Mixed Martial Arts for Dummies

I love mixed martial arts (MMA). It's a big part of who I am. I actually am employed, part-time, as a writer for an MMA website called MMA Mania. 

That said, I don't expect everyone to share my affinity for the sport. It's violent. It's still somewhat of a "fringe" attraction.

However, I find that there are many misconceptions about this sport that I follow and have to come to love. 

This is a primer. "MMA for Dummies." Today is the day of your education.

Myth: MMA and the UFC are synonymous.

Fact: Close, but not quite. It would be like saying football and the National Football League (NFL) are the same thing. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is merely an MMA promotion or organization. It is far and away the most prominent organization and the most popular. If you're going to watch MMA for the first time, I recommend watching the UFC.

Myth: MMA is a sport with no holds barred and where anything is allowed.

Fact: Not even close. This myth exists due to the origin of the sport. The UFC was originally a competition that developed via the Brazilian-based "Vale Tudo," which can be translated to mean: "anything goes." The UFC's original fights had no weight classes. They were officiated on a very limited basis. Groin strikes were legal. So was pulling hair. It was insane. Today, the UFC has seven separate weight classes and pairs opponents on their sizes. Strict rules are set in place to protect against any serious injuries and to keep the competition "sportsmanlike." There are no groin strikes. There is no biting or eye gouging. You are not allowed to manipulate small joints (fingers and toes). Throat strikes and compression are illegal. Knees and kicks to the head of a downed opponent are illegal. 

Myth: MMA is not safe and there are serious injuries to its athletes on a regular basis.

Fact:  This is patently false. Many believe that boxing is a safer sport and does a better job looking out for the well-being of its participants. Ignorance is bliss, and this is the only real explanation for why such misconceptions could exist. In MMA, if a fighter stops intelligently defending himself, the fight is over. Do they go too long sometimes? Sure, but it's the rare exception and not the rule. In boxing, a fighter can stop intelligently defending himself, fall down, receive a ten-count, then get right back up and start over again. This can happen (in most cases) three times. In regard to submissions (armbars and chokes being the two you are probably most familiar with), fighters are given the opportunity to "tap out" before any serious damage is done. Very rarely does a fighter choose not to do so, and even if he or she does, the referee will generally step in and call a stop to the action in such an instance. When a fighter is knocked out or injured in a fight, they are "put on the shelf" for months. This means they are not even allowed to train for that allotted amount of time, let alone get back in the cage to fight again. MMA fighters are protected as well as possible. If you still want to make the argument that boxing is safer and does a better job of protecting its athletes, do me a favor: Look up an interview with MMA legends like Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell and Anderson Silva. Watch them. Listen to them. Then go ahead and look up video interviews with famous boxers like Larry Holmes and James Toney. You tell me who's taking more damage.

Myth: MMA is a sport comprised of a bunch of savages who just get into a cage and beat the crap out of each other.

Fact: MMA is a sport made up of some of the best athletes in the world. These guys are well-versed in multiple disciplines of combat and self-defense. You see guys who are muay thai AND Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts. You see former NCAA Division I and Olympic wrestlers. Kung Fu experts and Tae Kwon Do specialists. These are the best of the best. If you have a picture of a bunch of bar-room brawlers in your mind, forget that. It's not at all accurate to what's actually going on.

What are some myths about MMA you've heard? I'd love to set them straight. :)