Reed Homan - Mixed Martial Arts

During my junior year in the Honors Program, I am focusing my capstone research project on the sport of mixed martial arts. The book I chose to read this year, which is where I am learning a lot about the history of the sport, is Cage Kings by Michael Thomsen. I am also delving into the ethics of the sport and plan to create a podcast with Eli Simmons for the National Public Radio Student Podcast Challenge. Both Eli and I are researching combat sports, and we’ll discuss the ethics of MMA and wrestling.  

The history of mixed martial arts begins with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ). Especially thanks to the Gracie family, BJJ was super important in shaping MMA. The Gracies made ground fighting and submissions like joint locks famous, which is a huge part of MMA today

In 1993, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was created to see which fighting style was the best. At first, it was like a tournament in which fighters from different martial arts-like boxing, wrestling, karate, and BJJ fought each other. Royce Gracie, a BJJ fighter, won the first UFC tournament, showing how effective grappling and submissions could be in a real fight.

Royce Gracie helped prove that BJJ was key to winning fights in the UFC. His success made BJJ highly popular and showed that ground fighting mattered just as much as punching and kicking. Art Davie, a businessman, teamed up with Rorion Gracie who was from the Gracie family to start the UFC. They wanted to test which martial arts would work in a real fight. Rorion believed BJJ was the key, and he used Royce to prove it.

In the beginning, the UFC got a lot of negative attention. People thought it was too violent and many states even banned it. Many broadcasters referred to the sport as “human cockfighting.” The fights had a few rules, and it was seen as too brutal.

As MMA grew, fighters realized they couldn't just focus on one skill, like striking or grappling. They had to be good at everything. This led to the rise of fighters who could do it all: strike, wrestle, and submit.

In 2001, Dana White became president of the UFC. He's a huge reason why MMA became so popular. He helped get TV deals, made the UFC more professional, and promoted the sport in a way that helped it grow worldwide. At first when Joe Rogan started appearing on the UFC he wasn’t even getting a full salary he had just asked for free tickets for his friends and for him to get paid for travel. Joe Rogan became a UFC commentator in the early 2000s. His knowledge of MMA and his energetic commentary helped fans understand the sport better. Rogan also made the fights more exciting to watch and talked about the fighters' backgrounds, which made the sport feel more personal.

In 2005, the Ultimate Fighter reality show brought a ton of attention to MMA. The show helped launch the careers of fighters like Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans and made the sport more mainstream. Conor McGregor became one of the biggest names in MMA, known for his trash talk and his skills in the cage. He even made history by being the first UFC fighter to hold two belts at once.

Today, the UFC is the largest and most well known MMA organization. It holds events all over the world and has millions of fans. MMA isn't just popular in the U.S. Fighters from all over the world, including Russia, Brazil, England, and China, are making a name for themselves. Other organizations like ONE Championship and Bellator also help grow the sport globally. The UFC and other MMA organizations have worked hard to make the sport safer. They've added more rules, better medical care, and safer weight-cutting practices to protect the fighters.

In Cage Kings, the idea of "spectacle vs. sport" shows how MMA changed from being just a fight-based sport into a big entertainment show. When the UFC started, it was all about real, competitive fighting to see which martial art was the best. But as the UFC grew, it started focusing more on creating hype, drama, and building fighter personalities like Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey, to attract a bigger audience. While MMA is still about skill and competition, it’s also a huge spectacle designed to entertain fans, with a lot of focus on marketing and promoting fights.

The ethics of MMA is a topic that sparks debate, with two main perspectives: those who argue that MMA is unethical and those who defend it as a legitimate sport. Critics, like Kyle Lydon, argue that MMA is a brutality business. He claims that using martial arts to harm others rather than for self-defense is unethical, and that exposure to violent sports like MMA can normalize violence in society, especially among younger viewers. Another critic, Dave Davies, highlights the serious health risks MMA fighters face, particularly brain damage from repeated head trauma. He argues that these injuries, such as memory loss and personality changes, affect the fighter’s identity and well-being. Additionally, he criticizes the MMA culture, which celebrates toughness without considering the long-term damage to fighters. 

On the other hand, supporters like Luke Thomas and Royce Gracie defend MMA, arguing that it’s a skill-based sport, not just a violent spectacle. Thomas emphasizes that MMA involves various martial arts disciplines, requiring years of training and respect for opponents. He also points out that the media often sensationalizes the violence, misrepresenting the sport’s true nature. Gracie, a legend of the sport, argues that modern MMA is safe due to strict rules, medical tests, and safety protocols that protect fighters. He compares MMA to other sports like football and boxing, which have higher rates of injury and death, making MMA appear safer by comparison. Furthermore, studies of UFC fans reveal a subculture that values knowledge, respect, and serious engagement with the sport. Fans who train in MMA and attend live events are seen as more committed to the sport than casual viewers, which shows that for many, MMA is more than just a violent form of entertainment.