Phil, I write this to you in response to your article ‘Ultimate Fighting Championship a bloody disgrace‘. I know it’s easy to write off the fans like me by saying we’re bloodthirsty, or that we marvel in the “cruelty” of mixed martial arts, however, I’m not ignorant and I abhor misplaced and mindless violence.

As part of my occupation, I see mindless violence that you couldn’t even comprehend on a regular basis.

And it’s not in the UFC.

I understand that as a journalist, especially an opinionated one, getting that opinion across is part of your job. You’re paid to give it, and I’m fine with that.

I read the likes of Andrew Bolt, Alan Howe, Rita Panahi, etc. and although I don’t always agree with their opinion, I respect the way it’s written, as it’s usually based around fact and merit.

Maybe that is why your article rubbed me the wrong way.

To pick the UFC out based on violence is an easy target. The violence is there; open for all to see, the cuts, the blood, the physicality.

However, to go after it and try to dictate opinion based on lies and scaremongering is cowardly.

The UFC has been around for 20 years, mixed martial arts much longer and, as we’ve heard ad nauseam, it is the fastest growing sport on the planet.

It is a massive business and an industry filled with talent.

However at the top level, the UFC is struggling to get a foothold on live events here in Australia, and that is partly thanks to close-minded and subjective articles like yours.

What am I talking about? Let’s go through it:

You start off by saying “Since when is kicking, elbowing, kneeing, punching and stomping an opponent classified as sport?”

Kicking, punching? Karate, taekwondo and boxing all contain one or both of these disciplines and are widely regarded as sports; they even feature at the Olympics.

Elbowing and kneeing? Kickboxing or Muay Thai are a couple of exponents.

My biggest issue with what you published is your reference to “stomping”.

I’ve watched plenty of UFC fights, never once have I seen anyone stomped on. I’ve seen them kicked, sure (see: karate, taekwondo), but never stomped on.

That is a lie. A lie that I can only assume was entered into your article to influence those who have not seen the UFC, or those who have pre-conceived ideas about the sport.

Either way, it is shameful.

You’re a Sydneysider Phil, are you a union fan? Tell me about rucking – that’s similar to stomping isn’t it?

I’m an AFL fan predominantly, and I look at rucking (which is often purposefully done on an opponent’s body) as brutal, and something I could never condone in my sport.

Should we ban union, Phil? Or is it part of the game?

You say you witnessed “brutality and bloodshed”, words I actually have no issue with. That is exactly what I witnessed.

However, you follow up with “barbaric savagery that should be banned in this country.” That’s a bit melodramatic isn’t it?

I ask you, is it more “barbaric” than boxing? Is it the sport you hate, or is it the blood? I agree, it’s confronting and not for everyone, but it is a sport.

Sport is sometimes not for everyone, but why should it be banned? What are you basing that on? I find it simplistic to call for a ban.

If it’s the brutality, the violence, the blood or the injuries, or a combination of all, we’re going to have to look at banning a lot of sports, Phil.

“The fact women were allowed to fight on the card was an even bigger disgrace.” I’m not even going to entertain this sentence.

I’m not sure if you’re aware, but they play soccer as well, and vote… hell, some of them even hold down senior executive positions in global corporations!

I watched Mark Hunt versus Antonio Silva with my 26-year old fiancé. We loved it. We watched it, knowing what it could be, and so it became.

It was amazing, one of the best fights I’ve ever seen. Two blokes (mates, actually) standing toe-to-toe and giving it everything.

One of them, an Australian resident, loving the fact he got to fight in his backyard. He did us and his country of origin proud.

He was not “barely recognizable”, and neither was the other guy. They looked the same, with a couple of cuts to their faces, some swelling and some bruising.

Did you look at the photos of Mark Hunt post-fight? He had a gash on his forehead and a smile on his face. He was proud.

I’m sure he’d love to fight on these shores again, all over the country, something that becomes harder due to articles written like yours.

Why did it scare you the Brisbane Entertainment Centre was sold out? What is the problem with families and children seeing it?

I live a stone’s throw from a gym that offers kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, boxing, mixed martial arts and judo lessons. I shop near there, and daily I see kids as young as six coming and going with their parents.

It is a viewpoint that annoys me no end. It’s an easy out, to say “What does it say about our society?” or “Why do we allow our kids to watch and cheer for something we teach them not to do?”

It’s so simplistic, Phil.

Yes, we teach our children it is not ok to hit someone or kick someone, but it happens. That is not the fault of the UFC.

We also teach our children not to steal, not to lie, but that also happens, should we then ban the TV show ‘Survivor’, which shows adults doing exactly that in order to progress in the game? No, we teach them context.

Over the years I’ve heard things like music, movies and video games blamed for societal problems. The UFC is the latest in a long line.

Martial arts on their own are, more often than not, seen as promoting fitness, self-defence, discipline and confidence.

Now we are meant to believe they’re also to blame for some of society’s problems? A lack of parenting and lack of discipline contribute to this more; it is much too easy to blame a sport.

I often sit with my nine-year-old daughter and watch the UFC. She doesn’t necessarily like the blood, but she marvels and the fitness, the strength and at the skill, especially some of the submissions and defences involved in jiu jitsu.

