I mean have any of you been in a real fight? Was THAT like what you see on UFC...I think not!
The reason it doesn't look like a typical 'bar' fight is because these guys are 'skilled'. It's not simply about swinging for the fences and hoping to connect. These guys train everyday and in various disciplines. Even though it looks barbaric to some, there is a lot of strategy and thinking going on. To me, it is almost like chess. Making a move, countering a move, thinking moves ahead... and in this type of fighting where almost anything goes vs. say boxing or wrestling (no, not WWF), it becomes even more complex. A wrestler has an advantage of manipulating the body of his opponent, a boxer has the skill to knock his opponent senseless, a jiu-jitsu specialist has the ability to submit his opponent through various chokes and/or locks. Anyone can beat anyone depending on skill level, strategies and even plain ole luck. It is as real as fighting for entertainment can get... barring the gladiators and I don't think we really want to return to that level. Me, I'm glad they changed the rules of UFC and cleaned it up a bit, because if they hadn't, the sport would have been banned. It was already getting to that level before the changes were made.
In my opinion, there is a lot more hype being put into it, but that's all the promotion aspect of it. We must remember that this is a business and they are competing with every other form of entertainment. I expect this aspect of it to get worse rather than better, but at least right now, even with the pre-fight hype, if you look closely, you can still see the respect that these guys have for each other. Granted, I'm sure there are fighters out there that truly hate each other too!
--xTalon
