Making a Case for the UFC

by Travis Wilson

The landscape of American sports might just be changing. We’re not talking full on Pangaea to seven different continents type of shift, but there have certainly been a few earthquakes that have registered on the sports Richter Scale as of late. The biggest and most recent quake is the report from Outside the Lines that Pop Warner saw a decrease in youth football participation of almost 10% between 2010 and 2012. Put another way, Pop Warner lost more than 23 thousand players in a two-year span. Even if the powers that be at Pop Warner blame multiple factors for this decline, “including the trend of kids focusing on one sport,” it’s fairly obvious to everyone who doesn’t work in PR for Pop Warner that the root cause is the looming concussion concerns and the subsequent lifelong health issues. This doesn’t necessarily signal the forthcoming death of the NFL, but it may signal death to the NFL as we know it. The rules and equipment will have to change fairly drastically or the highest caliber athletes will simply stop risking their lives for the enjoyment of others.

In lieu of football, kids are turning to other sports to participate in; from the classics – basketball and baseball – to the “newcomers” – soccer and lacrosse – American youngins are finding new ways to hone their athleticism and showcase their competitive urges.

However, for those of us past our athletic prime (I think I peaked in 8^th grade #GloryDays), we are left living out our sports dreams vicariously through the athletes we see on TV. Not that football will be off your TV anytime soon – or ever – but maybe the new rules are diluting the sport you love? Maybe you just want to see some good ol’ fashioned head knocking? Maybe you like boxing, but it’s too long and slow for you? Maybe you long for the days when you could forego a shirt and perform The People’s Elbow off the top ropes (headboard) on your parents’ bed? (Also applicable: The Choke Slam, The DDT, The Piledriver, The Frog Splash, The Sidewalk Slam, The Spear and The Powerbomb) Rather than break it up, have you ever just stopped to watch a bar fight? You can’t tell me you don’t feel the urge to click on those World Star Hip Hop fight videos that undoubtedly pop up on your Facebook feed.

If you fall into any or all of those categories, you’ve come to the right place. The UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) is the NFL of MMA (mixed marshal arts) fighting, but if you didn’t already know that, the rest of this article probably isn’t going to do anything for you.

MMA is a divisive sport, one that people either love or hate. And, for the most part, the people I have spent time around my whole life fall into that “hate” category. It’s understandable and just a few months ago I would have joined you in brushing off the UFC, laughing at the Tap Out shirts, and making fun of two dudes who want to get sweaty and roll around together (…not that there’s anything wrong with that). However, due to a recent job that I landed, I have had the opportunity to spend quite a bit of time around not only people who love the UFC, but also many very prominent current and former UFC fighters. My opinions about the sport have quickly changed and I’ve realized that most of what you see on TV is simply branding, not reality; and that the reality is actually pretty great.

Let’s start with everyone’s first knock on the UFC: the clothing and sponsors. From Tap Out to Affliction and Monster to any other “meat head” brand you can think of, the UFC and its fighters are unfairly tied to these sponsors. But guess what? These fighters wear this gear and pimp these brands because they get paid to do so. The same way Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods get paid to use Nike gear and apparel, these fighters get paid to put bro-y logos on their clothes. This is a fairly obvious statement and I doubt that anyone flipped their stance on the UFC just yet, but I think it was worth pointing out.  I don’t wear high-top Air Jordan’s, but I still enjoy the NBA. Flat billed hats and leather chokers aren’t my style (anymore #HighSchoolHero), but I still love the MLB. I don’t walk around with diamond earrings, but I’m still glued to my couch on NFL Sunday. So, to me, it just doesn’t make sense to write off the UFC because you don’t wear graphic tees or pop open an ice-cold energy drink every hour.

Rather, consider WHY these sponsors are paying these fighters to promote their products. The fan base for the UFC has been, historically, those type of people that are drawn to glittery colors and terrifying graphics on a t-shirt. Thankfully, that seems to be changing ever so slowly. Fans of all backgrounds and nationalities are being drawn to UFC fandom. Just like the Field of Dreams, if you build a non-douchey fan base, the normal sports sponsors will come.

  

Recently, Johny Hendricks, who will be fighting Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight title in the main event of this weekend’s UFC 167, secured a sponsorship from Reebok. This might not sound like much, but it’s the first major sports apparel brand that will be represented by a fighter inside the Octagon (for you newbies, “the Octagon” is the cage in which the UFC fighters conduct their business). It’s a step in the right direction for this quickly growing sport and is a good indicator that the UFC is being embraced by fans with more than a middle school education.

