UFC v. WWE

 What’s the difference between the UFC and WWE? REALLY?

 

Twice in the past few weeks I’ve been asked this question by a seemingly intelligent person. Granted, both were women, who in general do not follow the UFC or WWE. The demographic for both organizations is roughly the 18-34 year old male.  So, how can a not-so-casual observer not be able to tell the difference between the two? To be honest, I’m not quite sure. When I was first presented with the question, I honestly thought the person was joking. I looked at her for a few seconds before it dawned on me she was being completely serious. After shaking the cobwebs from my head, the first response that came to mind was:

“Well, one is fake and the other is very real.”

We happened to be at an establishment who was showing a UFC event at the time. The card had more than a few fights which featured bloody forehead gashes. I pointed to the screen which just happened to have a close up of one of the fighters who was sporting a three inch wound on his forehead.

“Does that look fake?” I asked. She didn’t need to respond. It was obvious.

What amazes (and somewhat annoys) me is the perception people continue to have of the UFC. Not only do they see it as a sport for thugs and hooligans, they continue to group it with scripted shows which have predetermined outcomes. Granted, MMA has taken huge strides in the past few years and moved closer to mainstream than it has ever been. But to the casual onlooker, it’s still a sideshow and regarded as something less than a real sport.

How does MMA change this perception? I’m not sure it will ever change completely. Hard core fans know what the sport is all about. They know the level of dedication and athleticism required to step into the cage and compete at the level at which these athletes do. I can see how the UFC and WWE could be confused with one another. The casual fan glances at the television in their local bar and sees shirtless, muscular men in shorts and tights beating the crap out of each other. Does it really matter if it’s fake or real? Not to them.