Here is the kind of press "Ultimate Fighting" is getting in Australia's media:

Inside this ring there are no rules - elbows, knees, anything goes.

This is ultimate fighting and soon a well executed head butt splits one of the young brawlers above the eye sending a spray of blood into the front row of the crowd near my feet.

(Sound of crowd at a fight)

These gladiatorial contests are promoted by Shinji Ishihara - a former Yakuza godfather and a convicted killer. He once ran a rival gangster through with a samurai sword then watched the man bleed to death in front of him.

And I haven't even mentioned that most of the story is about child pornography. Yup, the Aussie press is linking "Ultimate Fighting" with every thing from Japanese organized crime to kiddie porn.

And just in time for the UFC's debut down under.

But never fear, at least one outlet has MMA's back, from Crikey Sports:

Next year, one of the biggest sporting organisations in the US is coming to Australia, and it's going to make a lot of people very angry.

It's the UFC, or Ultimate Fighting Championships - the world's largest Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion - where the best fighters in the world battle it out for squillions of dollars, and millions around the world pay to watch on PPV.

MMA is already a favourite target of Australia's mainstream media, who trot out a lazy WON'T SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN!?! article every few months on a slow news day.
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But I didn't expect it to start so early. Yet here it is in last weekend's SMH: Cage rage coming here! ZOMG, lock up your children: cage rage is coming!

Before I delve any further into the article, a quick history lesson and clarifier:

The UFC is an organisation. Competitors in the UFC are doing Mixed Martial Arts. You may know it as "cage fighting", "ultimate fighting" or maybe even "no holds barred". But it is called Mixed Martial Arts.

He goes on to write a pretty fair history and introduction to the sport. Nice to see that the true fans are fighting back down under.

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