Despite most people’s beliefs about MMA, the sport which is relatively a young one has been gaining more and more fans since its creation. Having great companies around the world –being UFC the maximum referent of the sports, MMA has become something huge in recent years.

For all those who love this sport, it is more than that, it’s a lifestyle. Lots of MMA fans across the world watched at least 4 events per month, and regardless all the bad comments about Mixed Martial Arts, it keeps recruiting more and more adepts. Many people don’t think this must be a real sport, and they catalog like a sport for savages or animals. They might be right, but MMA is more than that.

This is not a show, this is not a comedy, this is real life and nothing represents it better than this wonderful practice. Here are some reasons why MMA has become more than a sport not only for its fighters but for other people implicated in this discipline. 

Plenty of people believe MMA is for criminals, and they couldn’t be more wrong about it. In MMA we can find people with very important degrees or be doing very challenging jobs. Even though this is a violent sport, most fighters are king and in some cases introverted out of the cage. Believe it or not, this is another way to send messages, and fighters know that very well, whether they send good or bad ones.

Mixed Martial Arts is about having no fear of new things and new patches like Conor McGregor trying to fight Floyd Mayweather or Brock Lesnar being successful in more than one sport. Mixed Martial Arts is about being ready for any challenge at any time like the Diaz brothers. MMA is about defending what is yours and being dominant in the process like Ronda Rousey and Joanna Jędrzejczyk did it. It is about surprising everyone like Holly Holm, Michael Bisping and Luke Rockhold among others have done in the past.

There are a big amount of inspiring histories in these leagues, such as Stipe Miocic working as a firefighter when he’s not in the cage, Chris Weidman having a psychology degree and more fighters being more than “animals”.

MMA has changed the life of several people not only in the U.S and Europe but overseas, as this sport is more common every day. It can easily be a life saver for those people who feel that they don’t belong anywhere and nobody understands them. This is a great way to tell a story and create history in the process. This sport is about constant evolution for everyone who is involved in it.

Sometimes Mixed Martial Arts has the function of a calendar for some people –including the author of this article- as they plan their weeks, months or even years according to the events they have to see.

Here you can discover new things, you can discover new passions, new ways to see the life and affront it. MMA gives the people a chance, whether you are a fighter or not. Life is pretty much about fighting back and this phrase takes another dimension when you know MMA. This is beyond throwing a punch and expect not be hit by your rival. This is MMA, this is not a sport: this is an attitude.