MMA - A War of Attrition

I've been on a huge MMA kick lately. Okay, so when am I not? The truth is, I can't talk about it enough. There is still a certain stigma attached to MMA in the mainstream. It's viewed as a barbaric, blood sport rather than what it really is; an art form  As with most things, the more you watch MMA, the more you start to pick up on the finer points of the sport. For that reason, I can't tell you what to look for. That being said, I can tell you what I look for and hopefully give you a head start on your journey to enlightenment.

For me, the most exciting part about MMA is the passion. The audience only gets a short glimpse into the lives of the fighters. What you don't see is the endless hours of hard work in and out of the gym. Between eating right, constantly training, and the final, often brutal, weight cuts before a fight, the life of a fighter is not an easy one. At the end of it all, you get locked in a cage, punched in the face, and often times lose. So what's the point?

Obviously fighters have their individual reasons for doing what they do. There are, however, some universal explanations that seem to bridge the gap between fighters. It's about the technique, the artistry, and the heart. As your understanding of the sport becomes more and more complex, you begin to see these three factors in every fighter. Some guys are disrespectful of their opponents, disrespectful of the fans, and disrespectful of the sport. But it's rare that you see a guy who isn't in love with what they do. To suffer so much for one goal, you simply have to be.

As I said earlier, the only way to truly appreciate the finer points of MMA is to watch for yourself. I recently discovered that netflix has a number of MMA documentaries and am currently working on compiling a list of the best films. There are also a number of free fights on YouTube that I encourage you to check out. A good starting point would be the famed Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar fight that capped off the first season of The Ultimate Fighter reality show. Check that out below and keep it locked to Real Radio and Real Sports for more great MMA coverage.