UFC: 10 Things the Mainstream Media Gets Wrong About MMA

Along with trying to establish mixed martial arts in American sports culture, MMA promoters like the UFC, Strikeforce and Bellator are competing against the excepted assumptions of the sport in today's mainstream media, including news outlets, uneducated fans, ill-advised combat followers and more.

With obvious aspects of MMA weighing on the first impressions of ordinary sports fans, such as rules, how fighters train and how barbaric it really is, the potential for growth heading into the future becomes somewhat limited.

However, people need to understand that MMA is only getting stronger, so by subjecting yourself to the truths about the sport and companies like the UFC, you're only giving in to the inevitable.

With that said, here are the top-10 things that mainstream media misunderstands about the sport of MMA and the UFC included.

10. The UFC Is a Sport

First and foremost, the UFC is not a sport.

Fighters do not fight UFC, they fight MMA.

The UFC is simply the company that promotes these fights and athletes. It is in no way the sport itself.

I can't tell you how many times I hear somebody explain how a fighter fights UFC. It seems to me that people in mainstream America are starting to recognize the companies more than the competition itself.

Whether that's bad or good for the future of MMA has yet to be determined. But as they say, any publicity is good publicity.

9. Technical Battles on the Ground Are Boring

One of the most prominent misconceptions about MMA and the UFC is that fights that incorporate a tactical ground game are often boring.

Listen: For anyone who doesn't know about MMA and the various disciplines it encompasses, seeing two guys wrestle around the Octagon for 15 minutes may not be the most intriguing thing to watch.

With that said, potential fans and members of the media need to realize that this is one of the most game-changing aspects of the sport. The UFC employs some of the best wrestlers around, including Brock Lesnar, Phil Davis, Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck and Georges St. Pierre.

It's so important that future prospects of the sport are going to focus on wrestling more than any other fight discipline, such as jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, kickboxing and plain old boxing.

When two fighters strategically play chess on the ground, formatting quick transitions and setting up for submissions while throwing some nasty elbows, it's everything but boring.

Some of the best MMA action is done on the mat, and when you have one fighter who likes to strike and another who likes to take his opponent down, it becomes even more entertaining to see both guys play cat and mouse.

8. Joe Rogan Is Just 'The Guy from Fear Factor'

Despite being the very popular host of Fear Factor, which has recently been picked back up by NBC, Joe Rogan is much more than a guy who chants on people eating horse testicles.

Before his days as the host of one of the most infamous game shows of all time, Rogan was a world-class Taekwondo practitioner, becoming a four-time state champion in Massachusetts and capturing the USA Taekwondo Open lightweight championship in 1987.

On top of that, Rogan has trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu with Carlson Gracie, more jiu-jitsu with Eddie Bravo and over 10 years of kickboxing.

With all of that said, it's safe to say that Rogan is more than capable of being the UFC's color commentator, offering expert explanations of the action happening inside the cage.

So before people label Rogan as "the guy from Fear Factor," they should know their role and do some research.

7. Brock Lesnar's WWE History Ruins His Credibility

It's hard to think that people actually discredit Brock Lesnar's MMA capabilities because of his professional wrestling background.

Despite his days of body-slamming Stone Cold Steve Austin, Lesnar currently possesses some of the best raw talent in the UFC.

Media and fans need to realize that he's no slouch, especially when it comes to hard work and dedication in learning new techniques.

Lesnar has shed almost all of his WWE baggage within the MMA community, but somehow it still renders its ugly face in the mainstream media.

In the future, more fights and a possible heavyweight championship could completely separate Lesnar from his old steroid days, but in the meantime, he'll just have to crush Alistair Overeem's skull.

6. There Are Way Too Many Events

Look. Sometimes it feels like the UFC hosts way too many events, especially when it costs $54.99 to see them in hi-def PPV.

But the fact of the matter is that the UFC currently umbrellas nearly 100 prominent fighters.  Simply put, they don't have enough room for all the talent.

With that said, on top of the company's newest expansion to featherweight and bantamweights divisions, Dana White and Joe Silva are capable of offering fans 15-20 legitimate fights every month.

So why does it matter how many events the UFC holds each year (26 in 2011)?

It shouldn't. And I don't think the UFC cares when they continue to dominate PPV ratings over other combat sports.

So while the numbers connected to the actual events may throw people off, like jumping from UFC 93 to UFC 141 in two years, at least the UFC doesn't toss around 50 belts like boxing does.

Food for thought: White has recently said that the UFC will in fact create a flyweight division in the near future, pushing the belt total to eight.

5. Fights Either Last All Rounds or End Under a Minute

One of the biggest problems in attracting new fans to the sport of MMA, more specifically the UFC, is that the mainstream media and future followers often get cast under a spell in thinking that fights either last all rounds in a boring contest, or end within one minute of the first round.

