Legalization of MMA in Maine: A Frustrating Education Lies Ahead

As a former 21-year resident of Maine (the U.S. state most people assume is part of Canada), I was happy to see the passing of a bill Tuesday that creates the Mixed Martial Arts Authority of Maine, a legislative body that will oversee regulation of the sport—making the Pine Tree State the 40th state to do so.

But in reading some of the news coverage about the bill, I also felt both frustrated and befuddled at the amazing lack of knowledge about MMA and the lengths that supporters like myself still have to go in explaining what the sport is and dispelling the myths that still exist.

Two quotes that really stuck out to me:

"Rep. Matthew Petersen, D-Rumford, sponsored the measure and said once the authority members are named, he expects there will be events in the state based on conversations with officials at Ultimate Fighting Championship, with some of them attending the ceremonial bill signing."

I can say with a near 100 percent guarantee and certainty that there is more of a chance for yours truly to fight in the UFC than there is for UFC to put on a show in Maine. Why?

The state's largest arena—The Civic Center—in Maine's largest city of Portland isn't nearly modern enough or large enough to attract the world's largest MMA organization.

At maximum and based on WWE shows with a similar configuration, I'm guesstimating the capacity for an event would be roughly 8500. Not bad, but with no luxury boxes or club seats, the revenue potential drops significantly.

Look at the venues that pay-per-views emanate from. Suddenly, the Civic Center is going to compare with Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Houston, or Minneapolis? Until Portland gets a brand new building, it's not happening with the UFC. Period.

Let's take ppv out of the equation then and look at the only UFC-related option remaining: one of the various mid-week Ultimate Fight Night events. The UFC takes a lot of factors into consideration when finding spots for events: population, pay-per-view numbers, tv ratings, etc.

Suddenly, our little state of 1.3 million people is going to be next in line for one of these? Stop it. The numbers and historical locales of these events don't lend themselves to thinking this will happen either.

Having said all that, there is definitely an opportunity for other groups to come here and do really well. The WEC (Zuffa's other organization) is an option if Maine native Mike Brown headlines as they typically run smaller venues and don't need the huge ticket prices to justify the expenses.

It could make sense, but wouldn't you just run in the bigger, more TV-friendly and closer to Boston Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, NH, and just advertising like hell in Maine instead?

However, New England-based groups like World Championship Fighting or Combat Zone should be salivating to do shows in Maine. They bring in great crowds and do a great job at putting on professional shows—even without the big budgets of the UFC.

Whatever promoter runs here first will have a great advantage and also a lot of responsibility to not screw this up for everyone else. It just won't be the UFC that will touch down with first contact.

But it was this other line of thinking that really got me...

"...Rep. Joe Wagner, D-Lyman, arguing that mixed martial arts contests are not a sport. He said unlike boxing rules, mixed martial arts contests can be very brutal, even sadistic. “I see this as a human demolition derby,” he said.

This, and the offhand comments made by Maine State Police Deputy Chief Bob Williams, are simply ridiculous and not based on any attempt at understanding what MMA is.

Get a clue, guys. This is what happens when political figures get involved without making any effort to know the subject matter and simply spout off rhetoric they have heard somewhere else.

Whenever someone makes a point to tell me how awful and violent MMA is, I ask them what they think about football or boxing. Most times, they say, "Yeah, they're violent but it's not the same." Really? Just because you grew up with both as part of the American lexicon doesn't mean they are any safer than MMA—they are simply different.

Don't believe me? Go listen to former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield speak...that is, if you can understand him. Boxing is mainly focused on hitting an opponent's head repeatedly in an effort to knock him down to the canvas. But if he's knocked down once, guess what?

He has a standing eight count to get back in the fight! Two rounds later, the same thing can happen and so on and so on. So if you add up the sparring and the actual fights, a boxer's dome can get pretty messed up throughout their career. Getting hit in the head that often for that many years isn't good. AT. ALL.

Hey, I grew up as a boxing fan (at least when it had some semblance of organization), but that doesn't mean it's safer.

Yet because of the image of Muhammad Ali or soft-and-cuddly George Foreman or reminiscing about Howard Cosell calling the Thrilla in Manila or the "sweet science" tag, boxing gets a pass. It's hypocritical and ignorant for anyone to let boxing pass and condemn mixed martial arts.

I also love football, but just because they have pads on doesn't mean it isn't violent. It's a constant colliding of bodies for over an hour and appeals to that animalistic side that people are afraid to admit they have.

It's ok that you like it, but don't tell me it's not aggressive and based on high-impact and brutal collisions. To pretend that what you're watching on your big screen every Sunday isn't causing long-term residual damage is also ignorant, but that doesn't stop you from tuning in, does it?

Unfortunately, it's the cage's fault.

If all MMA was competed in a boxing-style ring, people would be fine but it's the visual of an open-roof octagon of mesh and steel that gets people all hot and bothered. That's why the played-out dogfighting or human cockfighting analogies come so easily off the lips of pundits.

They don't focus on the skill of the men or women that step in there, ignoring years upon years of training in multiple disciplines like karate, judo, jiu-jitsu, boxing or wrestling.

Instead, it's easier to just snipe and cry "violence" instead of learning about what MMA has become: one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, one that is fully-regulated by state commissions that are interested in protecting the interests of all involved while bringing in positive financial gains for the state and one that features some of the nicest, well-spoken, accessible and driven individuals you could ever want to meet.

There aren't deaths or people being carried out in stretchers or unruly, uncontrolled violence, yet that's what opponents will always point to: something that doesn't exist.

It's great day that my home state has seen the light. It's just too bad that there are so many who choose to foolishly remain in the dark.

Josh Nason has published MMA, wrestling and boxing blog Ropes, Ring and Cage.com since 2007. He is a contributor to Fight Magazine since January 2009, Bleacher Report since 2008 and appears regularly on Fight Network Radio. Follow him on Twitter.