Ring of Fire Mixed Martial Arts Championship Fighting

By Kevin Medina, MileHighSports.com

Photo courtesy Isaac Hinds Sherdog.com

Mixed Martial Arts is more than meets the eye.

I’ve never been the type of guy that enjoys seeing a brawl, whether in a hockey game or a bar room. Seeing two guys land blows to the face is particularly disturbing to me. It seems so barbaric.
So when I had the opportunity to attend last week’s Ring of Fire mixed martial arts (MMA) fight at the Broomfield Event Center, I was preparing for the worst. However, instead of wincing and turning away from the action, I found myself caught up in the violence and nobility of the sport.

MMA fighting is best described as a mixture of boxing, wrestling and good old street fighting. Most bouts are determined when one fighter gets the other in a submission hold, forcing the fighter to either “tap out” or face a snapped elbow or knee. Additionally, it is not uncommon for the trainer to throw in the towel to end the bout due to his fighter getting beat to a pulp. Judges rarely determine bouts, because they don’t typically go the distance (usually three, five-minute rounds).

The submission element of the sport makes it pure, setting it apart from boxing. Little is left to question when a fighter taps out, effectively crying “uncle.” I appreciate this aspect of the sport versus boxing. Leaving bouts in the hands of judges has contributed to the decline of “the sweet science,” as many fans all too often question the outcome. This is a non-issue in MMA fighting.

Speaking of purity, I unexpectedly gravitated to the raw violence of the sport. There was something simple and primal in watching the fighters punch, kick and knee each other with brutal force. I was engulfed in the sheer brutality of the fights and found myself cheering along with the sold-out crowd every time a big blow was landed. It was like watching gladiators clash in the Roman Coliseum.

If you are thinking this sport is all about brawn, you are off base. It is as much about heart as it is anything else. One bout in particular was a great illustration.

In this particular fight*, the two opponents literally refused to quit. Both were battered and bruised as if they were just hit by a semi-truck, but it didn’t matter, neither would succumb. I was impressed with the fortitude and pride that these young men displayed. I had never seen anything like it in my life. There was definitely an element of nobility in their efforts.

Surprisingly, nobility seems to define the fighters and their sport. Once out of the ring, every fighter showed great respect for his opponent. There was zero trash talking. Instead of the type of punkish behavior that litters the modern sports landscape, these men were true gentleman. Win or lose, the fighters embraced each other and wished the other well. This display of chivalry, ironically, was moving to those of us that were fortunate to get a behind the scenes look at the fighters that night.

Maybe this sport isn’t for you. It certainly is not for the faint of heart. But, before you write it off as “thuggery” and condemn it for its violence, try and understand it from the fighter’s point of view. For these young men and women (yes, women fight as well), MMA fighting is a source of discipline, pride and honor.

I was honored to meet the fighters and experience their sport. It was brutally beautiful.

*Luke Caudillo vs. Torrance Taylor