"I like a man who grins when he fights." --Winston Churchill, 1941.

My father raised me on the classics of boxing: Ali-Frazier, Hearns-Hagler. Sadly, the representative fight of my generation ended up being Tyson-Holyfield II. I despaired that the sweet science had been reduced to a dude's ear getting spit into the third row.

Then I saw Bonnar-Griffin.

Like so many others, I had been led to believe the UFC was for psychotics, a no-holds-barred carnival of bloodlust. Sure, Forrest gushed plenty that night, but all I saw was two guys, fighting for recognition while being beaten beyond it. When's the last time I saw that in a ring? I still love boxing, but I had a feeling that I'd be watching plenty of fights inside those eight caged walls going forward.

In today's MMA, you need brains and skills to go with an iron jaw and a vocabulary that doesn't include "surrender". (A personality doesn't hurt, either.) Maybe you don't know a triangle choke from a square dance... or maybe half your closet is filled with Tapout and Affliction. Either way, there's something to enjoy about MMA for everyone. Hopefully I can convince you of that.

And failing that, we can all just make fun of Brock's tattoos.

Columnists

Matt DeTura

Articles in this feature

Subscribe to feature RSS

• Card By Card - February 2010

  What to watch in case Locke and Smokey don't go three rounds on Craphole Island.

  Opinion by Matt DeTura — on Feb 02, 2010

• Strikeforce: Miami Preview - Stars, Struck

  Wrestlers and footballers converge on the cage. Think of it as Rock 'N Jock MMA.

  Opinion by Matt DeTura — on Jan 28, 2010

• FightNoob Vol. 8 - Keep Your Joint Locked Down

  Our educational series for MMA beginners auto-tunes your armbars.

  Opinion by Matt DeTura — on Jan 26, 2010

• Getting To Normal

  Brock Lesnar, MMA mortality, and the author's appreciation for business as usual.

  Opinion by Matt DeTura — on Jan 21, 2010

• Card By Card: January 2010

  I keep writing 2009 on all my checks -and MMA columns.

  Opinion by Matt DeTura — on Jan 05, 2010

• UFC 108 Review: Thiago Silva Is A Blockhead

  Excepting an early candidate for dumbest round of the year, UFC 108 exceeded expectations.

  News by Matt DeTura — on Jan 02, 2010

• Card by Card: December 2009

  The last month of MMA - for the decade.

  Opinion by Matt DeTura — on Dec 01, 2009

• Caged Turducken: Looking Back At MMA's November Feast

  After binging on MMA in November, it's time to digest a little.

  Opinion by Matt DeTura — on Nov 23, 2009

• FightNoob Vol. 7 - The KaMMA Sutra

  Our educational series for MMA beginners looks at a litany of ground positions.

  Opinion by Matt DeTura — on Nov 21, 2009

• Across the Great Divide

  Another big weekend for both boxing and MMA. But will MMA ever gain critical mass among sweet science fans?

  Opinion by Matt DeTura — on Nov 13, 2009

• Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers Preview

  It's MMA night in America again, and this time, the talent's coming out to play on CBS.

  Opinion by Matt DeTura — on Nov 05, 2009

• Card By Card: November 2009

  Randy and Tito are the big names, but a certain Russian's national TV debut trumps them all.

  Opinion by Matt DeTura — on Nov 04, 2009

• A Higher Power In MMA

  The problems of UFC 104 raise the question: does MMA in the United States needs a governing body?

  Opinion by Matt DeTura — on Oct 30, 2009

• UFC 104 Preview: Rua's On First

  If you can forgive that terrible pun, you can forgive that this card only has two notable fights.

  Opinion by Matt DeTura — on Oct 19, 2009

• FightNoob Vol. 6 - A Guarded Success

  Our educational series for MMA beginners looks at the most common MMA grappling position: the guard.

  Opinion by Matt DeTura — on Oct 15, 2009

• How To Make Friends, And Fight Them

  Is the sport of MMA compromised when friends and teammates refuse to fight each other?

  Opinion by Matt DeTura — on Oct 12, 2009

• The Ultimate Fighter, Fighters, and Artists

  What did Slice-Nelson tell us about bridging the gap from fighting to mixed martial arts?

  Opinion by Matt DeTura — on Oct 01, 2009

• Card By Card: October 2009

  Will it be tricks or treats for fight fans at the start of autumn?

  Opinion by Matt DeTura — on Sep 28, 2009

• FightNoob Vol. 5 - Get Up Stand Up

  Our educational series for MMA beginners looks at the basic principles of stand-up striking.

  Opinion by Matt DeTura — on Sep 25, 2009

• The Week in UFC: Oops!

  I spent the weekend lying down, staring up at a bright light. So did plenty of promising careers.

  Opinion by Matt DeTura — on Sep 22, 2009