Supporters balk at the supposed connection between mixed martial arts and criminal violence. What about violent crimes committed by basketball players, football players, other athletes? (And what about MMA heroes such as pro fighter Jon Jones, credited with using his techniques to subdue a robber March 19 in northern New Jersey?) There is no breakdown of criminal violations by sport, which makes it impossible to find out whether combat athletes are more prone to violent crime. Still, an increasing number of people are beginning to ask questions about violence and mixed martial arts. And not just Sen. John McCain and New York State Assemblyman Bob Reilly, two of the sport’s biggest foes. Fans, fighters and officials are also speaking out. “Right now, the entire football community is in a constructive discussion about how to handle sporting violence,” says David Mayeda. Mayeda is a sociology professor at Hawaii Pacific University, an MMA fan and occasional MMA fighter. He’s also co-author of “Fighting for Acceptance: Mixed Martial Artists and Violence in American Society.” “That has to happen in mixed martial arts. Criticism of it must be handled in a constructive way.”
Bad brains, packaged violence Dr. Margaret Goodman is a neurologist who worked as a ringside physician for almost 12 years for both boxing and mixed martial arts bouts. She spent part of that time as the medical advisory board chair for the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Goodman says fighting can change athletes in ways that cause violent behavior. “Simple exposure to concussion can lead to brain trauma that can be picked up on a scan,” Goodman says. “Behavioral changes have been noted, including higher incidence of depression, violent outbursts and psychiatric disorders.” Mayeda, who studies sports and violence, concedes that football, boxing, hockey and lacrosse all have higher rates of concussion than mixed martial arts. Fighters have the same risk of brain injury as a soccer player. But the most troubling violence doesn’t happen in the ring, Mayeda says. It’s in the marketing — both official and viral. Despite reforms that have made fights safer, the sport hasn’t exactly disowned its violent reputation. The professional league, Ultimate Fighting Championship, never would have grown into a multi-billion dollar venture by marketing itself as a kinder, gentler kind of brawl. Despite adopting weight classes and safety rules, it never quite ditched its bad-boy image. Matches still go down in octagonal rings in chain-link enclosures meant to evoke back alleys. Many big-name
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Professional mixed martial arts fighter Rich Franklin, right, launched the Keep It in the Ring Foundation in 2007 to steer kids away from violent lifestyles.
fighters, such as heavyweight Kimbo Slice, built their reps through viral YouTube clips of raw street fights. That reputation translated into high ratings when Slice appeared on season 10 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” a dishy reality show on Spike TV — co-produced by UFC. (A UFC spokesperson did not respond to interview requests by press time.)
Beat down But what happens when an MMAstyle beating is inflicted outside the ring? For Demario Reynolds, it may have resulted in death. Galloway said the fight between Sindelar and Reynolds went for 25 minutes. It started in the bathroom, where the two men collapsed in the tub, and continued in the bedroom and the living room. In the end, Sindelar peppered his friend with heavy blows, Galloway says, despite others begging him to back off. “Most of the men were yelling at the women to get out of the way,” Galloway says. “None of us as witnesses could have done anything to stop it,” she adds. “During the fight, (Sindelar) kept saying, ‘I’m not a loser, I’m a winner. I’m gonna win. I’m gonna win.’” In fact, witnesses told police that, after a break in the melee, Sindelar returned to hit Reynolds
even after he stopped fighting back. Mayeda says the sport should actively distance itself from just this kind of violence. Some fighters have already begun to do that. UFC’s Rich Franklin started the Keep It in the Ring Foundation in 2007 to steer kids away from violent lifestyles. The Hawaii State Domestic Violence Coalition tapped popular fighter Kala Hose as the face of its awareness campaign, which featured his daughter and urged men to treat their wives with respect. Mayeda said UFC broadcasts should feature explicit anti-violence messages encouraging fighters to restrict their fighting to responsible gyms with strict supervision. And he’d like to see more emphasis on the philosophical, nonviolent aspects of martial arts training. “There are fighters like George St-Pierre who embody all those traditional martial arts values,” Mayeda says. “We need more of those types of messages distributed to fans.” Perhaps ironically, Sindelar agrees. “To look at MMA from a different angle would help change people’s perception of it being such a violent sport and see that like any other sport, it is about talent, dedication and discipline.”