This couldn't be more false.

Granted, the first nationally broadcast championship bout between Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez at UFC on Fox 1, ended just 1:04 into Round 1.

However, this fight didn't encapsulate the amazing potential that fighters in the UFC possess. Even more importantly, how can you blame one fighter for securing a KO in a matter of minutes?

It's a matter of chance. All fights can end with a single punch or submission. Future fans, current critics and the mainstream media need to realize that not every fight is going to follow the same pattern. You have to be able to adjust as a fan.

If a fight goes to the ground, appreciate the tactical positioning that each fighter exhibits.

If a fight goes to the clinch, get ready to see some awesome elbows, knees and a potential takedown.

If a fight stays on the feet, be ready to see a quick KO, or a legendary battle like we saw between Dan Henderson and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 139.

Point in hand, any fight can end at any time, any way. Don't be hesitant to watch MMA because you once invested your time, maybe even some hard-earned money, and didn't get what you expected.

4. Dana White Owns the UFC

There's not much to this.

Dana White does not, and never will, own the UFC.

The UFC is currently owned by Zuffa, LLC, which is run by Las Vegas billionaire Lorenzo Fertitta (shown above).

Fertitta is the CEO and active chairman of the UFC and Zuffa, while White acts as the presidential media figure that you see today.

While White did persuade Fertitta to buy the UFC back in 2001, he currently only owns nine percent of the company's shares.

So this notion that White runs the company and makes all the decisions needs to stop, even though the guy is a downright pimp.

3. Elite Fighters Are Scarce

In today's mainstream media, especially when it comes to the coverage shown on ESPN and other sports networks, there are only a handful of MMA fighters that get national recognition.

The obvious ones are Brock Lesnar, Georges St. Pierre, Anderson Silva and Jon Jones.

The media coverage offered to fighters that aren't in this lucky group of four proves detrimental in providing the UFC and other elite talents with the opportunity to gain national stardom.

Simply put, fans are not often subjected the the rest of the top-tier talents in MMA, such as Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, Benson Henderson, Chael Sonnen, Carlos Condit, Frank Mir, Phil Davis, Gilbert Melendez and Jake Ellenberger.

Don't worry, there are many more.

This excepted assumption that the top fighters in the UFC start and stop with just a handful of guys couldn't be more off from the truth.

2. Boxers Are Better Fighters That Mixed Martial Artists

Why do people think that boxers are better fighters than mixed martial artists?

They don't train harder. They don't have more heart. There isn't a deeper talent pool in boxing and MMA fighters are subjected to more initial danger than boxers.

The fact of the matter is that boxing is the sport of punching, and MMA is the sport of fighting.

The mainstream media seems to have a soft spot for a dying sport. MMA has gained more recognition that it had in the past, but boxing is still the main squeeze. One reason for this is because fans of combat sports are often persuaded to think that boxing incorporates more fighting talent than MMA.

That's hardly the case.

Think about it: Would you rather meet Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a parking lot and have the ability to take him down and sit on him, or would you rather be forced to attempt to KO or takedown someone like Kenny Florian?

Sorry, I'd rather take my chances trying to clinch with a 145-lb. athlete who only knows how to punch.

1. The Sport Is Too Barbaric

Despite the other nine incorrect assumptions on this list, the biggest—and I mean biggest—threat to the future of MMA is the fact that the mainstream media considers it too brutal and barbaric.

From a current fan's perspective, this assumption holds no ground. But for potential followers of the sport, seeing somebody get clubbed about the face with elbows and knees may not be the most friendly thing to watch.

I get it: MMA isn't for everyone. In fact, a lot of people don't have a single particle in their body that enjoys sports.

Regardless, how can the American media industry and uneducated critics of MMA morally put a label on a sport that is scientifically proven to be less dangerous than boxing (sorry for the generic comparison)? 

Boxing has been accepted by the American sports culture for over 100 years, but its in-ring antics have lead to alarmingly more deaths than MMA. Boxers are subject to hundreds of punches in one fight, while smaller gloves, referee stoppages and other fight disciplines allow MMA fighters to significantly endure less damage.

UFC fighters are capable of being defeated with a single punch, kick or submission. On the other hand, boxers literally slug each other in the face for over 30 minutes, enduring pressure on their skulls and brains.

Do that over a 20-year career, and you're going to have some serious problems down the line (Muhammad Ali).

The point here is that the UFC is less dangerous than boxing. I'm not saying it doesn't incorporate some sort of unhealthy acts, but how does one sport get shut out of the mainstream media when another sport, which is more brutal, gets all the attention.

Sorry folks, just because someone bleeds doesn't mean it's barbaric. For Christ's sake, Fear Factor showcased people swimming in cow's blood and diving for hearts.

What's wrong with this picture?

Follow @DHiergesell