by Tyson Abaroa

Created on: April 07, 2009

Sure, MMA is human cockfighting, if you are ignorant! Even when the UFC began and was an unorganized mess of varied disciplines wailing away at each other it wasn't human cockfighting. Many fighters came from backgrounds that resembled human cockfighting but MMA has its roots in multiple forms of tested and proved Martial Arts.

First, this is an example of human cockfighting. When a bar sponsors open matches. People get liquored up and throw wild punches and kicks in some sort of ring or cage. People that aren't familiar with UFC, Pride, and other MMA organizations are easily confused by the two. MMA promotes fighters that use martial arts to win competitions. The other is just to fill the bar with idiots.

The early years of the UFC was confused with this stereotype. Fighters like Tank Abbot that claimed a background of bar room brawling didn't help. The UFC was still a very technical venue Royce Gracie proved that it was going to take a well rounded training regimen to win. The UFC became a proving ground for Martial Arts. The Gracie's proved that the ground game could not be ignored. The Miletich Camp was composed of wrestlers that learned some jiu-jitsu and strikes and mastered the ring. Now the UFC titles belong to the men that have a strong background in one art but have extensive training and experience in various other disciplines. Frank Mir the interim heavyweight champion is a perfect example. His recent fight with fellow contender Rodrigo Nogueira was a perfect show of MMA. Both fighters are masters at Jiu-Jitsu. Frank Mir used his superior standing game to defeat Nogueira. The two went to the ground once and Frank just stood back up. He had adapted to a game plan that involved more than just his Jiu-Jitsu.

When the Gracie's ran the UFC, it was poorly marketed to people that wanted to see human cockfighting. Since it had that kind of a market, the rest of the population saw it as just that. When Zuffa bought out the UFC they completely changed the marketing strategy and showed the world what it took to be in the UFC. Their best strategy was the reality show The Ultimate Fighter. They showcased the stars for what they were, intelligent athletes.

The line between bar room brawls and MMA has been drawn in granite. The current title holders in all the UFC weight classes are perfect examples of well rounded athletes. B.J. Penn, George St. Pierre, Anderson Silva, Rashad Evans, Frank Mir, and Brock Lesnar all spend countless hours mastering all the spheres of Mixed Martial Arts. MMA used to be easily confused with human cockfighting, but now it has become a legitimate Sport.

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