Let me tell you that there is no other way for any type of fighter to gain recognition but through fighting. Achievements and glory only met through bloodshed and the bashing of another opponent. This savagery found in MMA and boxing can be observed in many of today’s popular sports like basketball, football, and hockey, but it is not found in the rule books. MMA and boxing have violence instilled in the sport, but with the rules it is fair play to each athlete. Many may say that it is unethical to hurt an opponent in sport, but it happens more frequently than ever. Sports like MMA and boxing have the appea
rance of being unethical through its repetitive brutalities, but with the rules and moral of every other sport. Sports that have violence in the rules are ethical to engage in because it has safety measures and benefit in one’s moral standing from just participation
Famous fighters like Muhammad Ali, Bruce Lee, and George Saint Pie
rre a few of many fighters have been the most courageous in the sport and have shown much devotion in the art of fighting. They like many athletes have trained each and every day in order to be successful in their art/sport. For fighters like Muhammad Ali would say, “It’s just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up.” Beating people up is just part of the game one would say, but like Kr
etchmar mentions, “suggesting that some misdeed is just part of the game can help individuals live more comfortably with their moral calluses” (Kretchmar Pg. 194). Like calluses, a moral callus makes it difficult for one to feel the moral wrong in a sport. In the sport of boxing many of the athletes have faced permanent brain damage because of their participation over time. Even the great Muhammad Ali who has participated and loved the sport of boxing has developed Parkinson’s disease from repeated blows to the head. This can be a justifiable reason to remove the sport, but many fans would argue because of their moral callus that “it’s just the nature of the sport” that since it is in the rule books that it is obviously a valid reason to continue to keep the sport. Sports all have a dangerous nature to them and can be life threatening at times, but ones devotion allows them to grow and improve one even with the risks.
Dangerous sports such as MMA and boxing have unethical attributes, but have great benefits in improving ones moral. In these sports it takes ones individual motivation to keep them striving for greatness. In these sports athletes strive for improving their own body and health which in turn keeps them away from doing drugs or alcohol. For example, fighters like Bruce Lee found their martial art to be much like a lifestyle of self-improvement in which one would practice every day and eat healthy in order to continue to improve oneself. People like Grandmaster Joe Olivarez would say, “He motivated young people and changed things by thinking out of the box. He combined hold
s and kicks, tae kwon do, judo and boxing and made the old system better.” Bruce Lee Article. These styles of fighting all intertwined within one type of fighting style. This type of idea basically gave rise to MMA and allowed people to keep themselves out of trouble in fighting clubs. Many fighters today use these fighting styles to the best of their abilities and treat fighting much like an art, with respect and responsibility. Violence in sport definitely has much draw backs, but still has positive improvement in one’s confidence and internal motivators.
Violence is found in about every sport, but is viewed more unethically in MMA and boxing. In all sports, “both competitors are in a mutual quest for excellence and that they will use their skills to the best of their abilities in pursuit of this excellence.” Fighting is one thing, but the dedication and responsibility one put forth to improve themselves in preparation is another. With the next Pacquao fight or George Saint Pierre fight, one must wonder how much dedication and hours one has put forth to be able to fight in a fight that is only so short.