BLOOD DIFFuSION HOW MIXED MARTIAL ARTS SPREADs CULTURES By Michael Messina
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T SEEMS AS THOUGH THE AMERICAN MAINSTREAM STRUGGLES TO REPRESENT MINORITIES, WOMEN, AND THE LGBTQ+ OF THE WORLD. However, one audience of roughly 2 million fans has no choice but to cheer on a character belonging to all three categories, and the answer isn’t what you’d expect… Can you picture it? A group of trashy biker-dudes pounding beer cans and watching near-naked bodies beat each other into unconsciousness: the stereotypical mixed martial arts (MMA) fan. But let me tell you, there’s more to it than that. It’s a complex mix of history, tradition and culture. This game of “extreme problem solving with dire, physical consequences” forces athletes to search for effective techniques regardless of where they are found: culture diffused by way of bloodsport. But before we get into that, here’s a little backstory to orient any unfamiliar with MMA.
8 ASIAN OUTLOOK
