Mma why we fight

Sometimes it is out of being curious, sometimes it is out of pride; but either way, competing to see who is better is a trait that has long been a part of human society. Yes, there are flashy things to heighten the experience, and they do play small roles as well. Having scantily clad women parading around the arena is a stimulant that caters to the male audience, which is the biggest demographic. But the way the sport is structured plays a significant part as well.

In most other sports, you have teams to root for. Even in the Olympics, you are watching individual athletes perform, but are rooting more for the country. Yes, they have camps and other teammates, but when the cage door shuts, it is all about the two fighters. This sport allows people to rally behind one single person. Think of what is more exciting: to vote for a group of politicians, or the President? People love to rally behind a football team, but put a great deal of emphasis on the quarterback.

It is easier, more relatable, and more fulfilling to back one person. The reason why, is that there is a connection there. If you see a team with numbers on their backs, then you are focusing on the team. With MMA, there are no masks, there are no jerseys, and very little else concealing whom the athlete is. Think of how many MMA fighters you could recognize, and compare it to how many hockey players you could run into and know. This is putting it very generally, but MMA fighters are very much associated with their own look, styles, abilities, and, yes, country.

Some do, but typically, the separation is usually an athlete-by-athlete basis. The stylistic draw is still there, and many fans are becoming more educated on the sport. Many people have turned to MMA training, and, in general, research the sport more in-depth. More and more people are starting to understand the technical game that MMA can be, and thus appreciate it more.

Some are still content with a knockout or submission, but both are draws in their own way. In general, fighting is always something that excites us. Sibling rivalry is all a competition, trying to get that promotion before others is as well.

Our lives are built around getting to the top, but sometimes suggests to step on others on the way up. MMA is intriguing because of the way the athletes are connected as well. The MMA fighters and some head honchos of the organizations are all very connected with their fans.

Dana White is a shining example. But what makes the athletes intriguing is that you feel that connection with them. Because they are fighting, yes, but their fighting is their livelihood as well. For many of these fighters, this is their sole job and career. This is how they support their families and themselves.

In many sports, the most the competitors have to lose is their pride, whereas fighters and pugilists are quite literally putting their bodies, and sometimes even their lives, on the line. Dr Christian Jarrett is a cognitive neuroscientist, science writer and author.

He is the Deputy Editor of Psyche, the sister magazine to Aeon that illuminates the human condition through psychology, philosophy and the arts. Jarrett also created the British Psychological Society's Research Digest blog and was the first ever staff journalist on the Society's magazine, The Psychologist.

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