The Ultimate Fighting Championship should be renamed the Ultimate Fatal Cauldron, it is that brutal. Regular boxing was traditionally the most dangerous of combat sports, but it looks like tiddlywinks compared to UFC. Until a few years ago, mixed martial arts fighters sometimes fought literally to the death. But the rules were changed to make it safer and more commercially appealing. I wonder why?
Even now even UFC’s referees look like they’ve been 100 rounds with a peak form Tyson. Nothing can compare to the sheer mayhem inflicted on both protagonists in every bout. This is a ‘sport’ where very few forms of physical violence are outlawed. Not allowed is kicking to the head when an opponent is on the floor, gouging of the eyes and certain use of elbows. Kicks and punches to the groin are forbidden. Otherwise full bloodied kicks to the head and other organs are perfectly okay when the opponent is upright. Broken noses, busted ribs, dislocated shoulders and perforated eardrums must be all in a day’s work. With those tiny ‘gloves’ shaped like black, leather knuckledusters, the damage in UFC is 10 times worse than anything a boxer could dish out. It is licensed thuggery.
Oscar De La Hoya is at the vanguard of boxing promoting, having already usurped the semi-retired veterans Don King and Bob Arum. He was at UFC 76 on Saturday night in Anaheim, California to witness the spectacle that is attracting interest exponentially to boxing’s detriment. It’s only a matter of time before the Golden Boy gets involved in UFC because it is so much more thrilling than his sport.
Hollywood A-listers always want to be seen in the trendiest places so it’s no coincidence that they’re now more prominent at UFC bouts than high profile boxing shows. Even Tom Hanks has attended. Imagine Forest Gump taking on one of those heavyweight goons!
Keith Jardine upset Chuck ‘Ice Man’ Liddell with a split decision over the weekend. Liddell was knocked out by Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson in May. In boxing Liddell would have stayed on ice for the rest of the year but such is the nature of UFC he was obligated to go in with another tough opponent only four months later.
My main concern with UFC is what kind of state will ex-fighters be in a few years from now? With all that vicious punishment – even though they only fight three rounds – many will be walking zombies by middle age. They go to war more often than boxing champs for far less money. It’s only a matter of time before that equation rightly corrects itself.
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