Controversy of Mixed Martial Arts

Six hundred years before Christ the Greeks introduced a new sport called pankration to the Olympic Games. The word pankration comes from two Greek words, pan, meaning “all” and kratos, meaning “powers.” The sport was a mixture of boxing and wrestling, and it only had two rules: no eye gouging and no biting. The bouts could only end when one of the fighters was either knocked out unconscious or the fighter submitted to the other. The fights would last for hours and often ended with the death of one or even both of the fighters. The sport was a huge success in the Games, and became one of the most popular sports across the Greek Empire.
The matches took place in a very small arena only twelve to fourteen feet across. The small space purposely forced the fighters to constantly engage in close quarters combat. Common techniques in the bout featured punches, kicks, joint locks, knee and elbow strikes, and choke holds. The match always started with the two fighters standing, but almost always ended on the ground, with one fighter killing the other, most of the time by strangulation. The fighters became so famous for what they could accomplish in a ring, that Alexander the Great recruited them to be soldiers in his army because he admired their skills in unarmed combat. Many historians believe this is where the Asian martial arts have their root, since most martial arts trace their history to India at around the time that Alexander invaded the country.

Many years later during the rise of the Roman Empire, pankration would fall by the wayside when other combat sports started to become more popular, such as Greco-Roman wrestling and boxing. The sport would be forgotten for many centuries until it would make a huge comeback on November 12, 1993. The first professional “mixed martial arts” fights of the Ultimate Fighting championship (UFC) would take the world by storm. The UFC advertised their fights as “no holds barred” matches with no weight classes, no safety devices, and hardly any rules. They would pit two men in a cage, no matter what the size difference to see which man was better. The sport has evolved throughout the years adding gloves for safety, time limits on the matches, and many other rules to keep the fighters safe. It has grown into one of the most popular sports on the planet with fans all around the world. It has practically laid its competition such as boxing and professional wrestling to rest, but the climb to popularity has not been an easy one. Even today, as the fastest growing sport in America, it faces many critics who want to see the sport banned and outlawed altogether. It has been deemed dangerous and barbaric. Most critics of the sport do not even consider it a sport, but just a street fight between two caged animals. Is Mixed Martial Arts just a “human cock fight” as described by Senator John McCain between two mindless barbarians determined on beating one another into submission with no rules and no care for the individual?

I can see how some may look down on MMA as a dangerous and barbaric sport when I take in account the history of the sport. The Greeks and even the first few years of the UFC were very barbaric. In the first UFC fight you could witness a 300 pound sumo wrestler take on a 170 pound Brazilian jiu jitsu fighter with only a few rules to keep the fighters from killing each other. But the way the sport has evolved is what makes me disagree with what Senator McCain has to say about the sport. As someone who has trained for the last 6 years in MMA while in the army and has participated in several tournaments throughout the years, I have to say that the sport is actually quite the opposite of what the critics are calling it.

First of all the fights are sanctioned by a governing body of individuals who have agreed on several rules to keep the fights as safe as possible for the fighters. The gloves that the fighters wear soften the blow in contrast from a bare knuckle fist. This keeps the amount of concussions and injury to the fighters brains down during the fight. They also added rules that give the referee more control of the fight. If the referee thinks the fighter is in danger and not intelligently defending himself, he has the power to make the decision to end the fight and declare a winner, where as in the beginning the fight was over when an arm or ankle was broken, or the opponent laid unconscious on the ground, either from a choke or a knockout blow. The rules have also changed in making time limits for the fights. In the beginning the fights could last for hours with the fighters exerting so much energy that they would be dehydrated to the point of total exhaustion and put their bodies in serious health risks. The rules were added to make every normal fight last three, five minute rounds and championship fights five, five minute rounds with a minute rest in-between every round to drink water and rest their bodies. All of these rules were added to help the fighter stay safe during the fight and protect them from unnecessary injuries.

Secondly, the fighters themselves are called into question by the critics saying they are just glorified bar fighters. This could not be farther from the truth. The fighters are highly trained athletes that spend months preparing for their fight. They also train in many different disciplines of the martial arts, hence the name, “mixed martial arts.” One fighter will spend years honing his skills to become an expert in striking and grappling. Every day of the week he will spend hours working on his boxing for his punches, his Muay Thai kickboxing and his karate for his kicks along with his knee and elbow strikes. He will work with a wrestling coach for his takedowns and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach for his joint locks and choke holds. He will spend hours in the gym working on weight training for strength and run miles upon miles for his cardiovascular fitness. His diet will be split up into six small meals a day, with only the healthiest food to eat, never cheating on his diet. MMA fighters are not just a big guy from a bar that enjoys picking a fight for the fun of it. They are highly trained individuals who spend years mastering their skills to be at the top level of their sport.

Mixed Martial artists have also been referred to by many as being mindless barbarians, but the fact is that most fighters today have earned their college degrees or are in the process of going to school for them. Rich Franklin (the former Middleweight Champion of the UFC) has his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in education. He was a former high school math teacher before becoming a professional fighter. Chuck Liddell (former Light Heavyweight champion) has a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Randy Couture (three-time Heavyweight champion and two-time Light Heavyweight champion) earned his bachelor’s degree in German from Oklahoma State University while becoming a three-time All-American wrestler for the University.

The amount of intelligence it takes to quickly think on your feet and make the split-second decisions it takes to survive in an MMA fight is unbelievable. When the fight first starts, the two fighters are on their feet facing each other a lot like a pitcher in baseball faces the batter. Many things go through the fighters head as he stands and does battle with his opponent. Which punch to throw and when to throw it? What combination of punches and kicks might be coming at him as he stands there? When to block or when to counter? Should he shoot in for a takedown or a slam? If the fight goes to the ground many more questions come into play for the fighter. The chess match of strategy and skill mixed with the question of who has more strength and endurance between the two fighters is a beautiful thing to watch. Just because a fighter is on top of another fighter while on the ground does not mean that the one on top is in a dominant position. One mistake from either one of the fighters could mean a snapped arm from an armbar or a choke from a triangle choke. Every little thing has to be taken into account for each of the fighters. Just like in a game of chess, a fighter must always think two moves ahead in order to come out with a win. Far from the brainless barbarian or the street fighting thugs that mixed martial artists are described as by many of the mainstream media and senators in Washington.

In conclusion, there are many different opinions out there about MMA. At one time, MMA was a very dangerous sport with hardly any rules, but today it is different. It is not full of thugs with a mission in life to go out and hurt people just to try and feel better about themselves. It is a sport full of gentlemen who love to compete at the highest level of individual competition. Nine out of ten fighters go into a fight with total humility and respect for their opponent, almost always shaking hands before the battle begins and hugging and congratulating each other at the end. It is not a sport full of brainless barbarians who just want to hurt their fellow man in a “human cock fight.” It is a sport for superior athletes who love competing in one of the purest sports known to man, a sport that truly tests one’s mind, body, and soul.