MMA is, mechanically and tactically, an interesting sport. Around 10-12 years ago, I stopped watching it for three main reasons:
- I noticed I was getting sucked into celebrity culture. Some web site would post about some controversial tweet that Jon Bones Jones made, and I'd go look at it. Then, I'd be like why am I stopping what I'm doing for this?
- While nowhere close to football, the way it being run was dangerous for the fighters. They didn't have health insurance, and they'd be encouraged to continue their careers after severe head trauma. Almost uniformly, every champion has this sad "reverse career" where they get slower and more hurt while working their way back down the ladder because their name continues to have a big draw while their ability declines.
- After the collapse of PRIDE in Japan, one of the two big MMA promotions, the UFC controlled almost all top-level competition and the UFC was controlled by one guy, Dana White, who ran things much like his current-day hero, Trump.
Instead of the fighters getting health insurance and having a union so they could negotiate for themselves like grown men and women, they have to go to him for favors and bonuses. If you haven't been deferential to him, then no, you're not going to get help for the injury you sustained while making money for this guy.
Similarly, matchups aren't decided by win-loss records or any written standard. There is no way to be completely objective in this matter, but the UFC isn't even trying. If Dana While thinks you're a "boring wrestler," then you're not getting a shot at someone "exciting" like Conor MacGregor even if he can't lay a hand on you. And speaking of MacGregor, being exciting isn't just about punching, it helps to be White to excite White fans that want to see White fighters winning. So, while the UFC fights themselves are legitimate contests, the fighter selection nudges it away from an athletic competion and toward sports entertainment.
I always imagined Dana White's politics would be shit, but I thought he'd keep the UFC out of it. In 2024, he publicly campaigned for Trump.
Just now, I heard what I thought was a joke on a podcast about being embarrassed about watching MMA. The guy said that at least if you're watching porn, that's not a thing Trump is broadcasting on the White House lawn.
I was like, haha, yeah, wait.
No, this is a real thing:
UFC chief says White House event planned for South LawnSometimes 2025 seems like it's written by A.I.