It has often been said that hand-to-hand combat is one of the purest forms of athletics and a true display of athletic talent. However, considering the recent state of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the world’s premier outlet for MMA fighting, this couldn’t be any further from the truth.
UFC fights really aren’t a display of athleticism or talent anymore. The main focus of these fights has shifted to something very different: ratings. UFC has become so commercialized that it seems like UFC executives don’t even care about the quality of the fights anymore. As long as the ratings are high, they don’t care what their fighters are doing. With endless amounts of drama featured in almost every fight, UFC is making a mockery of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), and it feels more like you’re watching reality TV than a sporting event.
Long gone are the days where people would tune into a UFC fight because they were interested in the athletes’ techniques or mastery of MMA. Now, the only thing drawing fans in is the drama. The athletes are getting involved in petty fights and arguments. Not many viewers watch a Ronda Rousey fight because they think she’s a good fighter. They want to watch her because she has a fiery personality and instigates drama wherever she goes. After a humiliating loss in her last UFC fight against Holly Holm, Rousey claimed that she would never fight again, causing an enormous amount of drama among UFC fighters and fans. Yet, here we are, only a few months later, hearing leaked details about a comeback and a run for a championship belt.
The UFC claims to be the world’s best source for authentic MMA fights, but in reality, it has quickly become one of television’s biggest sources of drama. If the UFC wants to predominantly display scripted drama, that’s fine, but they should be open about it, much like World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE). The WWE openly admits that their competitions are for entertainment purposes only and that a majority of the matches and interviews are scripted, part of a bigger story designed to entertain fans. If UFC wants to take this route, the least they can do is be honest with their fan base and let fans know exactly what they’re paying to see.
UFC fights have become nothing more than a clever ploy for high television ratings and a source of drama, equivalent to an episode of “Real Housewives.” Premier fights have become drama-filled events, with a brief intermission for a couple rounds of what can barely be called MMA.
