That's Entertainment!

Amy Wright

It is truly fascinating what can be considered entertainment. Bear baiting was once all the rage as were public executions, the spectators getting involved in the proceedings, throwing vegetables at the condemned as they took the long walk to the gallows. It is encouraging to see how far we have come since those dark and ignorant days. There is absolutely no way such animal suffering and human misery would be acceptable today. Just look at the internet. Only the other day I was on YouTube when I came across a video of a interesting new sport. People at the height of their physical perfection, dressed in the minimum allowed by law engaging in a stunning display of sporting prowess. While technically a “combat” sport, with none of the brutalities of boxing. I could see that there where clear rules and etiquette that no one dare to violate, thereby ensuring the absolute safety of everyone involved, the risk of even minor injury being minimized.

Gobsmacked but very intrigued, I decided to investigate further. A perusal of Google revealed that what I had witness was, in fact, a clip of a match in the Ultimate Fighting Championships, the largest organization for what is elegantly referred to as called “mixed martial-arts”. There was also a good deal of information history of the organization, such as a full list of the rules. Along with clear bans on “rabbit-punching”, “fish-hooking” and, potentially fatal, blows to the kidneys, the rules go on at some length and for many pages, nearing Queensberry levels of specificity and seriousness.

As it turns out I am not the only one to have discovered this rarified phenomenon. The “UFC” as it is known to its fans, is a multi-billion dollar enterprise with millions of viewers in the U.S. alone. Not limiting himself merely to sports, UFC President Dana White is also a shrewd master of the art of business. White has built the brand into one including sports equipment, active wear and publishing as well as manking lots of licensing deals with associated companies. The fans are quite loyal too. There is hardly a sports bar or restaurant who does not have specialized events dedicated tho the viewing of a headline UFC match combined with the consumption of copious amounts of alcohol and red meat. A true recipe for success!

Impressive as this all is, I still think White and his ilk could go even further. He already has a proven business plan, as evidenced as the number of wildly successful UFC copycats out there. I think that the UFC should partner with the FIFA and arrange televised fights between the various hooligan gangs. It could use the current league standing system and could have the fringe benefit of reducing street crime. It would also tap into the lucrative international soccer audience.