MMA in the Mainstream Watch
June 6, 2007
Back in January I gave my opinions on what we can really use as markers to definitively say that MMA has reached widespread acceptance in American culture in a post titled 11 Signs That Mixed Martial Arts is Mainstream.
We’ve seen a couple of those markers reached in the meantime. We have seen:
- An MMA fighter on the arm of a hollywood actress at the Oscars awards ceremony with Tito Ortiz and his lady-friend Jenna Jameson
- ESPN has begun formally covering mixed martial arts
While no other of the criteria I gave have been met to my knowledge, a couple have come very close.
- I required that an MMA fighter would host Saturday Night Live. We’re still not there yet, but we’re getting close in Chuck Liddel’s appearance on David Letterman Thursday evening.
- While we haven’t seen Sports Illustrated grant Sportsman of the Year to a fighter yet, we have broken the seal with both Sports Illustrated and ESPN featuring cover stories on the sport of MMA.
We’re getting there slowly but surely. Dana White recently was quoted as saying that MMA is nowhere near mainstream (sorry, I don’t know where I saw that to link you to it). What do you think? Have we crossed that threshold?
#69 Kyra Gracie Interview & Never Submit Writer James Hergott
May 27, 2007
In a sure sign of things to come, this week on The FightWorks Podcast we welcome our first female guest, Kyra Gracie. Growing up in a house with Renzo Gracie, Ralph Gracie, and Ryan Gracie, Kyra, who is now 21, was exposed to Brazilian jiu-jitsu at a young age. No doubt one of the top female grapplers in the world, the very popular Kyra discusses how it’s possible to be a great competitor in combat sports while remaining feminine. We’ll not only get an update on the knee injury she suffered at the 2007 Abu Dhabis in New Jersey, but find out what her plans are and get to know her a little as well.
Our second interview contains a conversation with writer/director James Hergott, who wrote the script for the film Never Submit, a movie about mixed martial arts that had some prominent names from the MMA community involved. Hergott has filed a lawsuit against Ken Eade and Imperia Entertainment and asked for an injunction to stop work on the film, as he claims that he has not been paid in some time. We attempted to contact Mr. Eade for the story but did not hear back.
Kyra Gracie (bottom) against Caoimhe McGill at the 2007 ADCC
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (recommended)
[mp3] Download the show
MMA in the Mainstream Watch: Caleb’s Prophesies
February 28, 2007
Well back in mid-January I proposed a listed of 11 signs that MMA is mainstream. Not just a little mainstream, but very mainstream. About halfway down that list was:
6. An MMA star is seen on the arm of a hollywood actress at the Oscars awards ceremony
It appears that one of my predictions has come true in short order, as I learned by reading Shoemoney’s post, Jenna Jameson How Ugly You Have Become. Not too much of a shocker, as the good guys over at Fight Opinion totally predicted it’d be Tito and Jenna to fulfill this part of my prophecy.
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Only in Southern California…
October 23, 2006
On my way to the academy tonight for open mat I found a flyer on my window advertising a “fitness and training center” on the windshield. Now, I know that gyms all over plaster windshields. But in how many other towns would someone put together a flyer whose message is that they have 4 boxing coaches, one muay thai coach, two Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructors, and one mixed martial arts coach. And keep in mind, I don’t live in a place with a high concentration of young males, like, a college area, but a quiet residential neighborhood. I won’t name the gym (hint: Jon “WarMachine” Koppenhaver trains there), but I find it pretty revealing about San Diego.
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