The second knock on the UFC that I’ve heard is that the fighters are just street thugs that finally found a financially viable (and legal) outlet for their internal rage. The fact that Kimbo Slice, the most famous street fighter of all time (other than Ryu) made the transition from YouTube fame to Octagon fame doesn’t help this sentiment. 

However, Kimbo Slice’s success, or lack thereof, in the UFC reinforces my stance that UFC fighters are far from street thugs, but are rather some of the most disciplined and hardest working athletes in the world. Many of these fighters were wrestlers on scholarship at major D-1 universities and some even went on to wrestle in the Olympics.

Furthermore, the training regiment required to be a successful mixed marshal artist is insane. Just like in wrestling, fighters will routinely need to cut or gain mass amounts of weight in order to qualify for their weight class. An undisciplined person simply couldn’t hack it. On top of that, to be successful in the UFC you can’t just be good at one thing. If you’re a good stand up boxer, your opponent will take you to the mat and destroy you with submissions. If you’re a skilled wrestler, your opponent will make you fight on your feet and knock you out. You don’t play a position in the UFC… you have to play all of the positions. Imagine putting a second baseman on the mound in the MLB or throwing Derrick Rose down in the post and that’s what it would be like for a UFC fighter who isn’t highly skilled in every aspect of MMA.

As far as the personalities of the fighters, they may come off as “thugs,” but again I’ll go back to the branding. This is how they’re supposed to look. The casual viewer should be afraid to run into these guys in a dark alley. But perception isn’t reality. In reality, if you did run into one of these guys in a dark alley, they’d probably walk you to your car, ask you about your family, and tell you to have a fantastic evening.

Now, I generally hate namedroppers – or maybe I just longed for the day when I could drop a meaningful name – but I’m going to throw a few UFC fighters’ names at you, the ones I’ve met and spent a considerable amount of time with: Chael Sonnen, Kenny Florian, Daniel Cormier, Cat Zingano, Cain Velasquez, and Conor McGregor. Every single one of them has been overly nice to me, and it’s not like I’m “important” to them or to what they’re doing. They’re just genuinely nice people; a far cry from the thug perception.

Another plus to the UFC? Watching the women fight is just as entertaining as watching the men. This ain’t no NBA vs. WNBA shit. These girls are fierce and do some serious damage to each other. It doesn’t hurt that many of them are fairly good looking (outside of the Octagon, that is). Pick up a copy of EPSN The Body Issue and you’ll find that female UFC fighter Ronda Rousey is on the cover and her fierce rival, Miesha Tate, is included in the magazine as well.

Speaking of Ronda vs. Miesha, they are the hosts of this season’s UFC reality show entitled The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), which airs on FS1 at 10pm Eastern every Wednesday and is supremely entertaining. This is an American Idol esque show, except instead of singing, both males and females beat the crap out of each other for a shot at a UFC contract. Miesha and Ronda are the Magic and Bird of women’s UFC and they’re set to fight each other in the TUF season finale on November 30^th on FS1. If you don’t believe me that women’s fighting can be just as entertaining as the men’s, tune in and watch these two broads go at it. There’s some serious hate there. I doubt you’ll be disappointed.

If you’re still with me, you’re going to need some fighters to root for in order to really get into the UFC. Although you should watch and choose for yourself who you like, I’ll give you a list of a few fan favorites and a quick reason why you could/should like them.

Chael Sonnen

Nicknamed “The American Gangster,” Chael P. Sonnen is known as the bad boy of the UFC (spoiler alert: seriously, no hyperbole, one of the nicest people IRL). His rants sound like a modern day Muhammad Ali, which makes him extremely marketable. He’s fighting Rashad Evans this weekend at UFC 167 and, if he wins, will most likely get a title shot.

Conor McGregor

Nicknamed “The Notorious,” Conor McGregor has only fought twice in the UFC, but his popularity is soaring. He’s about as Irish as they come, which gives him an automatic fan base, but his signature bow tie and hilarious personality make his appeal much more widespread. When asked on Twitter whether he would choose Ronda or Miesha for the last night before the world ends, he responded with this brilliant Dr. Dre lyric: “One ridin dick, one lickin ma toes.” He got in a bit of PR trouble.

