| There once was a time when boxing ruled the | | | | title bout on Spike TV. On a Saturday night, it |
| sports landscape. The heavyweight champion was | | | | outdrew college football among young men. |
| the most feared and famous athlete on the | | | | Viewers of UFC 75 saw Quinton "Rampage" |
| planet. Boxers like Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, | | | | Jackson defeat Dan Henderson to unify the UFC |
| George Foreman and Mike Tyson were household | | | | and PRIDE titles in the 205-lb weight-class. Cheick |
| names throughout the world. However, over the | | | | Kong defeated Mirko Cro Cop and Houston |
| last decade, a sport with history and honor has | | | | Alexander knocked out Alessio Sakara in one |
| lost its popularity to upstart sports like mixed | | | | minute of the first round. In the title fight, Jackson |
| martial arts (MMA). The decline of elite fighters in | | | | became the first man to unify a major title with a |
| the heavyweight division and the lack of | | | | five-round victory. Judges scored the bout 48-47 |
| knockouts have led many young men to look for | | | | and 49-46 twice for Memphis, Tenn. native. Fans |
| action and excitement in sports like MMA. Because | | | | attribute the success of the UFC to clever |
| of the decline of boxing, mixed martial arts has | | | | marketing such as the reality show "The Ultimate |
| taken over and has become the sport of choice | | | | Fighter," because fans can become acquainted |
| for the age 18-34 demographic and put the | | | | with the athletes and begin to follow their careers. |
| Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on course to | | | | The million-dollar question is why are violent sports |
| join the ranks of elite sports leagues like the | | | | so popular among young men? "I suppose I like it |
| National Basketball Association and the National | | | | for the same reason you rubber-neck at a traffic |
| Football League. "MMA resounds with 18-34 (year | | | | accident. You want to see how bad it can get. |
| olds) because that age range has a shorter | | | | You want to see how bad the knockout will be or |
| attention span than other age groups. They buy | | | | how slick a submission will be. You want to |
| video games, fast cars, cool clothes, all on credit | | | | speculate what you might do in a similar |
| because they want it now. They want instant | | | | circumstance," said Sigaud. To many fans, mixed |
| gratification. In the UFC, the normal bout consists | | | | martial arts have already surpassed boxing in |
| of three five-minute rounds," said long-time fan | | | | popularity, and some feel it will not be long before |
| Giam Sigaud, 35, of Houston. According to | | | | it is on par with mainstays like football, baseball |
| UFC.com, MMA is an intense and evolving combat | | | | and basketball. The steroids scandal in Major |
| sport in which competitors use interdisciplinary | | | | League Baseball, along with the NFL's image crisis |
| forms of fighting that include jiu-jitsu, judo, karate, | | | | and the NBA gambling scandal are many reasons |
| boxing, kickboxing, wrestling and other techniques | | | | why sports fans are turning to alternative sports |
| to their strategic and tactical advantage in a | | | | like MMA. Questionable decisions and a lack of star |
| supervised match. The Ultimate Fighting | | | | quality have led to the UFC regularly |
| Championship began in 1993, but mixed martial | | | | outperforming boxing in its pay-per-view intake. |
| arts dates back to the Olympic Games in Athens, | | | | With such quick success, it seems as if the UFC |
| according to "About 80 years ago, a Brazilian | | | | will soon revival the three big sports leagues in |
| form of MMA known as Vale Tudo (anything | | | | popularity and profit. And for those who have not |
| goes) sparked local interest in the sport." Now | | | | yet caught the MMA bug, Sigaud asks "them to |
| that interest is felt throughout the world as the | | | | watch the reality show from the beginning. The |
| UFC now offers 12 to 14 live pay-per-view | | | | UFC packages the fights amidst bad blood while |
| events annually through cable and satellite | | | | living with each other and training with each other. |
| providers. Recently, a UFC event in Columbus, | | | | Also going online and watching some of the |
| Ohio attracted more than 19,000 people-the | | | | signature fights helps. I would (also) ask them to ... |
| largest audience in North America to witness a | | | | watch a pay-per-view event or a free night on |
| mixed martial arts event. More than 4.7 million | | | | Spike TV." After watching one fight, the UFC is |
| viewers tuned in to see UFC 75, the first ever | | | | certain that it will not be the last. |