Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a combination of boxing, Muy Thai, wresting, and Brazilian Ju Jitsu with its own unique set of rules. MMA started as a competition to see which of those sports was the best, but quickly turned into its own sport entirely.
But while the popularity of MMA is increasing rapidly, so are the criticisms against it. People say it’s too violent and insiders are guilty of creating controversy to sell events.
Jason Heit, a local MMA veteran, is a trainer and competitor; he also runs the Aggression Fighting Championships (AFC). Heit sees the positive impact that the sport has on people.
“I believe that people need an outlet for aggression, whether it’s painting, getting in a cage and training, or just going to the gym and hitting a heavy bag,” he says. “I need that outlet in my life, and find that mixed martial arts improves my quality of life.”
Heit notes that when people have outlets for aggression they are more calm, patient, focused, and productive. He does feel, however, that certain promotions try to exploit controversy between the competitors in order to create emotional appeal. He notes that the promoters will ask loaded questions to the competitors with intention of creating tension that doesn’t even need to exist in the first place.
“Unfortunately the violent stigma that comes along these promotions can stick with all mixed martial arts organizations,” says Heit, “but I personally think that the drama that fighters and spectators can encourage cheapens the sport and can give us all a bad reputation.”
When Heit was on the Canadian National Boxing Team, he felt the glory and was in an honourable position representing his country. He says that being an MMA athlete is not the same, because of the stigma surrounding MMA.
Aggression Fighting Championship commentator and Island MMA manager Keith Nadasen doesn’t understand why this stigma sticks, considering the statistics.
“In boxing, there is a standing eight count when someone is down and injured, whereas in MMA when the fighters get injured badly, the fight is stopped. There is way less of a chance of a head injury in MMA than in boxing.”
Nadasen supports the zero tolerance against violence rules that many MMA clubs enforce in Victoria. He explains that when fighters use their skills out of the ring not for competition but to create problems they can be suspended or even kicked out of their club, depending on the severity of the situation.
“The AFC doesn’t tolerate petty behaviour from its contestants,” says Nadasen. “We’ve suspended a fighter for throwing his opponent out of the ring, and on another occasion took a fighter off of the roster for mouthing off his opponent at the weigh-ins.”
Dillon Brown, an Aggression Fighting Championship competitor in the upcoming fights on November 3, says his life is moving forward in a positive direction, and MMA training is giving him the discipline to achieve his goals.
“Since I’ve been a MMA competitor I’ve become much more humble,” he says. “The toughest and best fighters are usually the most humble, and discipline themselves to fight for competition. This is a sport that we’re all trying to improve in, so I really don’t condone getting into people’s faces and creating problems.”
AFC 13: Natural Selection
November 3, 7 pm
Bear Mountain Arena, $43.25-$123.25
aggressionfc.com