I gotta say...I like it. I just finished watching UFC98 this evening. Matt Hughes beat Matt Serra in a very close match. With the bad blood between them, I really wanted Hughes to crush Serra, but it was a spirited fight and I respect them both for it.
Lyoto Machida utterly dominated Rashad Evans. Machida is the real deal with serious knockout skills. I'm not sure Evans, who can knock some dudes out too, even laid a glove on him. Evans got his clock cleaned.
Why do I like it? I think it's the physical one-on-one, where the truly better fighter wins (most of the time). The raw strength and physicality the fighters display impresses me...I may feel like I'm in good shape on occasion, but I never feel like those guys look. Does that make sense?
There is also an honor between fighters--a mutual respect that I appreciate as a warrior.
The question: is mixed martial arts fighting incompatible with the Christian life? I know how I negotiate the apparent dichotomy, but what do you think?
Ultimately (no pun intended), I believe that any kind of organized, competitive fighting is compatible with a Christian life, assuming the intention is pure.
ReplyDeleteIf someone enters the squared circle, the octagon or the dojo with the intention (in heart more than in mind) of testing skills that require another combatant, that is acceptable. If the primary intention, however, is the abuse of another person for the sake of making someone suffer, then that person has drifted away from a path more genuine.
For all of the trash-talk amongst the most famous of boxing greats, I offer a comparison. Muhammad Ali ranks among the best boxers of all times, in both skill and trash-talking. His commitment, however, was to constantly test and prove his skills against all takers -- the insults were secondary to the match itself. Conversely, Mike Tyson might be one of the most powerful fighters ever seen, but his mind never escaped the rage and fury of beating another man. In this way, he strayed from a more disciplined and respectable path.
Or maybe not...
CTB, Nice pespective...I can agree with that line of thought. I point to scripture in my rationale. There are no direct words against "fighting/boxing" as sport, but we do know that if you hate a person in your heart, it's the same as murder. If an athlete can keep the focus on the competitive aspect of the sport, and not have to enrage themselves against another fighter in order to succeed, I think it is permissible. Rich Franklin is a good example of this, I think.
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