Popularity of mixed martial arts on the rise in Cenla

By Will Tubbs
wtubbs@thetowntalk.com

The sport may thrill, amaze or even frighten its fans, but there is no doubting its popularity.
Mixed martial arts fighting, for many years considered an overly-violent fringe form of entertainment, has become one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation.

"A first-time viewer will be first of all shocked, second of all amazed and third they will want more," said Gil Guillory, a retired fighter now working in promotions. The sport, which pits fighters with training in any number of martial arts and combat backgrounds against one another in quick but brutal fights, has grown to such popularity that Guillory and other organizers of a July 28 card in Alexandria, "Power House Fighting Champions," expect to draw several thousand people to the Riverfront Center for the 16-bout event.

Mark Jeffers, the director of entertainment for Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville, said a recent mixed-martial arts show at the casino had drawn a good crowd.

"We had a great show as far as show-up attendance," Jeffers said. "The attendance was excellent. People seem to like it and like the excitement."

The exact reasons behind the sport's sudden rise in popularity are as varied as disciplines used in the ring.

"I think it is an extension of the society we live in," Jeffers said. "Everything is extreme. You have the X-games on TV that showcase extreme sports. I think they took the fight game to the extreme level."

Guillory said the brevity of the fights, which can be just minutes in length, appeals to the modern viewer.

"People have short attention spans," Guillory said. "They can't take long, drawn-out events. They want that instant gratification. There's no waiting to figure out tactics, everyone just dives right in."

Despite the sport's break-neck pace, mixed martial arts fighters are quick to point out that there is more to winning than simply throwing haymakers.

"It's a thinking man's game along with a game of violence and of physical combat," said Clay Shackleford, a former Marine who will make his pro debut against local fighter Kalvin "Hot Boy" Hackney at the Riverfront Center on July 28. "It's a game of human chess in which you are the only piece and you get used in many different ways."

Another theory behind the sport's popularity is the audience's ability to relate to the fighters.
Far from being multimillionaires, many of the combatants are forced to work "normal" jobs to support their families. Shackleford, who resides in Ft. Smith, Ark., drives a dump truck in between training sessions.

Hackney, the local fighter with a 1-0 record as a pro, also has to find a way to squeeze training, working and family time into any given 24-hour period.

"I've given up a lot for this sport," Hackney said. "I have to give a lot of thanks to my woman for what she has to go through. You train 4-6 hours a day not including going to work and taking care of everything else. It takes a lot of sacrifice to be a mixed martial arts fighter."
Mutual sacrifice generally leads to a mutual respect among fighters.

"I'm not looking at Kalvin like I want to kill him," Shackleford said. "I want him to be able to go to work on Monday."

"It's a sport," Hackney said. "I want to win and I want to beat Clay, but I'm not out there trying end anybody's career."

Of course, as Shackleford pointed out, a respect for the opponent does not take away from the intensity of the event.

"I'm all about going out for a beer after the fight," Shackleford said. "I'm all about being friends and I might like you, but for 15 minutes of our life, I've got to put all that aside and try to kick your ass."

The sport first gained notoriety, some might say infamy, in the early 1990's with the birth of ultimate fighting, originally billed as a no-holds-barred fight.

Guillory, who also serves as the state representative for the International Sports Combat Federation (a governing body that oversees mixed martial arts fights the world over), said the sport has come a long way since its dubious introduction to the American public.

"People were afraid of the sport for many years," Guillory said. "When ultimate fighting first came in, it looked like just a barbaric bar-room brawl. There were no weight classes and it was pretty much anything goes.

"You'd see guys head-butting each other and going for groin shots. ... It looked like a bunch of guys rolling around on the mat looking for cheap shots. That type of fighter isn't around any more."
Over the years, the sport has, thanks to governing bodies, evolved from a simple exercise in brutality into an organized sport that Guillory said was the safest combat sport in existence.

"We've got guys who've been competing for 20 years and you won't see a punch-drunk mixed martial arts fighter," Guillory said. "The trauma to the body is non-existant, really. Unlike a lot of other combat sports, you have the option of tapping out, which is an honorable way of saying, 'My opponent got me, he was the better man today.'

"There is a striking element to our sport, but it is only one part of the game. We wrestle, we grapple, we look for submissions. The punches are there, but they are minimal."

Hackney said referees generally do a good job of providing for fighters' well-being.

"I find that it's safer than boxing," Hackney said. "In boxing, you might see a guy get rocked and he gets a standing eight count. In MMA, if you get rocked, or if it starts looking bad, that's the fight. The official will step in and end it."