I am sure that the very title of this post will produce controversy. I am also sure that some people will not like or will not care what I have to say. If you do not want to hear a Christian perspective on MMA then just don’t read anymore and if you do please do not complain about someone “pushing their religion on you”.
I have often found that people find the sport of mixed martial arts to be anti-christian in nature. Those people that say that often times cite passages in Scripture that call for Christians to be gentle, meek, and to avoid violence. I certainly cannot argue with those virtues and think that those virtues applied would make the world a better place. I guess the question is whether or not MMA is anti-Christian. As a Christian, I want to do what is right. Therefore, if watching and being a fan of anything is sinful then it would be my choice not to engage in it.
I must admit that there are some difficulties I have with the world of MMA. First, I have seen that many of the mixed martial artists are not great examples. Of course my views of various fighters is irrelevant. Some people are not at all offended by the lifestyles of many of MMA’s best. It does trouble me that it seems that majority of MMA fighters frequent clubs, engage in drunken behavior, foul language and are promiscuous. Before you jump all over me for my above statements…read on. Sometimes, I am offended at the language I hear while watching interviews with fighters or SPIKE TV’s the Ultimate Fighter or listening to UFC president Dana White speak. However, I am not the morality police. Many of those same fighters do not claim to be Christians at all, so why should I expect them to live by a Christian standard. Also, I do not believe that MMA fighters are any more immoral than professional football players or any other pro athelete. Remember Pacman Jones, Michael Vick, Michael Irvin, Charles Barkley, etc.??? I also suggest that just because there are a few rotten apples does not mean all of them are bad. Not every fighter is a Nick Diaz.
Secondly, some people would assert that the sport is too violent and that as a Christian you should not love violence. However, I do not see MMA a violent. I believe that there are gruesome moments. There are violent fights, but more often than not the fighters consider themselves atheletes and martial artists who are competing in a sport. I would even suggest that some of the best sportsmanship I have seen in sports has been among fighters who have just beaten each other up for three rounds. Of course there are exceptions to the rule. However, I do not see MMA as any more violent that football. By the way, the Bible is full of some violent scenes. The Bible is full of warfare that details carnage. Of course that was directed by God, but violence does not neccessarily mean there is anger and hatred on display.
In other words, an improper understanding of the sport could lead one to see MMA as anti-Christian, however MMA is a sport and a business. The martial artists are professionals. Some of them are scumbags, but you find scumbags everywhere. There is bad language used, but there is bad language used everywhere. Let Christian fans not throw the baby out with the bath water. We can appreciate competition, sportsmanship, skill on display, and good entertainment without feeling guilty. For that reason I do not see a conflict with a Christian being a fan of mixed martial arts. That does not condone all the things mixed martial artists do, but there is nothing inherently wrong with martial arts as a sport. My wife might argue with me on this point, but this time she is wrong.
[http://mmaplanet.wordpress.com/2009/06/15/a-christians-perspective-of-the-sport-of-mma/]
