Many people remember seeing the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) on TV back in the mid-nineties when it was marketed as an anything goes bloodsport, and that image, though it should be credited for what it did in terms of building the brand from scratch, has haunted the UFC for years. Even after adding weight classes and new rules, as well as getting the sport sanctioned all over the country, many people still see it as cockfighting. Some people think every contact sport is too brutal, but I’m not talking about those loons.
I’m talking about the football and boxing fans still bash the UFC and say that the fights are too brutal, when in comparison, boxing is actually more dangerous for the fighters. Boxers take incredible shots to the head over and over again, and when they get knocked down by a punch, they are allowed ten seconds to get up and keep fighting. The only option in a boxing ring is to get knocked out/tkod, get a knockout/tko, or fight to a decision.
Football is basically a sport where giant men run full speed into each other over and over and over again. Football players of all ages sustain career ending injuries, and some have even died during play.
By comparison, the UFC doesn’t seem nearly as dangerous, let alone deadly for the participants.
In the UFC, the fighters aren’t forced to constantly trade punches. Due to the fact that MMA includes wrestling, Brazilain Jui-jitsu, boxing, and kickboxing, there are more ways to finish the fight. Sometimes a fight in the UFC will finish with neither fighter taking any punches, due to the ability of the fighter to take their opponent down and apply for submissions on the ground.
For those who would still disagree with me, think about this: At least one boxer dies every year in the ring. No fight in the UFC has ever resulted in a fighter being seriously injured, and a fighter has never died in the Octagon.
The fact is, the UFC is the most entertaining sport to watch, and it is a shame some people can’t see it for what it is: a physical chessmatch.