Is MMA the most diverse and inclusive sport?

[HockeyBjj]

Its largest organization, the UFC, has a wide variety of races and countries represented among its professional athletes. Even the best in this sport are extremely diverse. This isn't something you see in many sports. Football and Basketball are dominated by Americans, baseball has a large latin American population but doesn't have near the European or African representation. Hockey has a lot of candians and Europeans in addition to Americans but glaringly lacking in non white dudes. Soccer is very worldwide, but the various leagues stick to their area aside from world cup every 4 years. They're not going against each other with as much normalcy as the UFC.


(Yan was born in Russia for comparison)

Then not just the athletes, but how the sport is conducted. Every other sport, women are in their own organization. WNBA. etc. Women use all the same facilities as the men, no smaller arena for the smaller crowds for them. No other sports will show a men's competition, women's, back to the men's, and then even have the top showing be a women's event.

As far as rules, other than wearing tops, there's no rule differences between the men and women. Hockey, there's no checking for the women. Golf, the women tee up closer. But it's not like in MMA women are seen as fragile and so can't handle the knees or elbows

As barbaric as the sport is, I think it has to be recognized as the most diverse professional across both gender and racial lines.

 

[Kyojiro Kagenuma]

Agreed. The fairness and equal opportunity genderwise is one reason I love the sport. That and it's utterly chaotic and unpredictable.

"You know the thing about chaos? It's fair."

There's a Dark Knight qoute for you lol

 

[Murder_KickHC]

Hi Dana. I think Soccer is more diverse.

 

[Kyojiro Kagenuma]

As a side note, I didn't even know there was female hockey.

 

[MCS]

It's a individual sport like tennis that's also popular. So doesn't matter where you come from, if there are gyms. Team sports are more nation-based. Clubs have what they look for, English clubs want English talent.

That is the one problem with popularity within the UFC. They want more Chinese talent than Dagestan because of views.

 

[Slatersan]

Ugh Aljo is the only American champ. Pitiful.

 

[HockeyBjj]

As a side note, I didn't even know there was female hockey.

Of course. Big in college, very big in the Olympics.

Really hasn't caught on professionally. Suffers from the same thing most women's sports do at the pro level, that when compared to the men's, there's a very clear drop in skill

 

[NikLuk]

Its largest organization, the UFC, has a wide variety of races and countries represented among its professional athletes. Even the best in this sport are extremely diverse. This isn't something you see in many sports. Football and Basketball are dominated by Americans, baseball has a large latin American population but doesn't have near the European or African representation. Hockey has a lot of candians and Europeans in addition to Americans but glaringly lacking in non white dudes. Soccer is very worldwide, but the various leagues stick to their area aside from world cup every 4 years. They're not going against each other with as much normalcy as the UFC.


(Yan was born in Russia for comparison)

Then not just the athletes, but how the sport is conducted. Every other sport, women are in their own organization. WNBA. etc. Women use all the same facilities as the men, no smaller arena for the smaller crowds for them. No other sports will show a men's competition, women's, back to the men's, and then even have the top showing be a women's event.

As far as rules, other than wearing tops, there's no rule differences between the men and women. Hockey, there's no checking for the women. Golf, the women tee up closer. But it's not like in MMA women are seen as fragile and so can't handle the knees or elbows

As barbaric as the sport is, I think it has to be recognized as the most diverse professional across both gender and racial lines.

You should compare an individual sport to other individual sports.

Eg, my guess would be that track and field and swimming probably have more nations participating in their World Championship than top level mma if that is how you would like to compare them.

 

[eiyuu]

Unless you're a trans athlete

ie: Fallon Fox

For good reason unless you want to see women get their skulls bashed in by a biological male.

 

[One Pneuma]

Diverse because it’s winners are defined by ability and talent rather than identity.

There’s politics for sure, but there isn’t a handicap to performance given based upon any “intersectional” ideas.

Idk about inclusive, plenty of nationalism, racism, etc.

as real as it gets

 

[HockeyBjj]

Diverse because it’s winners are defined by ability and talent rather than identity.

There’s politics for sure, but there isn’t a handicap to performance given based upon any “intersectional” ideas.

