Mixed martial arts has taken off in the past 20 years, but after taking so many steps forward a new ridiculous phenomenon could see MMA take a giant leap backwards.
Team Fighting Championship (TFC) is a Latvian-based fighting tournament where two five-man teams brawl in a 40-foot-by-40-foot ring.
There are five referees in the ring with them, and the only rules are no head-butting, no shots to the Adam’s apple and no groin shots. Spitting and biting are also prohibited.
Five-on-one situations are not uncommon, and these are complete with head stomps and soccer kicks to the face, all while someone is putting the last unfortunate fighter left in a leg lock.
The referees seem to have little to no control at all, and most fighters take overwhelming amounts of punishment before they are eliminated. And we thought Stipe Miocic’s recent win over Mark Hunt had a late stoppage?
Amateur teams from all over the world can compete in TFC, and their website asks people who are interested to get in contact with them. So if you know four other guys who are crazy enough to think that this is a good idea, then give them a ring.
Sounds made up doesn’t it? Here’s some cringe-worthy footage of one of the fights. No need to show the others, they all pretty end up in a similar way. There isn’t any commentary, but it becomes obvious why once you view the bout.
If you were ever wondering what the WWE would look like if it was 100 per cent real, then I imagine it would be eerie similar to this.
MMA is supposed to be a pure and fair contest between two martial artists of the same weight who compete to find out who is a more complete martial artist. Injuries are inevitable in all sports, but seem encouraged in the TFC. Someone will die in this sport eventually. And it will be a huge blow to legitimate MMA.
MMA has been accepted by many and criticised by some, but while the fastest growing sport in the world still appeals to quite a niche market, organisations such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) have become household names.
Despite MMA’s growth in popularity, there are many who don’t approve of the sport and believe it should be banned altogether. Claims that MMA is not only too brutal but also promotes violence have popped up, and the sport has been likened to cockfighting.
It’s no secret that I love my MMA, and am an advocate for the sport. Two consenting adults who weigh in at the same amount choose to step into a controlled environment where they rely on their technical ability across different types of martial arts to see who comes out the victor.
There are many rules and regulations in place to ensure the safety of the fighters: shots to the back of the head and to the back are prohibited, as are kicks to the head of a downed opponent and 12-to-6 elbows.
Accidents can happen in any sport at any time, and sometimes these even result in death. However in the 21-year history of the UFC there has not been one death in the octagon, due to octagon related injuries or even long-term effects from competing.
There’s no denying it, MMA is a violent sport, and the sight and sound of men and women punching, kicking and choking each other puts off a lot a lot of viewers, stopping it from becoming truly mainstream. But the giant strides UFC has seen MMA make could all be undone by TFC.
All I can do is sit here and hope that the TFC doesn’t grow bigger than it already has.
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