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MMA is unlike any other sport in the world, and it is best represented by the UFC. When fighters step inside the cage, the octagon becomes a tapestry of both beauty and brutality. The ensuing clash between the sport's athletes captures the imagination like nothing else.
Few things compare to the deafening roar of fans watching an underdog turn the tide of a fight with a well-placed strike that rocks their seemingly invincible opponent. It brings viewers together in a way that is difficult to replicate in other sports, and for good reason.
While it isn't the most popular sport in the world like UFC CEO Dana White once envisioned it becoming, it has become a global phenomena. In some ways, it is the world's ultimate sport.
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#5 MMA answers age old questions about fighting
The first UFC event was founded on the back of a question that had plagued human minds for quite some time: what was the best martial art? As it turned out, there was no such thing. Instead, a combination of styles that covers striking, wrestling, and grappling is necessary.
Afterward, the question revolved around the 'baddest man on the planet,' a label often applied to boxers of yesteryear. Now, though, it is used for the UFC heavyweight champion, who represents MMA at the highest level. Fans follow the sport to find out who the world's best fighter is.
No longer do people have to imagine the likes of action movie heroes taking part in underground tournaments to bring their fantasies of martial arts spectacles to life. It is now real, and MMA is as real as it gets.
#4 MMA has the world's greatest athletes
More than having the world's greatest fighters, MMA also has the best athletes across the globe. Most athletes are specialists in terms of their physical attributes. Footballers must be fast, agile and have great balance. Basketball players must also be quick on their feet and have an impressive vertical jump.
Formula One drivers ought to have strong necks for the g forces they experience, and fast reaction times for the speed at which they drive. In the UFC, though, every physical attribute is needed. Fighters need to be fast, agile, strong, explosive, tough, and possess great endurance.
There are few sports that demand such full body activity like MMA. Fighters must use both their slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fibers. It is the ultimate showcase of athleticism in a manner that other sports cannot match.
#3 MMA is the purest form of competition
Competition is bred into humans, and there is no form of competition purer than fighting. To overcome a competitor through physical dominance is as direct as it gets. While boxing is a classic combat sport, it is encumbered by certain rules. The fighters can't grapple besides some minor clinch work.
In MMA, fighters are free to use punches, kicks, elbows, and knees. They can execute takedowns with various setups, choke their opponents unconscious, blast them with elbows from top position, and so much more. It is all done in the name of competition, and it enables fans to watch combat sports in its purest form.
While there are indeed rules, they are limited to maintaining the sanctity of competition. The sport is the closest thing that fans may ever get to a sanctioned street fight, and it represents a primal, truly individual level of competitiveness that isn't found elsewhere.
#2 MMA is a factory of inimitable moments
Some of MMA's most positive aspects are intangible. More than its competitive nature, the spot is one that creates unforgettable moments. Few will ever forget the last-minute knockout Max Holloway scored at UFC 300 after beckoning Justin Gaethje to the center of the octagon to exchange until the final horn.
Moreover, at the same event, Alex Pereira flattened Jamahal Hill within a round and punctuated the knockout with a celebration that now lives on in internet fame. The sport creates moments that are immortalized in both meme and memory, taking on lives of their own.
When Holly Holm defied every conceivable odd to knock out the unstoppable Ronda Rousey at UFC 193, fans were left in awe. When Sean Strickland authored the greatest upset in middleweight history by dismantling Israel Adesanya at UFC 293, no one could believe it, and only MMA can make fans feel that way.
#1 It is the easiest sport to understand
Most sports, for the most sport, require an understanding of the rules and basic mechanics for viewers to follow along. The same cannot be said for MMA, at least not for the most part. Fighting is known to every human being, starting from a very young age. It is understood by all.
Here's what Dana White said in an interview with Piers Morgan last year:
"We believed that if this was done the right way, this could be the biggest sport in the world. I've always had this philosphy about fighting. That it doesn't matter what color you are, what country you're from, what language you speak. We're all human beings. Fighting is in our DNA."
Check out White explaining why fighting is successful (0:05):
It takes no in-depth knowledge for a fan to make sense of an athlete who is trying to knock their opponent out or even choke them unconscious. While some level of technical knowledge is needed to appreciate the intricacies of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the bulk of MMA is easy to grasp at a mere glance.
Fighting is something everyone can relate to, whether they love it or hate it, it runs deeper in the human subconscious than kicking a ball or swinging a bat.
