Written by Administrator Tuesday, 31 January 2012 18:25

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Why Mixed Martial Arts Deserve Respect

Mixed Martial Arts have been getting a lot of exposure over the last few years as the UFC has been rising in popularity. In the US, it has reached the tipping point where events are broadcast on national TV, which means it will be in the public eye even more. As fans of boxing first and foremost, some of us have a hard time understanding why such a seemingly primitive version of combat is starting to take center stage, however there are a lot of things MMA has going for it. A mixed martial arts fight is just that – mixed. This means that an MMA fighter has to be prepared to handle punches, kicks, grappling, ground fighting, and anything else that can be thrown at them. While it’s not as precise as pure boxing, and many would argue not as entertaining, it does require a very diverse training program. Grappling alone requires so much strength and power that many MMA fighters can be considered right up there with boxers in lists of the world’s top athletes. They are also competing much more often. While fans of any given pro boxer have one or two fights a year if they’re lucky, fans of MMA fighters get 4 or 5 opportunities. With major UFC events happening regularly these days, there are a lot of big name fighters to take an interest in. Of course there’s nothing quite like the anticipation, hype, and speculation attached to the long buildup between boxing superfights, but you have to admit it would be entertaining to see more action between more top-tier fighters. This also says a lot about the quality of MMA conditioning. For the fighters to be preparing for their next big opponent with just a couple of months notice is extremely impressive. Boxing has and will always have its storied past, but MMA is here to stay too and it deserves the respect of boxing fans and general enthusiasts of sports and fitness. Drop by your local MMA Gym and see it live, you might just be surprised.