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NPR report on California MMA scene
By Zach Arnold | March 24, 2006
By Rob Sayers & Zach Arnold
Shia Levitt of National Public Radio (USA) has a Thursday audio update (now available on the NPR site) about California legalizing MMA. If you cannot get the Real Media or Windows Media audio file from the NPR site to play on your computer, use this link. This MP3 file is strictly for the purposes of online users who cannot access the audio from the NPR site.
Here is a quick text summary of the audio report.
The announcer says that he doesn’t know what to make of California legalizing “a new sport” in ultimate fighting, or known as mixed martials. A sport that mixes elements of boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, and kung fu.
Audio in the background is played, which is from a recent amateur MMA event at a San Francisco boxing gym in front of 500 fans. A person from San Rafael, California talks about how MMA is booming and that it’s going mainstream.
Levitt notes that there used to be fewer rules in MMA, stating that “everything from hair-pulling to groin kicks were fair game.” She didn’t mention what techniques were banned. The claim was made that early MMA would have never received sanctioning due to it being so brutal. Also, fans and critics were attracted to MMA and campaigned against what they called “human cockfighting.” Yes, another human cockfighting reference in a mainstream article on MMA!
Levitt mentions that in 2001, the “unified rules” were adopted by the athletic commissions for MMA.
California athletic commission boss Armando Garcia states that more rules and regulations are coming, in hopes of making the language clearer for fighters and promoters to understand. Garcia states that the new rules in California will impact how the business evolves throughout the rest of America.
Audio from Frank Shamrock training with a personal coach at his gym in San Jose is played. Shamrock is quoted as saying, “As more people see and understand the sport, the more they’ll be behind it.” Levitt claimed that Frank recently opened one of the first schools in the country to focus just on MMA.
Levitt mentions the record-breaking Strike Force show at San Jose Arena (Shamrock vs. Gracie), and how a second MMA show (the UFC 59 PPV) on April 15th in Anaheim sold out in two weeks.
Levitt notes that the sport still has critics, and that the American Medical Association will not endorse it because the medical body claims that fighters risk brain damage due to brain strikes. Who specifically from the AMA is always quoted by the mainstream media for negative MMA quotes? This man.
A quote from Dana White is played, where he says that “people who don’t understand it are opposed to it.” He says that fight fans are fight fans and those who aren’t fans aren’t going to be fans any time soon.
Topics: All Topics, MMA, Rob Sayers, UFC, Zach Arnold | 1 Comment » | Permalink | Trackback |
I just wish there were a better voice for the sport than Dana’s quote, “If you don’t like the sport you’re not a fight fan.”
A much better argument for MMA is that it is a sport that gives Olympic champions an opportunity to compete after the games are over. MMA employs Greco Roman and Judo Olympic medal winners. There is no reason that Freestyle Wrestling, Boxing and TKD winners won’t be able to say the same some day. Also I these main stream media outlets should do some research and compare boxing deaths to mma deaths and look at the safety benefits of stopping a fight the first time the fighter is incapacatated.
I understand why all of these pieces start out focusing on the wild days of the original UFC. It’s sexy. Sex sells. Human cockfighting is more teaseable than two very dedicated, well disciplined Martial Artists who have been hitting the gym and watching their diets for years are going to compete against one another. The follow through lies with both parties: a. the media should investigate and say the sport is safer and b. Dana should give a better sound byte than “If you don’t like it, you don’t like it.”