UFC in the Mainstream: What Does the UFC Mean to American Society?

When you ask the average person "Do you know what the UFC is?", you're likely to get a wide variety of responses. One of the most common is something along the lines of "it's that cage fighting league."

The UFC has faced numerous stigmas about the sport ever since its inception. It took years for them to move past the "human cockfighting" label and The Ultimate Fighter brought the sport to new heights.

A long-time favorite among American TV viewers, reality TV essentially saved MMA and the UFC from collapse.

The sport enjoyed a dynamic growth following the show that has continued until recently the sport has seemed to plateau a bit.

MMA fighters are generally seen as two kinds of people; the athlete and the street fighter. The guys who go through the martial arts systems and do things "the right way" are seen as athletes to be in awe of.

Unfortunately, the "street fighters" or guys who simply do it for the love of fighting with no true talent are all too often the ones getting the most media attention. This negative attention has halted the growth of the sport in many fans' eyes.

MMA's main problem with mass appeal is also one of its major selling points; the actual fight. Despite the fact that other traditional sports like football and boxing can be just as hazardous to your health, they are given a pass and accepted as legitimate sports.

The sport will continue to grow especially with the UFC and Fox TV deal but it will be a slow process of getting MMA to be accepted and known along the lines of mainstream (ball) sports. Dana White seems to understand the concept of bringing new fans along slowly and that is for the best.

Originally a niche sport that was featured in an underground manner, MMA still remains a niche sport only with a little more glorification in American society. Let's remember the line of "slow and steady wins the race" as the UFC brings mainstream fans along slowly.