Since MMA as a commercial sport came into prominence, we have seen the athletes evolving into a more refined, more sophisticated version of themselves, and we have also closely observed how big leagues like the UFC, PFL, and One Championship have undergone crucial changes to cater to people like you and me who are fans of this sport.
Not only the fights have refined, but the way to watch this sport has also transformed to a new level. Other than purchasing tickets to an event, we can also stream fights on our electronic devices to watch later at our leisure.
But, there’s a bigger question that may seem simple yet it is definitely a valid one, which is: Why do we even enjoy watching MMA?
What are the factors that draw us to watch two human beings beating up each other? Is violence the only reason people watch this sport? Or are there other elements at play?
Let’s deep dive and uncover spectator motivations for watching MMA.
Introduction.
As sports fans, we have specific interests that are very individual to us. The nature of these interests might be personal or general, but they are driving factors behind building the fundamental connection between the spectator (us) and the sport.
To understand the last sentence better, let’s take our example as MMA fans. Because we are passionate about this sport, we are willing to purchase an overpriced pay-per-view, subscribe to laggy fight streaming apps, or attend hyper-active live events where sometimes a crowd fight breaks out of nowhere. All of these experiences are outcomes of our interests that we as fans care about.
Now, what are those genuine interests or factors?
These interests and factors are nothing but our motivations to watch the sport. The nature of these factors can vary depending on the individual, and one person can have multiple motivations for watching an MMA event.
Although there are multiple research studies available, there is one study titled – “An Analysis of Spectator Motives in an Individual Combat Sport: A Study of Mixed Martial Arts Fans” that delves into extensive details about our motivations as spectators and finds five common factors of why we love watching MMA –
- Sport Interest.
- Dramatic Experience.
- Vicarious Achievement.
- Crowd Experience and Socializing.
- Violence
Let’s dive into how these factors affect spectator behavior-
Sport Interest.
According to the cited research, knowledge about the art itself is considered the strongest motivation for the people watching this sport.
Do you remember the first time watching a fight? At first, we weren’t fully aware of the rules, regulations, and techniques the fighters were using. Mixed Martial Arts is not an easy sport to understand. It is a whole new world of information because there are multiple martial arts disciplines in play, so it definitely took us a few matches to grasp what was happening on the feet as well as on the ground.
However, that didn’t stop us from watching the fights. We continued to watch until we could figure out what was happening, it was a phase of gathering information and knowledge about the sport.
The whole point of a martial arts competition is to understand how two highly skilled fighters compete against each other. It allows us to observe how they use different techniques and strategies to become victorious in the end. For instance, if one fighter is a kickboxing master who is facing a highly trained wrestler, then who would take the win? How would they perform in a pressure situation? These are the types of questions that keep us interested in this sport more than anything else.
Before every UFC event, most of our conversations revolve around which fighters possess what skills and how they will impact their opponents, and after the event the discussion is often about how the fighters would have adjusted their skills to either win their fights or to perform better.
Another research titled – An Examination of Mixed Martial Arts Spectators’ Motives and their Sports Media Consumption in Poland was conducted to understand the motivations of Polish MMA viewers, and they ranked knowledge and aesthetics of the sport as the most important motive for watching an MMA fight.
After watching the fights, the spectators were more appreciative of the technical aspects, athletic performance, and strategic aspects of the game than only violence.
Dramatic Experience.
Watching an MMA fight is fun, especially when there’s a story involved. A good story has the power to change the entire dynamic of an event. It can divide the audience, engage more people, and ultimately attract more eyeballs to the game.
Here, the term “drama” refers to the theatrical aspect of an event where the viewers get an immersive experience. The goal of creating a dramatic experience for the viewers is to make them feel personally connected to the event. Although it is impossible for everyone to feel this connection, every event aims to provide viewers with an experience that they would care about.
Many elements can contribute to creating a dramatic experience for viewers. These can include personal stories of the fighters, bad-blood rivalries, also events that honor a particular day, or the overall spectacle of the event itself.
For example, those who remotely follow this sport know about two highly popular fighters, Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov, both former UFC champions. Their fight took place at UFC 229 on 06th October 2018. This fight was built around the bad-blood rivalry between these two fighters and the whole dramatic story leading to the fight night became the central attraction of that event.
Another example of a dramatic experience would be one of the latest UFC events, UFC 306 held at the Sphere. People who have watched that event on their electronic devices were in awe, so we can only imagine how incredible it must have been live!
Even a closely contested fight can also offer a dramatic experience for the viewers. When there’s a turn of events and momentum shifts in every round it can provide truly exhilarating moments for the viewers. The UFC 275 main event fight between Glover Teixeira vs Jiri Prochazka is a solid example where the whole 05 round fight was a part of an immersive experience.
