Mixed Martial Arts and the Quest for Legitimacy

<p> Mixed martial arts or MMA is widely regarded as the fastest growing sport. Events fill stadiums around the world and draw vast television audiences earning strong revenue through pay-per-view at a time when other sports have abandoned it. In 2016 the Ultimate Fighting Championship was bought by the massive talent agency WME-IMG for $4 billion. Despite this success much of the public remains uneasy with the sport which critics have denounced as human cockfighting.</p><p> Through an exploration of violence class gender race and nationalism the author finds that MMA is both an expression of the positive values of martial arts and a spectacle defined by narcissism hate and patriarchy. The long-term success of MMA will depend on the ability of promoters and athletes to resist indulging in spectacle at the expense of sport.</p>