If you think that BBC Newsnight gave MMA an unnecessarily hard time last night, then respectfully you haven't got a fucking clue what you're talking about. Dig up some of the coverage (and I use that term loosely) this sport recieved 15 years ago and you'll quickly come to the conclusion that Wednesday night's segment was progress. Not much, granted, but it was something. One thing that absolutely hasn't progressed in the last 15 years is the MMA community's inevitable reactionary response.
Eight Seconds
Eight seconds: That's all it took for Newsnight to drop the 'Cage Fighting' bomb on their VT, and as I trawl social media this afternoon, it's that long-unwanted moniker that seems to be the predominant source of ire among the community. You'd think we'd be hardened to it by now, but as the sport finds a wider audience, new generations of fans, media and fighters are taking up arms in defence of MMA's honour.
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| MMA things: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors |
Maybe that's part of the appeal? MMA (itself a sanitised rebranding of NHB/No Holds Barred), has always been a rebel sport. From the embryonic days of tape trading to the biggest boom period in its history, the sport has always been heavily steeped in the juices of counter culture. As it rode the wave of The Ultimate Fighter's success from an American pastime into a global phenomenon, MMA was all mohawks, tribal tattoos and $100 t-shirts adorned with skulls and chains. We've always been a little different, but you'd also like to think that over time, we'd have grown up.
A huge part of growing up is acceptance. Accepting who and what you are, accepting that others are different and that things won't always be as you'd like them. It's baffling to me that we offer willing individuals the opportunity to be locked inside a giant metal cage and fight (with more weapons than any other combat sport) for money, and react incredulously when outsiders refer to what we do as 'cage fighting'.
This sport is not for everybody, it never will be. Horse racing calls itself 'The Sport of Kings', but there are plenty (myself included) that find it thoroughly unpalatable. Boxing is supposedly the 'Sweet Science', but vast swathes of society regard it as nothing more than a pair of bruisers beating the shit out of each other. To some, MMA will always be Cage Fighting, Human Cockfighting or worse.
And that's fine.
Look, we've all got caught up in defending something we love before, but with MMA you're either preaching to the choir or screaming at a brick wall. It's a polarising sport and eventually we'll have to start picking our battles. When Dorris, 69, from Cleethorpes, replies to the Newsnight tweet calling our sport uncouth, do we really need 20 people telling her that she hasn't a clue what she's talking about, or that she's a backwards old cunt? Both of those things may be true, but a good chunk of the interactions with those Newsnight tweets were just fuel to the fire for the stereotype they've created for us.
The term 'Cage Fighting' isn't the issue, it's the connotations that come with it... many of which are well founded. We're still not recognised by the UK government. We're still not properly regulated. We're still blighted by the fact that our industry leaders are tarred with the same brush as the bottom-feeding, corner-cutting cowboys because on the face of things, there's nothing that separates us. A cheery, puff-piece on the BBC isn't going to change that. So why do we put so much credence on being accepted by the establishment?
BBC Heaven
Don't get me wrong, it's great that the BBC are covering MMA and hopefully the fact that they're airing a full, live Bellator event on iPlayer this weekend, as well as ancillary content like the Newsnight coverage, means that there will be more to come. It may seem like mixed messages, but let's not forget that the BBC isn't one big, homogenous entity. In recent years BBC Sport have been more than supportive of our sport, churning out written and audio coverage of fights and fighters in the UFC, Bellator and Cage Warriors, on local and national channels. I've personally called a number of UFC cards for BBC Radio and online, as well as appearing on various panel discussions that were more than generous toward us in their editorial stance.
Coverage on the BBC, a public service broadcaster among the most prestigious in the world, lends MMA an air of legitimacy by association beyond that which we're traditionally afforded by the red tops and sports channels. Having the likes of Bellator's Leah McCourt front and center of that coverage is even better; as a well presented, intelligent, legitimate athlete, she plays against type of just about every MMA caricature in existence.
But if we're going to accept all the plaudits mainstream recognition brings, we have to be ready for the scrutiny that comes with it.
Let's be honest, we're probably not.
If the BBC's Panorama decided to dig into MMA in this country, we'd be found seriously wanting. Until we can establish a clear distinction between those willing to engage with self-governance and those willing to continually cut corners, we can't draw the same battlelines that the BBBofC draw between themselves and unlicensed boxing.
We Are Not Your Kind
So let's not invite people into our house and get offended when they notice the shit-stains on the carpet. Let's Shake 'n' Vac for all we're worth, but let's understand that some people will never forget the rotten stench of their first visit. While we revel in the adulation of mainstream acceptance, let's not lose sight of who and what we are.
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| Better than normal: Dolly Clew/Cage Warriors |
We are the outsiders. We are the Punks, the Rockers, the Mods, the New Romantics... we don't cower in the face of the opinion of the BBC crowd. So let's not succumb to hypernormalisation; let's embrace what makes us unique and let's be proud of it.
We are not like the others.
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