Triple F
The UFC, or Ultimate Fighting Championship, as seen on pay-per-view and some cable channels, has become the most popular mixed martial arts organization. It’s become more popular than the NBA playoffs (as shown by number of viewers), and apparently even HBO’s 2006 PPV boxing matches. If you aren’t familiar with MMA (though I doubt it), it’s free-form caged matches — bloody, brutal, ugly — all in the name of sports. This is what some dub as “real fights”, because since there is no fixed way of doing things, you really have to rely on your instincts, quick thinking, skill, and hope your body’s tough enough to take the relentless blows. This is a totally different level of fighting.
Depending on your way of thinking, the above picture could either be simply surprising, liberating or it could be disturbing. Female fighters in an MMA arena — one about to deliver a heavy punch, and the other in the fetal position. What do you think?
FFF stands for Fatal Femmes Fighting. It’s a female MMA event, where apparently some females with otherwise ordinary lives have are getting their excitement. To quote one of the fighters:
“To be able to potentially break somebody’s arm is pretty cool for me.”
Umm okay. First yes, let me admit that I’m NOT a fighter (most I’ve done is punch a boy in 3rd grade) nor am I all that athletic. I don’t have a terribly exciting life, but it isn’t all that boring either. UFC president Dana White (male), says that they have no plans on making a female division, and that he doesn’t like the idea of girls beating each other up in cages. Is it condescending, sexist even? That’s surely how some, especially Fatal Femmes, choose to see it.
But there’s something odd with these matches, in my opinion. Even the men will say that these all-female catfights are “more brutal, more barbaric” than those in the UFC. And that quote up there is something that brings shivers up my spine.
Have we been so consumed by the image of weakness that society’s associated with us, that we so hungrily jump at this opportunity to demonstrate power? It does sound barbaric, it does LOOK barbaric, and in some lights and angles, it doesn’t even seem like a sport anymore.
I’m not a follower of MMA, so I do hope this doesn’t apply to all fighters. When we demand respect, I hope we don’t overdo it. I hope that’s really not what this is about.
Technorati tags: ufc, fatal femme, mma, martial arts, fighting, ppv
July 23rd, 2007 at 4:53 pm
It’s pretty disturbing actually. I mean, it’s scary and creepy to actually see women fighting like men. Being brutal and all that. And I for one am not a fan of things like these.
July 24th, 2007 at 2:51 am
I’m a girl, and a feminist at that, but I do think that women who go into wrestling are really not doing anything good for the cause. I actually dislike any form of sport that involve fighting, and both for men and women, most especially for the latter. I think they’re doing that to try and escape the stigma that women are weak, but I don’t think they’re accomplishing that - and they’re getting beaten up in the process. It’s just something sado-masochistic people delight in.
As for the quote, that’s completely disturbing. I think that the girl who said that has been beaten up way too many times that she can’t think clearly anymore.
August 14th, 2007 at 9:50 am
amethyst_lover,
Yes, scary and creepy are good words.
shadowcat,
Yeah that post is indeed disturbing, I have no idea what could be going through her head.
Thanks for the comments!