Growth Problems

By now you should be familiar with the sport of mixed martial arts in some way. You have probably heard of the UFC- you may even refer to the entire sport as "that UFC stuff." Men in tight shorts kicking, punching, elbowing, slamming, and rolling around with each other inside of an octagon is the formula that produces the fastest growing sport on the planet. This implies that mixed martial arts is also one of the fastest growing businesses out there.

These are all positives when looked at superficially. The growth of this blood sport creates a new entertainment option as well as a new sport to practice in gyms popping up all over the place. Coaches, managers, promoters, sponsors, and fighters reap monetary rewards that will only increase as time passes.

An expanding fan base attracts people from all walks of life with varying ideas of what the sport actually is. As people solely interested in the clear cut demise of one of two athletes in the octagon begin to fill seats, purchase pay per view events, and support the sport in general, a conflict of interest arises. This is where we encounter a growth problem presenting issues that need to be addressed.

Imagine your favorite band changing everything that made them your favorite band in the first place because they wanted to make more money. You go to one of their shows and the crowd has morphed into the same faceless bunch you encounter on the subway every day. The band drags its corpse through a set they don't enjoy playing because the whole operation stopped being art and became a business instead. Feeling like you just attended a powerpoint presentation with a soundtrack you go home with the sole intention of burning all the paraphernalia associated with the band.
   
The UFC, the largest organization in mixed martial arts, finds itself in the same position as our fictitious band. Releasing "unexciting" athletes from their roster in an attempt to shed the more "boring" aspects of the sport has made it clear that the UFC is siding with their newer, more numerous, more consumption minded fans. The love for the art of mixed martial arts as a whole, including the boring and ugly, has been replaced with the pursuit of profit.

I enjoy a knock out as much as any "how much can you lift?" bro out there, but for the sake of diversity I find the will to sit through the more boring fights. Having never been in it for the artistry of the sport I am still able to feel the disappointment of MMA's most loyal and knowledgeable fans whenever a cut (the releasing of a fighter from an organization) is made not based on talent, but on profitability. As the sport transforms by focusing solely on providing consumers with excitement it molds fan friendly fighters that cater to a certain fan base. The fans that enjoy the sport in its complete form see themselves forced to adapt to a new terrain produced by an unjust weeding out process.

P.S. If you don't like the San Antonio Spurs because they're "boring" you didn't do a good enough job supporting And 1 mixtapes. 

-Alex Moran