It has encouraged her to become involved in martial arts, and as a father of a nine-year-old girl, I’m stoked.

Even if she only gets a minor amount of self-defence training, it’s more than she had. I thank the UFC popularizing it, and opening it up to her.

But as I say, the classes teach the art, it’s the context I must help teach.

It’s ok in the cage, or on the mat. There’s a referee, there’s rules. There’s none of that on the street, or in the schoolyard. It is wrong there – illegal, in fact.

She already gets it, she’s nine and she understands the point.

Sure, she, or the other millions of kids involved in any kind of martial art or self-defence around the globe, might mess that up. They might get involved in a fight that they start, but is that her fault for starting the fight? Yes.

Is it mine for not teaching context enough? Maybe. Is it the UFC’s? No.

Then again, maybe she’ll get involved in a fight she doesn’t start, defending herself or someone else. Then I’ll be damn glad she got some kind of training, some kind of protection.

There were no “cruel moments” on TV on Saturday. There were no “defenceless men”. There was a sport, warts and all.

Everyone who enters the ring has trained their defence as well as their attack, and they know that they have the ability to tap out, submit, or give up at any moment they feel the need.

The UFC rules give them that opportunity, and they know it. Some of them do, some of them don’t, but they are adults.

They make that choice; the UFC doesn’t force it on them. When it does goes too far, and the ref thinks they’ve had enough, that’s it, it’s over.

I’ve watched plenty of boxing and seen blokes punched senseless, only to be able to stand up and keep going because the ref hasn’t been able to count to eight yet.

Once a bloke is out in the UFC, he’s out. No going back.

I’m not going into the stats about injury and death. They’re out there if you want to look them up, which I’m sure you won’t.

You simply dismissed facts by saying “I know the UFC has statistics to prove there are no more serious injuries than in boxing, but that’s not the point.”

What is the point, then?

And yes, they are allowed to do things that are “illegal on the streets”. I’m not sure you’ve run down George Street and rugby tackled someone, or drilled a 3-wood down Pitt Street, but I guarantee you they’re illegal as well.

We know that we’re not allowed to do that, but I’m pretty sure I won’t need to teach my daughter that. She likes martial arts, she’s not stupid.

“People have been sent to jail for less than what happened inside a cage on Saturday night”, you say? I disagree.

In that cage on Saturday night, men and women were competing in a sport (or technically a mix of sports). People get sent to jail for assaulting others outside that controlled, regulated environment.

They are not the same thing. They are not equal. It is not fair to compare them, simply to try and make your point.

“If you really want to make yourself sick, Google ‘UFC worst injuries’. The images are seriously disgusting…”

I took your advice and Googled them. There were some bad ones. I saw horrible cuts. I saw shocking hematomas. I saw swelling. I read of broken bones, torn ligaments and so on, some of it was quite confronting.

I then used that same search engine to check on the worst injuries in the AFL, NRL, NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, EPL, WWE and more.

I read about James Hird’s facial fractures being compared to that of a car crash victim when he ran into the knee of his teammate during an AFL match.

I read about Mike Utley, who made a tackle in the NFL that left him paralyzed from the chest down.

And I read about Clint Malarchuk who, while goal keeping in the NHL, had his throat sliced by an opponent’s skate, almost dying from blood loss. He called for a priest to give him his last rites.

I won’t go on because we’d be here all day, but they play their sport, are well aware of the risk, and we applaud them for it.

Unless, of course, we hate the idea of the sport, in which case we can always call for it to be banned, right?

You talk about mismatches and lopsided fights? What facts are you basing this on? It is widely known that the UFC has a strict contender rankings system.

They have to earn the right to fight to the top, rarely, if ever, are they mismatched. They are confined to their weight divisions, and unable to fight if the cannot make weight.

Where is the mismatch? Is it size? Talent?

Can you find me an example to back up your point? Sure, sometimes the contest is lopsided, but it’s a sport – people can have an off day, and one person can dominate another.

It’s true in all sports.

But Phil, you saved the best for last.

“The injury risks they face in rugby league and all the footy codes. At least their sport involves a large degree of skill – and it’s not just a contest to ¬violently bash another person into submission.”

This is so ignorant it’s laughable.

What’s the best technique to throw a perfect Superman punch?
How do you defend a take down by getting under hooks in?
How do you submit someone via a heel-hook?
Or prevent someone from submitting you with one?
Exactly how much skill do you need to gain your jiu jitsu black belt?

If you cannot answer these questions, you are not qualified to disparage or disrespect these skilled athletes by saying that at least other sports “involve a large degree of skill.” It’s downright offensive.

I imagine you tuned in knowing what you were going to see on Saturday, Phil. I imagine you knew of the blood, the violence.

You tuned in wanting to see it – begging for it, just so you could write a one-sided, subjective and coercive article, trying to garner the support of the equally-shocked and attempting to gather a groundswell of people to try and prevent the UFC from making further headway into the Australian market.

There’s a simple answer for you and your side. Don’t watch. Don’t allow your kids to watch. If you don’t like it, ignore it.

But don’t attempt to ridicule a professional sport like the UFC and influence others by writing a tirade of catchwords and unsubstantiated bullshit like I have just had the displeasure of reading.

It has no basis, and is completely lacking in credibility.