The M-1 Challenge: Global MMA in Perspective

I can tell you exactly why I like MMA. I can tell you the exact moment when I knew MMA was the sport I just had to watch. And I can tell you exactly why I continue to enjoy MMA.

What fascinates me most about mixed martial arts, and separates it from other sports in my mind, is that MMA is a loose cannon. It hearkens back to the frontier days of gunslingers and high noon shootouts. It's as unpredictable as it is beautiful.

And when two fighters go out, you can watch the highlight reels, listen to the pundits, check out the pre-fight interviews, but ultimately, what happens in the cage or ring can be totally unexpected. That's what keeps me coming back for more.

I've been watching MMA for several years now, and I feel I have a pretty good base knowledge of all the characters involved. I've watched the highlights of the UFC's biggest fighters, Chuck, Randy, and Tito. I've gone back to the old days and loved the look and ruthless KOs of Tank Abbott. And I've checked out Sakuraba's stunning finishes over the Gracie family.

And to me, guys like Sakuraba, Tank Abbott, Shinya Aoki, and Randy Couture embody what I love about MMA—when a fighter who doesn't fit the mold sets in to do battle, and shocks the world.

I'm a junkie for rooting against unknown fighters and then loving every minute of their upset win. A recent example of this is Junior Dos Santos, whom I had never heard of, and his brutal KO over Fabrico Werdum.

That desire for the unknown, for the frontier, is why I like the M-1 Challenge. The M-1 Challenge is rarely talked about. You'll rarely read an article about it, you'll never hear of the fighters who participate, and good luck finding information online about it. But it truly is an amazing idea.

The M-1 Challenge, in a nutshell, is the the World Cup of MMA—country versus country in a round-robin tournament format with two brackets looking to crown the country that comes out on top.

Ten teams from nine countries participate in the Challenge: USA, Finland, South Korea, Japan, Germany, Holland, Spain, France, Russia Red Devil, and Russia Legion.

Look at that list of countries! How many German, Spanish, or French fighters are there in either Japanese or American MMA? I can name one French fighter and that's it. And that is the beauty of it all. MMA is so much bigger than the four countries that dominate Japanese and American MMA—America, Japan, Brazil, and Canada.

Many of the fighters on the M-1 Challenge have blown me away with their skills. Everything you could ask for in a great promotion wrapped up with the mystery of foreign and unknown fighters fighting other foreign and unknown fighters all in the tournament style of original MMA!

Sure, there are drawbacks, but all of the shortcomings of the M-1 Challenge should be expected from a small-time production. The ring is too small, the production is sub-par, the fighters are all amateurs with usually less than 10 fights under their belts, and the announcing leaves much to be desired.

But some of these fighters are the future of Global MMA. After the M-1 Challenge concludes, some of the fighters should make it into bigger shows due to their pure talent. The UFC is looking for a major international push, and the M-1 Challenge is doing all the work necessary to identify great fighters in eight other countries in the world.

If you love MMA, you should try watching an episode of the M-1 Challenge. It'll be an hour worth spending.