Why This Is The Best Time To Become A UFC Fan — Jump On The MMA Bandwagon
The world of Mixed Martial Arts is growing and no one generates hype more than the UFC.
If you have some faint idea who Conor Mcgregor is or if you have seen Khabib Nurgamedov messing with Instagram sensation Hasbulla or have heard about Ronda Rousey, you have scraped the world of Ultimate Fighting Championship or UFC. Though it will be unjustifiable, outright wrong, to interchangeably use the term UFC for Mixed Martial Art (MMA), it will not be incorrect from a novice's point of view.
If you enjoy watching sports in general but have never indulged in watching combat sports, UFC comes as a strong recommendation. Though legendary boxing bouts are one to remember, the occurrence of such events is rare and the accessibility to Indian audiences is even more limited.
Indian millennials and early GenZ grew up watching WWF (now WWE) Attitude, cherished every wrestler's finishing moves, and believed in kayfabe. For them, the UFC offers the same level of excitement, stretching storylines and real action.
UFC And MMA — Mainstream Acceptance
The history of MMA may not date back too long, in comparison to other sports such as football or cricket, but its roots are ancient.
In India, Kalaripayattu is a known martial art form, practised in Kerala, and was used in the battlefields. Such forms existed all over the world. It is just that the modern world pitched the name, MMA, for a practitioner who intermingled various martial art practices.
Earlier, MMA practitioners could have recognition in one discipline, there was no governing or regulating body that would ascertain that a fighter is an MMA athlete. UFC brought that to the fore.
UFC from its inception days, in the early 90s, brought out the excitement that a fighter from one discipline can fight anyone from other disciplines, without any weight class restriction, with no other rule controlling them.
To many at that time, it looked like savagery. However, slowly and gradually accepting unified rules, weight classes and point system, the UFC created a niche sport.
Now, MMA is a recognised sports field with multiple organisations and governing bodies all over the world looking after it and no one is bigger than the UFC.
Why Watch UFC Now?
UFC, baptised by fire, made and created its own legend and yet can be called to be at a nascent or an evolutionary stage. While there may be some history to it, right now UFC is at the perfect crossroad for a fan to indulge in.
1. Frequency: UFC fighters are known public figures with global admiration (all thanks to the rising use of social media) and are available at least twice a month to showcase their talents. UFC ensures that there are at least two Pay Per View (PPV) events a month, thus offering fans a chance to remain hooked to the MMA world just enough to not feel overwhelmed — unlike in EPL or NBA, where matches overlap, forcing fans to choose a particular team and not enjoy the sport in general.
2. Past meets present: Just think of the level of interest Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne's Legends T20 league garnered. UFC is currently in a similar time period, but their "legends" are not washed up at all. This is a crucial juncture for the MMA community as some fighters with the icon labels (Nate Diaz, Jon Jones) slapped against their name, and some of the most "exciting" fighters are on a warpath. This will only bring out the best in the sport due to its unpredictable nature.
With the conclusion of UFC 278, Kumaru Usman Vs Leon Edwards, in the most UFCesque fashion, the year 2022 presents more surprises with former interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane taking on shoey-fame resurgent Tai Tuivasa on September 4 at the UFC Fight Night event, following UFC 279 on September 11 where the latest phenomenon Khamzat 'Borz' Chimaev will take on the veteran Nate 'Gangsta' Diaz.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg, as some UFC match bookings till late October present only the best of the best.
3. Accessibility to Indian viewers: For an avid boxing fan in India, there was no access to a live must-watch bout like Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder III. When a globally famed sport such as boxing finds it difficult to be broadcast in one of the largest demographics of the world, UFC takes a big edge on this. One can watch the live action of UFC PPV through Sony Sports Network and its app SonyLIV.
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