It's the sport with a brutal reputation taking the world by storm.
But fans of Mixed martial arts (MMA) aren't blood-thirsty barbarians looking for gratuitous violence, according to QUT research.
Professor Brett Martin and Dr Michael Devine, from the Consumer Research Group, within QUT's Business School, found many fans of what has been called the "world's fastest growing sport" were more focused on the skill of MMA than the violence.
The researchers conducted in-depth interviews with fans of MMA about why they watched the sport, which consists of two fighters in a ring or cage who must defeat their opponent by knockout, technical knockout or submission.
"Despite the popular theory that fans of MMA are just looking for violence for the sake of it, they prefer controlled violence and hate the `boredom' that comes from watching one-sided contests," Professor Martin said.
"The fans we spoke to had a real appreciation for the hybrid mix of styles fighters use. A boxer who also uses wrestling skills for example, or a kickboxer who uses Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
"One of the reasons that drives fans to watch was seeing which set of skills would be the most effective in a bout."
Professor Martin said the "narratives" of different fighters also appealed to fans.
"Fans love to see a narrative that provides them with a back story for the person in the ring," he said.
"Some fans completely align with fighters who they feel represent them, in the way a footy fan might choose a team. They follow their fights, buy endorsed MMA merchandise and pay to watch the live pay-per-view fights.
"For example, recently retired fighter Georges St-Pierre was seen by many fans as the ultimate thinking mixed martial artist. He was respected for studying the practice and being seen as `respectable' and `humble'.
"The market leader in MMA, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), is very good at creating successful narratives and UFC President Dana White recognised early on that this could boost the connection with fans and the success of the sport."
Dr Devine said the research also suggested that MMA fans tended to watch fights in a social setting.
"Many participants choose to watch MMA pay-per-view bouts with their friends," he said.
"They also enjoyed explaining the sport to newcomers who are unfamiliar with the rules. However, one of the reasons they chose to socialise with like-minded fans was to distance themselves from fans who did not appreciate the skill involved and only wanted to see violence.
"For example, the sort of people who constantly called for big punches in a bout between two skilled martial artists. A bit like a knowledgeable cricket fan hearing a newcomer calling for a skilled batsmen to slog every shot."
The respect fans had for the struggle and preparation of the fighters in the lead up to a bout was another draw for fans to MMA.
"Fans respect the professionalism and dedicated training of the fighters as much as they would any professional athletes," Dr Devine said.
Media contact:
Rob Kidd, QUT Media, 07 3138 1841, rj.kidd@qut.edu.au
After hours, Rose Trapnell, 0407 585 901
