The Guardian - 'Cage Fighting Not Actually That Bad.'

[Truculent Sheep]

A very sympathetic and honest article on MMA in, of all places, The Guardian, and written by, of all people, a woman - Rachel Dixon:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandsty.../cage-fighting

...It's not for want of trying, he assured me. "We're trying to arrange more women's fights but because the number of fighters is still small it's hard to find matching weights," he said. Weight classes were introduced to the sport as part of a raft of measures - including bans on biting, eye-gouging and fish-hooking (don't ask) - to improve safety and dispel the dangerous, no-holds-barred image. "Even a 5kg difference in weight makes a massive difference."

But women's interest in the sport is growing. More women are training, and there are a handful of UK professionals, including Rosi Sexton, the world bantamweight No 1. Abroad, female fighters have a higher profile, especially in the US, Japan and Brazil. Pay is lower than for top male fighters, but is rising with their status: last August, a women's fight headlined an MMA event for the first time.

MMA has a reputation for sexism outside the cage. At the sell-out live event I attended in east London, I was uncomfortable with the scantily clad 'ring girls' who led the fighters out. Proponents claim the women attract new fans to the sport, and while they're no doubt a draw for some, these seedy sorts of trappings may well deter female participants.

Reservations aside, could I cut it in the intimidating world of MMA? According to O'Donnell, I possess the necessary aggression, which is rare. "If 100 women walk into my gym, only one of them will have what it takes. If you want me to, I can make you into a cage fighter." Tempting … now, where did I put my gum shield?

It's well written and informed, and avoids sensationalism. It's also an interesting example of how MMA is creeping into UK mainstream semi-respectability.

Dixon's delicate pixy-like apperance also adds a certain pathos to the story and some of the images: when she's being choked out by a large muscular instructor, it looks like an Enid Blyton story gone horribly wrong.

Expect the usual torrent of hate, ignorance and occasional wit in the comments section, of course.

[Kovacs]

That is a good article. At least she went and actually tried it unlike 99pc of the press/fucktards who post on the comments section. There are some beauts there!

[Zapruder]

Refreshing

[Scrapper]

The comments for that article are amazing.

I know I like to joke about liberal, nanny-state, emasculated, limp-wristed, self-entitled European pansies...but I always thought I was JOKING. Someone please tell me that the responders to that article are not a representative sample of British people!!!

There are people there actually agreeing that the government should step in and help these people (fighters) by arresting them because they aren't smart enough to realize they are committing an assault. I am assuming some degree of facetiousness, but damn, it's hard to tell.

The sheer quantity of "my god! What kind of madman LIKES to engage in combat sports with other consenting adults!" comments will astound and horrify.

Say it ain't so, Cullion! SAY IT AIN"T SO!!!

[Truculent Sheep]

No, of course not. They're just typical examples of a certain kind of Guardian reader and indeed UK citizen. I'm British and read the Guardian too, mind you, so it's best to see them as the disproportionately vocal, dipshit minority they are.

[Kovacs]

The comments for that article are amazing.

I know I like to joke about liberal, nanny-state, emasculated, limp-wristed, self-entitled European pansies...but I always thought I was JOKING. Someone please tell me that the responders to that article are not a representative sample of British people!!!

There are people there actually agreeing that the government should step in and help these people (fighters) by arresting them because they aren't smart enough to realize they are committing an assault. I am assuming some degree of facetiousness, but damn, it's hard to tell.

The sheer quantity of "my god! What kind of madman LIKES to engage in combat sports with other consenting adults!" comments will astound and horrify.

Say it ain't so, Cullion! SAY IT AIN"T SO!!!

It ain't so. MMA is rapidly rising in popularity over here and being embraced by all kinds of people and I'm pleased to see such a fair article.

Ignore the comments (unless you want a good laugh), for some reason you get the exact same people posting on anything that's vaguely controversial. Those posts could be interchanged for an article on booze, fox hunting, teenage pregnancy, gay marriage, immigration or whatever. It's the usual bozos with nothing to do apart from make themselves feel important by bitching about subjects that they know nothing about.

[MMAMickey]

It ain't so. MMA is rapidly rising in popularity over here and being embraced by all kinds of people and I'm pleased to see such a fair article.

Ignore the comments (unless you want a good laugh), for some reason you get the exact same people posting on anything that's vaguely controversial. Those posts could be interchanged for an article on booze, fox hunting, teenage pregnancy, gay marriage, immigration or whatever. It's the usual bozos with nothing to do apart from make themselves feel important by bitching about subjects that they know nothing about.

exactly.

I was having this argument at a party on campus, that mma is a legitimate sport, and is actually probably less dangerous than rugby.. and then this tit I always bump into who trains at an mma gym ran around kicking people to 'show his moo taye'.. sigh

[Scrapper]

Thank god....

[Rivington]

Someone please tell me that the responders to that article are not a representative sample of British people!!!

Not anymore than the commenters on YouTube are representative of Internet users!

[Kovacs]

Not anymore than the commenters on YouTube are representative of Internet users!

QFT.

Mickey's post reminded me that whilst it's great that MMA is growing here now, so are the douches. I saw my first generic TapouT wearing douche walking through Soho last week.