Can MMA Fighters Curb Violence?

I’ve recently been opining on the situation regarding legalization of Mixed Martial Arts in New York. This topic inevitably leads to the argument of whether or not the sport is too violent. I previously stated that yes the sport’s objective, to stop the other man, certainly appears violent, however the intent is to win, not significantly harm the other. And it is the intent that severs the tie between MMA and true violence.

I only wish others recognized this small, but hugely important detail. Unfortunately it is lost on most. The line between a fight for sport and a fight for anger seems quite blurry, and one in the same for many.

As I was considering these thoughts I came across a must-read article by Danny Acosta. As some of you know, Danny did an outstanding job writing the foreword for Mixed Martial Arts: An Interactive Guide to the World of Sports (Sports by the Numbers) He also did an outstanding job writing Mayeda Examines MMA’s Role in Society. As I'm sure some of you also know, David Mayeda’s wrote a book, Fighting for Acceptance: Mixed Martial Artists and Violence in American Society My copy is currently in the mail (sorry it took me this long David)and I can’t wait to get it, especially after reading Danny’s article.

The article brings to light a couple of very interesting thoughts on MMA’s role in curbing violence. Mayeda says, “I’m going to stick to my assertion that because MMA is the closest thing to the complete sport of fighting, it holds -- the sport as a whole holds -- a broader social responsibility. That overlap between MMA and street, school, or domestic violence is the most striking concern for me socially. I’d like to see the MMA community take a broader responsibility in distancing the sport from those types of violence and sending out the right social messages to prevent those types of violence.”

As you’ll notice, David recognizes the difference between sport and violence. However he also understands that many others might not. He then goes a step further by suggesting the MMA community should take on the role of advocating against violence.

This is already taking place to some degree. The article brings to light a tragic story turned positive at least in some regard, by MMA Hawaii magazine and MMAhawaii.com. The magazine then enlisted popular fighter and Icon Sport middleweight champ Kala Hose to assist the Hawaii State Coalition against Domestic Violence. Hose posed with his daughter and the caption read, “You love your daughter. You want to give her the world. Start by treating her mother with respect. Real fighters keep it in the ring.”

The final phrase certainly parallels Rich Franklin’s efforts. The High School math teacher turned UFC star works with the Keeping It in the Ring Foundation to advocate non-violence and build character in youth.

There are surely numerous other fighters out there speaking out against violence, but not enough. The UFC and other MMA promotions should, as David stated, “Make a concerted effort to distance the sport from those types of violence.

Some might question this logic by arguing that a campaign against violence is in effect an admission that the sport is in fact violent. This doesn’t carry much weight however because one has to look no further than American football, as the article states, “Balance between violence and the “feel good” story seems paramount, and the former high school football player [Mayeda] points to the NFL as a potential model for the UFC. That organization -- the most popular and powerful professional sports entity in America -- also walks arm-in-arm with violence. “They have really strong charitable organizations that they promote during their commercials during their games,” Mayeda said.

On the other hand, a campaign against violence first and foremost may truly work to curb violence in our society. UFC and MMA fighters are heroes to many and possess a great amount of influence. Speaking out against violence, or other non-political social issues, is simply the right thing to do, it’s responsible.

Second, as Mayeda mentioned, a campaign of this nature would further open the gap between the sport and street, school, or domestic violence. A widening gap between the two goes along ways in legitimizing MMA as sport, and as an added benefit it would make it that much more difficult for detractors to gain a foothold in their arguments against it.

Numerous fighters are good and dedicated individuals who have simply chosen a very tough way to make a living. It is time to bring them to the forefront, both the sport and society will benefit.