THE METEORIC GROWTH OF MMA What’s all the Fuss about? : A Message from UoN Sport fanatics

THE METEORIC GROWTH OF MMA What’s all the Fuss about? : A Message from UoN Sport fanatics

by Jack Perceval, Eda Onay & Tom Southgate

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has become unavoidable to the public. With viewership reaching over 650 million and the soaring success of combat sports gyms, it seems everyone is talking more about MMA. Not only are megastars such as Conor McGregor and Jon Jones making the news every week, but the likes of Francis Ngannou and Kamaru Usman are even making cameos in Hollywood. Considering governments were trying to ban MMA as recently as the ‘90s, the explosive growth of the sport in recent years cannot be disputed. Raahim takes our readers through the reasons why MMA has become one of the most successful sports of our generation. Impact’s Raahim Khan reports.

The Narratives of Fighters

In spite of the trash-talking clips from Conor McGregor or Nate Diaz, what truly creates a fanbase are the stories behind these individuals. Every fan is interested in a different story, and MMA contains all facets of narratives. The conflict between two larger-than-life figures that can only be settled through a test of their physical and mental capabilities, is a spectacle that can attract any fan who enjoys a good rivalry.

For others, interest may arise from fighters like Charles Oliveira who came from nothing and rose to stardom through pure talent, inspiring the youth of today to replicate his feat.

Luke Truscott, a thirdyear Geography student “started getting interested in MMA after [he] saw Jan Błachowicz become the first Polish UFC champion.” He believes that “it shows how fighters from any country can become a champion!”

MMA Community

What allows people to stay committed to MMA, is the community that is built while training. Making friends and working towards joint goals together is what makes training enjoyable for many people and helps to avoid burnout.

Other fighters have found that the mentorship aspect of the community is what drives them to achieve their goals, with coaches constantly pushing them to perfect their technique and improve upon themselves.

Ultimately, this community is strongly built around self-improvement and sociability with others, which attracts people to become dedicated fans of MMA.

The Popularisation of Women in MMA

Women in combat sports appeared to be a taboo in Western culture up until the early 2010s. No one was willing to take a risk on promoting women’s MMA until 2012 when Ronda Rousey was signed to the UFC. She cultivated the sport by proving to people around the world that female fighters can be as, if not more, charismatic and entertaining than their male counterparts.

Combat sports gyms are now growing, with more women training in MMA than ever before. Amateur and pro women’s MMA tournaments have become more popular, as organisations are offering more opportunities to allow women to compete and train at their gyms.

UoN’s president of Thai boxing, Daisy Ngo, acknowledges the “rapid” growth of combat sports and states that “more and more women are actively getting involved, whether it’s for self-defence or to learn a new skill. It’s really amazing to see!” While there is certainly more progress needed in terms of equal pay and anti-discrimination motions within the sport, MMA has unequivocally grown substantially.

It’s an age-old question in which no one can seem to provide a definitive answer but fear not, as Impact Sport will attempt to do so through some of our own experiences.

Why we need to stop calling it ‘eggball’

American football is a sport which, in the UK, has a following which cannot compete with sports such as (English) football, cricket, or even basketball. Why is that? That question has a relatively simple answer. There are no high-level American football teams in the UK, so anyone interested must tune into the NFL and that we have our own, better version of football. Impact’s Jack Perceval takes our readers through his love for a vastly misunderstood sport in the UK.

So perhaps the question should be flipped around. Why am I a fan of a sport which has no competition in the country I live in and rather incomparable to any sports played by Brits in the UK?

Well, I feel as though I should start with the uniquity of American football. As a fan of the sport, I am of good authority to say that American football has been conceptualised in such a bizarrely detailed way, that lots what of happens goes over the heads of casual followers.

If any readers have seen videos of football players explaining what happened in specific plays, you will know the jargon used is so innately unintuitive that it sounds like a foreign language.

You may be thinking, what exactly draws a fan to American football anyway?? My response to you would be that I am fascinated by the tactical nature of the sport and the chess match that is going on behind all of the hard hits, spectacular catches, and all-round dynamic athleticism on display throughout the game.

Speaking of the level of athleticism, I love its presence at the highest competitive level, which is transparent in every single play of every game. This presents a level of unpredictability to the sport, which makes watching it even more exciting. Literally, nothing is impossible in American Football, and while there are other sports which are somewhat unpredictable, it is near impossible to predict the outcome of a game, season, or career in the same way that you can in football or basketball.

Furthermore, the attitude of American football can be summed up in the phrase ‘making plays’, meaning to do something important every time the opportunity arises. There is no hiding on the football pitch despite being 100 yards long, and everybody who is on the pitch is expected to make a play when it is their turn to do so.

The stakes are immense, because one tiny mistake, like a missed block, a broken tackle, or a route run wrong can lead to a game, or even season, altering moment. Any play can make or break an entire game, so naturally, the margin for error is minuscule. There is no hiding.

Being an American football fan is not easy. The inconvenient game times, the unruly length of games, and the abundance of adverts make it a difficult game to love as someone who is not American. However, stick with it and I think you might just see the beauty of such an ugly game.