analytics.
Using WebSocket avoids delays and constant polling of the server, which is especially important for dynamic sports like MMA and boxing.
API Integration
Connection examples (Python, JavaScript)
# Python example of a request to API-sport
import requests
url = «https://api-sport.pro/v1/mma/fights»
headers = {«X-API-KEY»: «YOUR_API_KEY»}
response = requests.get(url, headers=headers)
print(response.json())
// JavaScript example of a request to API-sport
fetch(«https://api-sport.pro/v1/mma/fights», {
headers: {«X-API-KEY»: «YOUR_API_KEY»}
})
.then(res => res.json())
.then(data => console.log(data));
Integration into CMS and mobile applications
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WordPress: via plugins or custom widgets.
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Android/iOS: via SDK or direct REST requests to display live data.
Using live data via WebSocket
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Instant update of results.
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No need for constant polling of the server.
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Ideal for betting, forecasts, and analytical dashboards.
Where is it used?
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Betting and odds scanners: calculating chances and outcomes of fights.
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Sports analytics: assessing the performance of fighters and teams.
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Media and fan applications: publishing news and statistics in real time.
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Fantasy Sports and esports: calculations and forecasts for fantasy leagues.
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BI systems and Big Data: analytics of large volumes of sports data.
Advantages and disadvantages
One of the main advantages of API-sport is its wide coverage of sports. The service provides data not only on popular disciplines such as football, hockey, basketball, or tennis, but also on niche areas like MMA, boxing, rugby, and esports. This makes the platform a universal tool for any sports projects, from analytics to media platforms.
Another significant advantage is the high speed and accuracy of updates. Information about matches, fights, and tournaments arrives almost instantly, which is especially important for live betting and forecasts. Users can be confident that the statistics are always up-to-date and reflect the real state of affairs in the arena.
In addition, API-sport is distinguished by its ease of integration. Thanks to support for REST API and WebSocket, developers can easily connect data to their applications, websites, or analytical dashboards. WebSocket provides instant real-time updates, while REST API is suitable for standard requests and working with archived statistics. This combination of technologies makes the platform flexible and convenient for any tasks.
Cons:
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Subscription cost for full access.
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Request limits on free plans.
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Requires technical knowledge for integration into complex systems.
In summary
API-sport is a universal tool for working with MMA and boxing data, helping to obtain statistics, results, and forecasts in real time. It is useful for developers, analysts, media platforms, and betting services. With support for WebSocket and REST API, integration becomes convenient and flexible.
Registration: https://app.api-sport.ru/register.
Our TG channel with updates: https://t.me/apisportru.
FAQ
Is there free access to API-sport?
Yes, there is a limited free plan with basic data and request limits.
What sports are supported?
MMA, boxing, football, hockey, basketball, tennis, esports, and others.
Is the API suitable for betting?
Yes, the API provides odds and forecasts for calculating bets.
How to connect the API to the application?
Through REST requests or WebSocket, using your personal API key.
Can the API be used for predictions?
Yes, athlete statistics and fight results allow for building forecasts.
Are there limits on the number of requests?
Yes, they depend on the selected plan and type of connection.
