Old ladies on the radio call it senseless brutality and glorified violence. But the UFC — also known as Ultimate Fighting Championship, if you’ve got the time — is the fastest growing sport on the planet.
Despite being outlawed in many states across the US — its birthplace — the fighting league of mixed martial arts (MMA) has kicked, punched, kneed, slammed and choked its way to an estimated billion-dollar business.
The premise is basically, “What form of martial arts is the most lethal?” And every few weeks, fans see fighters with backgrounds in wrestling, boxing, grappling, karate, jujitsu, kickboxing and anything in between, all try to prove themselves as the bloke with the biggest biff.
The bouts go down inside an octagon-shaped ring surrounded by a chain-link fence. Fans — including celebs Paris Hilton, Keanu Reeves, George Clooney and Pamela Anderson — regularly sell out venues and create record pay-per-view sales that humble mainstream sports.
Over the past year, the UFC has been pushing for global expansion, hosting hardcore events in London, Manchester, Cologne and Dublin. The next scheduled destination is Sydney on February 21. It sold out in minutes.
Aussie Battler
Australian champ Elvis Sinosic doesn’t mind bashing a beer.
You’re a bit of an Aussie MMA legend, mate.
Yeah, I fought on the first Australian MMA show. I was also the first Aussie to fight and win in the UFC,so I’ve got a bit of history in the sport.
Is Elvis your real name?
Yes, it’s just one of those things. It was hard getting through school, but it seems
to have paid off in later life.
How hardcore is it actually stepping into the Octagon?
I’m not scared at all. It’s a massive rush more than anything. I’m sometimes a little nervous beforehand, but that’s it. Then it’s work time and I go out and do my job. Knockouts don’t usually hurt that much and I’m not worried about anything else.
What’s the worst pain you’ve ever inflicted?
Probably an arm bar I’ve put on somebody. When you do one of them, fighters have
the choice of tapping out or having their arm broken. Occasionally a fighter will let it
get broken and try to keep going.
Has anybody ever been stupid enough to pick you in the street?
There was one time in high school where I had to fight a kid a couple of years older than me — he was in year 10 and I was in year 8. He tried to kick and punch me, so
I wrestled him and did the ground and pound. Nowadays, I can solve most problems with a cold beer.
What’s the worst pain you’ve ever inflicted? Leave your comment below.
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