Mixed martial arts a disciplined sport

TIM WEBB: On sports psychology

Date published: 7/30/2010

AS 25 PEOPLE took a break from seemingly the hardest workouts of their lives, I began to see why only a small percentage of the population participates in or even understands the culture of mixed martial arts.

Observing students at the Lab, a mixed martial arts facility owned for the past 10 years by Chad Lebrun. I saw why MMA is the nation's fastest rising spectator sport. Students from all walks of life have emerged on this sport in the past four or five years. You can't turn on the television today and not see a commercial for the next fight card promoted by the world's largest MMA organization, the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Like the gladiator battles in Roman coliseums artfully depicted in "Gladiator" (my favorite movie), MMA was known by the public as a blood sport. The rules were minimal, the talent and promotion questionable.

LeBrun credits the popularity of MMA to UFC's owner, Dana White. He said White has given the sport credibility by establishing rules that eliminate acts such as eye-poking and groin-striking. (That rules me out; the groin would have been my first choice. Hey, it's the only sure way to take a man down.)

So what do sports psychologists attribute to this monumental climb in popularity to?

The first is what's unofficially called the "car crash effect."

This is the response to the possibility of seeing something profound, taboo or even fatal.

The other is the interest in the character and what skills they possess. Lebrun agrees that White has shed light on the personal lives of the fighters as seen in his hit show, "The Ultimate Fighter":

"Today, the best fighter may not be the most talented. If he has a personality that presents well on television and to the public, then the world will know him."

This is best displayed in the popularity of reality TV. When people can personally relate to anything, it creates an emotional connection that in turn reeks of profitability. It all comes down to money, didn't it?

Not completely. Fighters like Lebrun preach a code of respect, discipline and honor that few people can adhere to, which continues to be the elephant in the room.