Johny Hendricks

Nicknamed “Big Rigg,” Johny will be fighting Georges St-Pierre this weekend for a shot at the welterweight title. Listening to this man speak, you’d never think he was a professional fighter. The timber of his voice coupled with his glorious beard makes him better suited for working behind the deli counter, but this dude can do some damage. However, he is the underdog against GSP.

Georges St-Pierre

Nicknamed “Rush” (or simply “GSP”), St-Pierre is essentially the New York Yankees of the UFC. He is the current welterweight champ and has defended his belt eight times. Bigg Rigg could change that, but this main event will be one to watch. Bonus points for GSP: he’s really funny and his French-Canadian accent makes everything just that much funnier.

Ronda Rousey

Nicknamed “Rowdy,” Ronda is the bad girl of the UFC. Just watch one episode of TUF and you’ll hear and see this foul-mouthed beauty go to town. Her rivalry with Miesha Tate is not manufactured. They genuinely hate each other. Can’t wait until they fight.

Miesha Tate

Nicknamed “Cupcake,” this girl can get down too. Ronda has been a “household” name for a longer period of time, but Miesha is the new girl in town. You can’t be a fan of both Miesha and Ronda – that would be like saying you like the Yankees and the Red Sox. You gotta pick one. Rudimentary guideline for whether you’re a Ronda or Miesha fan: Ronda = blonde, Miesha = brunette.

Tim Kennedy

This guy doesn’t need a nickname because he’s the man. Not only is he a great fighter (currently ranked 10^th in the middleweight division), but he’s also serving full-time in the United States Army and fighting professionally at the same time. Bonus points: he fights out of my hometown, Austin, TX.

Like I said, don’t let me dictate who you root for in the UFC, but I just figured those seven names could give you a good jumping off point. Watch a couple fights and it won’t take you long to figure out who you’re a fan of.

Speaking of watching fights, if this article has piqued your interest, you won’t have to wait long to watch some huge showdowns. UFC 167 from Las Vegas is airing tomorrow night (Saturday, November 16^th), marking the league’s 20^th year in existence, and they’re celebrating with some amazing fights. Chael Sonnen and Rashad Evans will square off in the co-main event, followed by Johny Hendricks vs. GSP for the welterweight title. These two matchups could easily headline their own card, but you get them both in the same night, back-to-back. The downside is that UFC 167 will be airing only on Pay-Per-View, but your local bar might have it and, at the very least, Hooters is guaranteed to show it. Boobs plus bloody dudes? Sounds like an All-American night to me. If you don’t want to shell out the money for PPV, you’re antisocial and don’t want to go to the bar (…or you’re a recovering alcoholic), and you don’t like shitty wings, you could always just flip your channel over to FS1 for the post-fight show, which would actually be a pretty good way to ease into the sport.

So let’s recap. The UFC is a sport that I believe is on the verge of becoming mainstream; their partnership with FOX is making the sport more accessible and attracting a wider (read: better) demographic. If you liked pro wrestling as a kid – like WWE – or still do, you’ll enjoy the UFC because it’s real. Honestly, the UFC is akin to a mixture of the best parts of boxing and the XFL combined. It’s sheer brutality by some of the world’s best athletes and most of them have badass nicknames. Sure, you may be saying, “but you started this article talking about how football was in decline due to the brutality, so the UFC won’t last” and to that I would argue two things. First, no one goes into MMA without the knowledge that it’s a dangerous sport. Boxing is much the same in this way. It’s almost accepted that you can get seriously injured, whereas that knowledge was not available for football until recently, and there’s still much to be learned about football related injuries. Secondly, when you get a concussion in the NFL, you might be back on the field the next week where you are immediately putting yourself in danger of another brain injury. However, in the UFC, fighters go months between fights and have plenty of time to be evaluated by doctors and fully recover.

All I’m asking is that you give it a shot. If you still hate it after watching a few fights I’ll be surprised and I’d like to know your argument against the UFC (and don’t use any of the arguments against it that I already listed and rebutted).  Imagine a bar fight where the two people fighting are stone-cold sober, they’re highly trained in all aspects of fighting, and no one breaks the fight up until someone taps out or gets knocked out. I know you’d watch that. But, if after all this you’re still not willing to tune in, at least go watch the movie Warrior.