When it comes to MMA, or mixed martial arts, I admit I am biased. MMA is my choice of athletic entertainment in the same way that ice hockey is the choice for millions of Canadians. Or the way that baseball and football is for millions of Americans. Or the way that cricket is to millions of people in India.
MMA can be loosely described as a “sport”, though I imagine you’d find many fighters who might characterize it somewhat differently. For many it is the ultimate test of physical strength, mental discipline, intestinal fortitude, and martial arts skill. Though it may be inherently violent, it isn’t necessarily violence that attracts fighters and fans to the sport.
All combatants enter into the “octagon”—an eight-sided cage—willingly and with great passion for what they do. Fighters are not coerced to get inside a cage and bleed. Nor is there any animosity between opponents—at least beyond the normal aggression inherent in a fight. When the battle is over, both fighters almost always show the utmost respect for each other and express concern over whether they injured their opponent.
But for whatever reason, some people aren’t happy to let consenting adults test the physical limits of their own bodies. They deride the sport and call it “human cockfighting”. They say that it should be banned in all jurisdictions and that it inspires violence outside of the octagon. After UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) 115 in Vancouver, some newspapers alleged without any evidence whatsoever, that a gay couple were assaulted downtown by two other men leaving the event.
First of all, it isn’t human cockfighting, which is a sort of absurd term. Cockfighting is considered immoral because it places two aggressive roosters into a cage and allows them to peck each other to death. The animal knows not what it does, since it does not possess human sentience.
The highly trained fighters who enter into an MMA fight, however, are not animals. Not only are they athletes of incredible calibre, they have to be trained at an elite level in all three aspects of the sport: wrestling, submissions, and standup. A fighter who is a world champion in only one discipline could be easily defeated by a fighter who is of lesser ability but proficient in all categories. It is a veritable fighting triathlon.
The sport has an undeniably large following and appreciation by fans, even by those who don’t have any martial arts experience themselves. Yet there continue to be obstacles that prevent the sport from flourishing.
Despite the fact that UFC 115 was held in Vancouver, it was extremely difficult to get approval for the event, partially because of insurance issues, but mainly owing to political opposition. And even as Ontario finally agreed to allow MMA events, doctors in British Columbia are now balking at future fights, calling for politicians to ban the sport altogether.
The B.C. Medical Association wants the federal government to prohibit MMA not just in the province, but the entire country. The BCMA already held a caucus meeting in July, passing a resolution to pursue a ban and they will bring that agenda to the Canadian Medical Association’s annual general meeting later this month.
How disappointing. It’s particularly unfortunate because perhaps the most popular and talented MMA fighter on the planet is a Canadian. George St-Pierre, who has fought in the elite UFC since 2004 and lost only twice, is considered the most dominant “pound-for-pound” mixed-martial fighter today. In Canadian sports vernacular, he’s the Wayne Gretzky of MMA, winning Canadian athlete of the year back-to-back in 2008 and 2009. St-Pierre regularly dispatches number two-ranked opponents contending for his welterweight crown as though he were fighting people leagues below his abilities. It is a pleasure to watch Georges St-Pierre in action and for that reason he is already one of the most popular athletes in North America.
There are a lot of activities that can be dangerous, including skateboarding, skiing, boxing and even the one that I’ve spent the past 10 years training in, rock climbing. In fact my brother broke his ankle in 2004 while training in a climbing gym in Toronto. But you don’t hear calls for those sports to be banned. And that’s mainly because we’re familiar with these sports and know that the participants willingly accept the inherent risks involved.
If you don’t like MMA, that’s fine. I don’t like synchronized swimming, figure skating, or golf. But don’t ruin something that other people enjoy, just because you can’t come to terms with that dislike. The last time I checked, this is still a free country. And MMA fighters should have the right to participate in an activity they love.
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/icantcu/3528110100/
