Why MMA Fighting Should Be Legal

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, taekwondo, karate, and other styles. Early MMA was internationally popularized by the broadcast of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in November of 1993 (Mixed Martial Arts). In 2009 alone, the UFC had 7.175 million pay-per-view purchases. Then, in 2010, the number grew, and the UFC had 9.25 million pay-per-view purchases (Behind the Numbers). By now, you may be wondering how someone could ever dislike such a popular sport. However, in the United Sates alone, MMA fighting is illegal in five states: Connecticut, New York, Vermont, Alaska, and Wyoming. Not only should it be completely legal everywhere, but it should be encouraged.
One reason why we should keep MMA fighting legal, and legalize it in other states, is because it generates a lot of money. Georges St. Pierre, the current welterweight champion of the UFC, recently expounded on this when he announced to the public not only how much he makes every time he fights on pay-per-view, but how much more the UFC earns: "...For me, a fight is [worth] $4 to $5 million, and in the city where the UFC holds its events, there are economic benefits of between $15 to $20 million" (How Much Money). Not only does he make much more money than the average American (approximately $40,000 a year), but he makes the number look insignificantly small. Not only does this generate money for the fighters, but also for the cities in which the events take place in. Dana White, the current president of the UFC, predicts a $40 million economic impact for Toronto as a result of UFC 129, an MMA fight between Georges St. Pierre and Jake Shields. Most of the states that have banned MMA fighting need the money. “An independent economic impact study that showed a UFC event in New York would generate $11.5 million in much-needed revenue for the city” (MMA

Cited: "Mixed Martial Arts." Atlanta Martial Arts Directory. Web. 23 Feb. 2012. http://www.atlantamartialarts.com/styles/mma.htm. "How Much Money Does Georges St. Pierre Make on UFC pay-per-views?" MMAmania.com. Web. 24 Feb. 2012 http://www.mmamania.com/2011/11/9/2550462/how-much-money-does- georges-st-pierre-make-on-ufc-pay-per-views. "Rules and Regulations - Unified Rules and Other MMA Regulations." The Official Website of the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC). Web. 10 Mar. 2012. http://www.ufc.com/discover/sport/rules-and- regulations. "Boxing Injuries." Sports Injuries Advice from Sports Injury Bulletin. Web. 10 Mar. 2012. http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/boxing.php. "Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Injury Report." Sports Injuries Advice from Sports Injury Bulletin. Web. 10 Mar. 2012. http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/mma-injury-report. "Behind the Numbers: Will the UFC PPV Buys Rebound? | The MMA Corner." Behind the Numbers: Will the UFC PPV Buys Rebound? Web. 13 Mar. 2012. http://themmacorner.com/2011/09/20/behind-the-numbers-will-the-ufc-ppv-buys-rebound/ "MMA Facts - News." MMA Facts "MMA Workout." Men 's Fitness. Web. 14 Mar. 2012. http://www.mensfitness.com/training/build-muscle/mma-workout "Brain Injury In Sports." Brain Injury Resource Center "MMA-Training.com." MMA Submission Holds. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. http://www.mma-training.com/mma-submission-holds/. "Dana White Comments on the Safety of MMA, HBO Deal - MMAFrenzy.com." MMAFrenzy.com. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. http://mmafrenzy.com/253/dana- white-comments-on-the-safety-of-mma-hbo-deal/. "Safety Rules & Regulations." Safety Rules & Regulations