In the mentioned studies, the aspect of drama was the second most motivating factor for attending an MMA event. The spectators enjoyed the thrill of watching close fights where the outcome was not decided until the end.
Vicarious Achievement.
In sports, achievement is always celebrated and the achievers are always admired by the people.
Vicarious achievement translates to the sense of accomplishment an individual experiences when someone else successfully attains a goal.
In our case, we as MMA viewers also get that feeling when our favorite fighter wins a championship belt or does something similar to that.
Imagine yourself watching a fight where a championship belt is at stake, two fighters are battling out for it and one of them is your favorite. As a fan, you will find yourself cheering for that fighter, and if that fighter wins, then you will celebrate the victory as if you’ve won something. If the fighter fails to win the fight, then you will also find yourself shaking your head in disappointment.
This is a scenario where the fighter’s achievement or failure resonates with viewers on a personal level.
Now, why do we feel connected to a fighter’s achievement? Why do we even care if a person wins something or not?
The short answer is, we as fans feel somehow represented by that fighter on a personal or emotional level. It might be due to nationality, charismatic personality, personal journey, or even skills that draw us closer to that fighter and that makes us relate to him or her with a level of admiration.
Let’s take the example of the current UFC Light Heavyweight champion Alex “Poatan” Pereira. Before becoming a superstar in combat sports, he was working at a tire shop in the favelas of Brazil, he also struggled with alcoholism and faced difficulties in making ends meet.
But, after choosing kickboxing as his new way of life, Alex turned his life around. After years of hard work and dedication, he became Glory Kickboxing champion and also two-division UFC champion.
Pereira is usually a stoic person who doesn’t talk very much, but he also reveals his funny side mostly through his YouTube videos. He popularized the Portuguese term “Chama” which means “Let’s go” in English, making it a part of his image.
Not only his personality, but Pereira’s devastating fighting style has also gained him a lot of fans. He is currently regarded as the most devastating fighter in the UFC who has the power to knock out anybody at anytime.
Whenever Pereira fights, the fans find something relatable in him. It could be his struggling journey of becoming a fighter, his stoic yet fun personality or it could be the thrill of him achieving victory through knockout.
Another fact that is also very significant in feeling vicarious achievement is “Nationalism”. The fact that Alex Pereira is from Brazil many Brazilians would take pride in his achievements.
In the studies mentioned, vicarious achievement was among the top motivations for watching MMA. People felt more satisfied and amped up when their favorite fighter won the match, and they hoped to see their fighter win once again.
Crowd Experience and Socializing.
A packed arena filled with fans cheering for their favorite fighters is definitely an exciting atmosphere for the MMA fans.
We learned the importance of an audience when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world and major MMA organizations like the UFC held events without fans. UFC developed their Apex facilities in Nevada where most of the fights took place. Throughout the year 2020, we watched most of the PPV events inside the Apex.
The UFC continues to hold fights at the Apex on weekends, but many fans prefer to watch live events where the audience is present. Both casual and hardcore fans agree that the crowd is an essential part of the overall experience.
The crowd is vital for the sport’s success as it fosters constant interaction between them and the fighters. When active crowd boos or cheers for a fighter, or when a fighter addresses the audience to get a response also enhances the overall experience.
The crowd experience is not only limited to those who are physically attending the event, it also includes people who are watching the fights on their screens. The sound of many people enjoying the fight creates a feeling that makes viewers feel as if they are enjoying the fight alongside the live audience.
Research also shows that the crowd experience and socializing were the most prominent reasons for the spectators to attend and keep coming back to an MMA event.
Violence.
MMA fights or combat sports are much more violent than other sports. We watch this sport because for some reason we enjoy two people hitting each other.
While we are appreciative of the art, it is not the only thing that brings the value. Knockouts, submissions, and the fights where two fighters are bloodied after going through a war brings the entertainment value to this sport. MMA would not be what it is if violence was not a part.
Like many others, I believed that violence would be one of the primary motivations for watching an MMA fight, but surprisingly, the cited researches ranked it among the lowest.
In the early days of the UFC there weren’t much rules and regulations, and athletes used to fight without any weight classes. The sport attempted to establish itself on the backbone of violence, but it lacked the elegance and often resulted in mismatches.
But, after Dana White and Lorenzo brothers took over the UFC, unified MMA rules were introduced and slowly but steadily MMA started to evolve beyond violence.
The context here is, violence might not be the sole purpose why people watch MMA fights, but it remains an essential factor working as a contributor to enhance entertainment for the viewers.
The research also shows that other motivations like sport interest, vicarious achievement, dramatic experiences are higher, but violence acts as a necessary element to supplement and increase all these motivations.
Thank You for reading this post. Please leave your comment below and also stay tuned for more exciting posts like this.
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