Mma and Ethics
Mixed Martial Arts: A Controversial New Breed of Sport “In its December 6, 2006 profile on Ultimate Fighting, USA Today writer Marco della Cava states, ‘Football and baseball may be American pastimes, but for a high-tech generation weaned on immediacy, such sporadic action doesn 't compare with UFC 's short and definitive flurries of violence’" (“Dallas-Based Fight Company Enters the Cage”). According to an editorial in Market Wire, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), commonly recognized as cage fighting, is the fastest growing “Sports Entertainment business in the world” (“Dallas-Based Fight Company Enters the Cage”). However with the recent success of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), the world’s largest and most highly recognizable MMA organization, a past dilemma has reemerged once again.
Opponents of mixed martial arts deem the combat sport as being immoral, and go against the principles that are considered part of the “American way of life.” The sport has been called “barbaric,” and labeled as “human cockfighting.” Adversaries also question the sport’s integrity, as it requires two opponents to enter a ring or cage with the intention of hurting or injuring one another. Further arguments against the sport are that striking a downed opponent is “un-American.”- John McCain (Silverman). Supporters of MMA strongly disagree with these allegations.
One such supporter, John McCarthy, a UFC referee, emphasizes that fighters in mixed martial arts do not fight to inflict pain on one another, but rather they fight for the sake of competition (Inside the UFC). He states that the fighters he has talked to about the issue say that “when they fight, it is all about the sport, and that it is more an issue of dominance, like a game of chess, rather than one of inflicting pain on another human being” (Inside the UFC). In this element, McCarthy believes the ethics of mixed martial arts are identical as those of other widely accepted sports, such as football or
Opponents of mixed martial arts deem the combat sport as being immoral, and go against the principles that are considered part of the “American way of life.” The sport has been called “barbaric,” and labeled as “human cockfighting.” Adversaries also question the sport’s integrity, as it requires two opponents to enter a ring or cage with the intention of hurting or injuring one another. Further arguments against the sport are that striking a downed opponent is “un-American.”- John McCain (Silverman). Supporters of MMA strongly disagree with these allegations.
One such supporter, John McCarthy, a UFC referee, emphasizes that fighters in mixed martial arts do not fight to inflict pain on one another, but rather they fight for the sake of competition (Inside the UFC). He states that the fighters he has talked to about the issue say that “when they fight, it is all about the sport, and that it is more an issue of dominance, like a game of chess, rather than one of inflicting pain on another human being” (Inside the UFC). In this element, McCarthy believes the ethics of mixed martial arts are identical as those of other widely accepted sports, such as football or
Cited: “Dallas-Based Fight Company Enters the Cage.” Editorial. Market Wire. Accessed 14 Sep. 2007. “History of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.” Ultimate Fighting Championship. 15 Sep. 2007. <http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=LearnUFC.History>. Inside the UFC. Episode 12. Narr. Joe Rogan. Dir. Unknown. SpikeTV. 10 Dec. 2006 Silverman, Amy. “John McCain Breaks up a Fight.” The Phoenix New Times. 12 Feb. 1998. <http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/issues/1998-02-12/feature2.html>. Svinth, Joseph R. “Death Under the Spotlight: The Manuel Velazquez Boxing Fatality Collection.” Journal of Combative Sport. Accessed 15 Sep. 2007. <http://ejmas.com/jcs/jcsart_svinth_a_0700.htm>.