Here's a scathing "newspaper" story about MMA I just found. I went to Australia two years ago, loved the country, loved the people there. Most of the newspapers there are top-notch. The Herald-Sun, I wouldn't even use to line my bird's cage.
Shannon Deary
December 16, 2007 12:00am
ULTRA-violent Fight Club-style brawls -- in which opponents elbow, knee and beat each other -- are coming to Melbourne.
The brutal new fight "sport" locks combatants in a 2m-high metal cage for no-holds-barred, mixed martial arts battle -- even choking, stamping, punching and kicking after an opponent is floored.
Overseas, fighters have had arms and legs smashed, ankles snapped and some have been killed.
Instead of protective gloves, combatants wear small mitts to allow them to grab opponents in headlocks and submission holds in front of baying crowds.
Contests have been likened to scenes in Brad Pitt's controversial blockbuster movie, Fight Club, in which secret gatherings of men bashed each other to stamp their masculinity in an era of feminism.
Promoters of the Sydney-based X-Agon Reality Fighting Super Series have revealed plans to bring the "bloodbaths" to Melbourne next year.
The State Government has approved the series provided it does not breach combat control laws.
However critics have demanded the "vicious free-for-alls" be kept out of Victoria.
Promoter Ivan Abrahams described the sport as more technical than boxing and safer than cycling and rugby.
"It is very technical, very controlled and it is full-on. There is no greater test of man versus man," Mr Abrahams said.
"The minute you can no longer intelligently defend yourself, the fight is stopped," he said. "As far as 'dangerous', it's a nice story, but simply not true."
Australian Medical Association public health chairman Associate Professor John Gullotta said the sport invited serious injury and possibly death.
"The AMA would absolutely oppose the introduction of cage fighting to Victoria," he said. "It opposes any sport that aims to inflict injuries to the head and knock people out."
American fighter Sam Vasquez died this year after being knocked out in a sanctioned fight. After the bout, Vasquez had surgery twice to remove blood clots from his brain, but died after suffering a stroke.
The Melbourne contests will be regulated by the Professional Boxing and Combat Sports Board.
A spokesman for Sport Minister James Merlino said X-Agon would be monitored to ensure it met the provisions of the state's Professional Boxing and Combat Sports Act.
"There are a number of requirements that have to be met under the Act before events are approved and contestants are registered to compete, many of which relate to safety," the spokesman said.
"Applications to stage an event must satisfy the Professional Boxing and Combat Sports Board, while the Minister can also determine what types of combat sports can be held under the Act."
To read the email I sent Shannon, go to the next page.
Shannon -- some things you should know about the sport of Mixed Martial Arts:
-- It is far safer than boxing. There is no standing eight count in MMA, so fighter cannot get knocked down and then stood up by a ref only to beaten some more.
-- Fighters train for YEARS before ever entering a cage or a ring. They study many disciplines, including muay Thai, karate, judo, jiu-jitsu, and wrestling. Manyof them are former Olympic wrestlers, collegiate wrestlers, and have led professional careers before getting into MMA.
-- There has been only one death in the US and one death outside the US in the history of the sport. Yes, that's two too many, but again, take a look at how many guys die from boxing each year. And if you want to talk just injuries, I'd be willing to bet American football, or even AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL have far more each year.
-- Fighters have the option of tapping out if they are caught in a submission or are absorbing too many punches. Refs are very quick to step in if a fighter is not intelligently defending himself.
--Events in the US - and elsewhere in the world - are sanctioned by state or national athletic commissions. There are no stomps or kicks allowed if your opponent is on the ground.
-- No, it's not for everyone, but the sport of MMA is spreading like wildfire around the globe. You won't be able to ignore its popularity for too much longer.
-- It's painfully obvious you don't like MMA. If you ever wrote about it again, just try to be a little bit more even-handed. You are a reporter after all.
Thanks, Ted Czech, reporter, York Daily Record/Sunday News.
LMFAO, wow. Shows how much she researches her reports for her paper. That and she is probably starving for attention.
The funniest part is she keeps putting words like "bloodbath" and "vicious free-for-alls" in quotes. Who said those words? Just because she's saying them in her head doesn't mean she should use them in her story, let alone quote them. She's "overdramatic."
Yeah, I noticed that too. I should have put that in my email to her. That would never fly as journalism in the U.S., or at least not at my paper. The two items we've had on MMA in the paper have been the UFC on the front of ESPN the magazine and SI and the death of Sam Vasquez.
We've written a counter balancing article. If you want, read it here:
http://australianmma.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=85&Itemid=1
Darren - Just read the story. Excellent read, glad you told me about it. Keep up the good work over at Australian MMA. BTW - someday, I hope to return to the land of Oz - when I was there before, I stayed in Melbourne for a week and then spent another week in Brisbane.