MMA has only been around for one generation. Starting in 1993, the UFC created something so massive and distinct that they never could have imagined what it would become. The sport is now a global phenomenon with fighters coming from all over the world to compete and spawning dozens, maybe hundreds of smaller promotions that are stepping stones, feeding the pipeline of necessary competitors in one of the most raw and grueling sports ever invented.
Hundreds of fighters cycle through the machine every year, many of which have unbelievably short careers once they make to the UFC. With no franchises or teams the way other sports like hockey and football are organized, do fight fans prefer to invest their time and effort into following the career of individual fighters or the sport as a whole?
To answer this question, I had to ask around and see if I could get some differing opinions.
Scott Bland, an old friend and a fan of MMA, boxing, and all martial arts as well as being a martial artist himself expresses his opinion as such, ”I’m highly invested in both, but overall, I have to say the sport of MMA more so. Fighters come and go, but the sport is forever. I have my favourites, and my dislikes, and I love studying the fighters and following along with their lives and what they’re doing, but the sport itself is what I pay attention to the most.”
As a fan of the UFC since the very first event, I would have to agree with Scott. I have many favourites from over the years, but with most of them retired now, I must admit that I’d rather watch a good fight as opposed to following one or even just a handful of individual fighters.
To make sure that I got some variety in my inquiries, I also posed this question on Twitter. My favourite response was from @Rom89044307, who wrote:
“I could say that back in our days of watching PRIDE and early UFC-people did not know jack fucking shit about fight tactics and stuff. Thus the UFC brand grows as a result of talent [in general] and ppl follow MMA…
If anything, the fans understanding of what it takes to be a next level grappler like Khabib [Nurmagomedov], striker like Conor [McGregor] and Max [Holloway], pressure fighter like Tony [Ferguson], versatile kickboxer like [Israel] Adesanya are all bolstered by podcasts, explanations of tactics and fight breakdowns from experts.”
As @Rom89044307 explains, individual fighters have fine-tuned the sport to a point that it is now distinguishable as its own form of martial art and the media that surrounds the sport have informed fight fans in a way that has allowed us to understand exactly what is happening in any given fight. These elements that support MMA have opened us up to enjoy the bouts as an artform rather than just getting excited to watch a beast like Tank Abbott absolutely obliterate a martial artist that has no street fighting experience.
Possibly the best reason for fans choosing to migrate more to the sport as a whole rather than just following the fighter themselves, comes from arguably the most important voice surrounding MMA today. Joe Rogan puts it in such a simple way that it’s hard to argue against. He calls MMA “the least bulshittable sport.” And he’s right. When fighters follow the rules and work to make the fight entertaining for fans, all while keeping their eye on the prize, MMA is the purest form of competition. It’s the reason it has grown so quickly in popularity and transcends cultural and socio-economic barriers.
Fighters believe in the sport so much so that they are willing to put everything on the line for what is on average, the shortest career in professional sports. These sacrifices can’t be overlooked or overstated, and it is because of these warriors that MMA has become the fan favourite it is today.