Idk about inclusive, plenty of nationalism, racism, etc.

as real as it gets

Also the showing them of the same. Sure, UFC will do their bullshit of favorable matchups to easier to promote people, but everyone is still presented on the same stage

 

[Hellowhosthat]

It's up there, it's also worth noting that there are many openly homosexual females in the sport and noone cares.

No openly gay men yet though, but I don't think the fanbase would actually really care for the most part.

 

[BushLeague666]

Without all the diversity on the world's surface this sport wouldn't even exist (in it's modern form) because all these different beautiful martial arts and philosophies that go along with it wouldn't exist.

 

[Kyojiro Kagenuma]

Of course. Big in college, very big in the Olympics.

Really hasn't caught on professionally. Suffers from the same thing most women's sports do at the pro level, that when compared to the men's, there's a very clear drop in skill

Why do you think thats not as much of a thing in MMA? I mean people here like to complain about the inferior skill level of WMMA, but the highest level they're definitely elite. Namajunas vs Zhang was treated as the real main event of UFC 261.

 

[Kyojiro Kagenuma]

It's up there, it's also worth noting that there are many openly homosexual females in the sport and noone cares.

No openly gay men yet though, but I don't think the fanbase would actually really care for the most part.

There's clearly something about it that attracts gay women, although I couldn't tell you what.

Tecia Torres
Raquel Pennington
Germaine de Randamie
Amanda and Nina Nunes

Just to name a few. Those are just the ones that are open about it.

 

[One Pneuma]

Also the showing them of the same. Sure, UFC will do their bullshit of favorable matchups to easier to promote people, but everyone is still presented on the same stage

I think the only argument u could make against it would be the equal opportunity to get to the stage (which would be an opinion, and I don’t have one because I have zero idea what it takes to get signed by the UFC for instance).

But, once you make it to the stage, 1 v. 1 sports are a pure form (off hand) of equality of opportunity.

 

[Zebra Cheeks]

Its largest organization, the UFC, has a wide variety of races and countries represented among its professional athletes. Even the best in this sport are extremely diverse. This isn't something you see in many sports. Football and Basketball are dominated by Americans, baseball has a large latin American population but doesn't have near the European or African representation. Hockey has a lot of candians and Europeans in addition to Americans but glaringly lacking in non white dudes. Soccer is very worldwide, but the various leagues stick to their area aside from world cup every 4 years. They're not going against each other with as much normalcy as the UFC.


(Yan was born in Russia for comparison)

Then not just the athletes, but how the sport is conducted. Every other sport, women are in their own organization. WNBA. etc. Women use all the same facilities as the men, no smaller arena for the smaller crowds for them. No other sports will show a men's competition, women's, back to the men's, and then even have the top showing be a women's event.

As far as rules, other than wearing tops, there's no rule differences between the men and women. Hockey, there's no checking for the women. Golf, the women tee up closer. But it's not like in MMA women are seen as fragile and so can't handle the knees or elbows

As barbaric as the sport is, I think it has to be recognized as the most diverse professional across both gender and racial lines.

Yeah man it’s pretty cool because you can learn so many various “base” skill sets when your young that transition into mma. And it’s not team orientated so you don’t need to have the ability to fit in or mesh with others. You’re not trying to fit into a greater mold or strategy specific to a region/country.

 

[Post 2 Decision]

The women's side is very diverse compared to other sports, there's actually some straight girls

 

[avenue94]

Yes, the UFC and mma in general are unintentionally very diverse. Although it would be interesting to see where the sport would be if Dana hadn't gotten his head out of the ass and pushed Ronda.

 

[Daelh]

It's a individual sport like tennis that's also popular. So doesn't matter where you come from, if there are gyms. Team sports are more nation-based. Clubs have what they look for, English clubs want English talent.

That is the one problem with popularity within the UFC. They want more Chinese talent than Dagestan because of views.

English club doesn't want English players at all. They're required to have a certain number of English players but since there are so few good English players they look elsewhere for talent. For example:

Arsenal have 2 English players in their 25 man squad (excluding youngsters that doesn't need to be registered)
Chelsea 3 out of 25 (excluding youngsters)
Liverpool 6 out of 25
Manchester City 4 out of 25
Manchester Unitedn 5 out of 25