Mixed Martial Arts quite literally kicks ass.

As a casual fan, I don’t know every fighters name. I don’t know the precise technical aspects of the sport. I don’t even know how fighters get punched in the nose without crying like a little girl, something I have yet to master.

But I do know that MMA is easily one of the most exciting sports. A good fight contains some of the best minute by minute action in athletics. Nearly every fight possesses the intensity of a playoff game because losing is not an option.

There are no seasons. Fighters can’t afford to drop a match here or there or lose focus. Win or go home.

Don’t say it’s human cock fighting because you will just come off as close minded and uninformed. Detractors of the sport should note that in its short existence, MMA has seen considerably less head injuries than boxing or football.

Mixed Martial Arts requires a mastery of several different fighting disciplines. Quality fighters need to be able to combine countless styles, approaches and abilities in order to compete. It is a sport of skill and intelligence just as much as sheer physicality.

The UFC has the MMA market cornered for the moment. The organization has done a good job borrowing from the NBA’s model where star power is the primary currency. The UFC has invested heavily in scouting and developing top quality talent on a consistent basis. They’ve strategically built up certain fighters such as Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, and Jon “Bones” Jones while carefully crafting and growing their brands. UFC decision makers also had the foresight to develop a young crop of fighters ready to take the mantle from the older legends on their way out.

It worked.

MMA is the fastest growing sport in the world thanks in large part to the $1 billion organization the UFC has become. With events and fighters from all over the globe, the international audience is assured to sustain this scintillating combat sport.

If you are still unconvinced of the validity of MMA, I’d suggest just getting over it because the sport isn’t going anywhere. MMA is here to stay.