Mixed martial arts is a legitimate sport

By: Scott Recker

Whether we like it or not, the explosion of mixed martial arts has taken the United States and many other countries by storm.

Leagues like the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the Pride Fighting Championship are now multi-million dollar corporations. According to an article in the Washington Post, the UFC's nine events in the year of 2006 brought in between $1.9 million and $3.3 million per card.

Many people enjoy the entertainment mixed martial arts provides, but there are some skeptics who think many sanctioned MMA fights are a brutal blood sport that is savage-like and irresponsible. But they are terribly wrong.

MMA fighters are some of the most disciplined and hard est working athletes in the entire world. They can never be in bad cardiovascular shape, and they are constantly learning new arts of fighting and polishing the ones they have known for years.

It is a sport where an athlete has to be a perfectly well rounded individual to excel. To be a good fighter one must be a good striker, grappler and submissionist.

The infamous Bruce Lee once said, "The perfect style is no style."

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