Fighting for entertainment was a sport back in ancient rome. It's sport when it's just wrestling, just boxing or just jiu jitsu. And it's still a sport today.
MMA really is just a list of rules and a legal framework that allows cagefighting under those rules in an official capacity. And cagefighting was not invented by the gracies. And existed a loooong time before people ever thought making the fights fake and add some drama would sell well.
And I don't really see too many other similarities between MMA and pro wrestling, at least naturally.
Because on the other hand the way things are run...sure, quite the circus show and I would agree with him, same with boxing.
Agree 100%. Josh is on point here.
Josh is just plain wrong. MMA may be a business, but that doesn't mean it's not a sport. That's like saying Boxing isn't a sport because the more marketable fighters get the most attention and the biggest fights.
If they were consistently completely empty, there would be no professional leagues or cups. All professional sports are dependent on them being financially viable.
Niche sport that at some point most of us will get bored of or grow out of.
If it involves grown men chasing a ball
MMA is the promotion, UFC is the sport. Don't you stupid fans know by now?
It's a sport, and no amount of waxing philosophical from a cone tittied steroid junkie is going to change that.