It is no secret that the UFC has been trying to “crack” the UK market for some time.  Anyone with a long enough memory will recall Ian “The Machine” Freeman, a native of Sunderland, completely annihilating Frank Mir in England back in 2002.  But there’s much more to the story of MMA in the UK than the UFC’s infrequent visits, which begs the question, what is the state of professional MMA in the UK?

I am fortunate enough to have relatives in England, which allows for frequent trips to the “old country”, and being a big MMA fan, I am always curious to see how the sport is progressing, especially compared with Canada and the United States.  The UK sporting scene can be difficult for a foreigner to figure out, especially for those used to the North American system.  While many MMA fans in North America continue to discuss the pros and cons of a single MMA “major league” – akin to North American sports leagues like the NFL or MLB – sports fans in the UK are well versed in the sometimes labyrinthine complexities of tiered sports leagues, international “friendlies” (which rarely are), and sports like cricket which use rules that are completely impenetrable for anyone who didn’t learn them along with their ABCs.  While North American fans might settle down to watch a football game on a Sunday afternoon, catching occasional highlights of other games, fans in the UK are known to watch rotating two to three minute clips of a dozen football (that’s soccer to you) matches simultaneously.  The result of a crowded and complex sports scene in the UK is, in my experience, a very high degree of sporting literacy among UK fans.  While sporting events have been known to degenerate into riots, this has less to do with ignorant thugs looking for a fight (though that does happen) than with fans who are passionate, involved, and highly invested in their sports.  In short, I have come to truly respect the intelligence of the average UK sports fan.  So, despite the long standing love of boxing as the primary combat sport in the UK, it does not seem that fans have had much trouble making the connection with MMA.  Even casual fans that I spoke to seem to know the basics of what the sport is; I have heard very little of the “human cockfighting” or “no-rules bloodsport” disinformation that is frequently spread around the far side of the Atlantic.

Another major difference in the UK sporting scene is in the realm of participation.  Everyone plays football.  Everyone.  It is not possible to find someone who has not played football at some point.  Especially among young men, participation in amateur sports is almost par for the course; rugby, cricket, golf, and even amateur boxing are all considered very common hobbies and pastimes.  The same mentality can be seen with respect to MMA.  Everywhere I went, I saw signs and advertisements for martial arts training.  Everything from ultra-generic taekwondo (“Self-defence!  Break boards!” – perfect for all those times when you’re attacked by some lumber), to combined classes in BJJ, Muai Thai, and wrestling, which speaks to a deep awareness of contemporary MMA styles, was advertised everywhere from London to the East Midlands.  The importance of this cannot be overstated: those who train MMA tend to comprise a good chunk of the most hardcore and long term fans of the sport.  People who are into MMA enough to sacrifice their weekends and their limbs for the fun of participating are also more likely to shell out a few dollars (or pounds) to see a local show, maybe because a friend or training partner is on the card.  Though the masses of casual fans are what ultimately make MMA promoters (and some fighters) rich, the hardcore fans have to come first.  A promoter will be much more likely to sink money into a putting on a show when fans are visibly seeking out shows; that’s simple market demand, and promoters look for it since it’s a heck of a lot easier than trying to sell a product that no one is looking to buy.

While the density of training of options was not as high as in many North American cities I have visited – for example, in tiny Victoria, BC, there seems to be an MMA gym every five blocks – what was startling was the change from my previous visit, less than a year prior.  During my visit during the summer of 2007, there was little evidence that MMA had registered in the consciousness of the UK sports scene.  There was no coverage in the papers, no hype about “major” shows (including Cage Rage events broadcast on Sky Network), and it was actually impossible to find a sports bar or pub that would show a UFC pay-per-view (or even knew what that meant).  In less than a year, not only has training MMA become a minor trend, but advertisements for both Cage Rage and UFC shows were prominent in the news, there was some evidence that people were actually watching the weekly Cage Rage television show, and I even saw a few Affliction shirts being worn in the high street (which brings up the terrifying possibility of North American meatheads and UK chavs cross-pollinating).  As usual, it is not the snapshot that tells the story, but the change over time.  The change for me can be summed up by my friend (and my wife’s cousin) Andrew.  One year ago, I was showing him online clips of Cro Cop and George St. Pierre, and trying to explain MMA basics to him.  This year, just before I touched down at London City Airport, I received an e-mail from him saying, “Too bad you weren’t here last week – there was a big MMA show that we could have gone to.”  That, along with the pictures on his Facebook showing him proudly sporting his new GSP shirt, tell one small part of a much bigger story.

While the UFC continues to talk about breaking into the UK market, the fact is that MMA has been present in the UK for a long time.  If it seems that UK fans have been slower to accept MMA than North American fans, it should always be remembered that the dynamics of the sports scene in the UK are very different from those in North America.  Sports are something to be watched as well as played, and fans are much more likely to want to learn the ins and outs of a sport before flocking to support big shows.  UK fans invest passionately in football teams, rugby squads, and likewise in individual fighters; an investment of that kind demands a slower, more thoughtful approach, even from someone whose sole intention is to watch and support.  But the end result of a sport catching on in the UK, if the best case scenario for professional MMA comes to pass, is a feverishly committed fan base that turns sporting events into full fledged festivals.  Let’s just hope that the brawls are restricted to football; the fighting in the ring is much more fun to watch.