For many years there has been a friendly rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne as to which is the sporting capital of the country.
Both cities host massive events, be it the Melbourne Cup, the season-ending V8s race, the Grand Prix, or the A-League All-stars.
Both cities host the biggest grand finals in the country, both have hosted international superpower football teams, and both host one of the two biggest Test matches of the year.
There is no doubt that as far as the biggest sporting city in the country goes, it’s a two-horse race.
One large, international event that Sydney have hosted on multiple occasions that Melburnians are yet to witness live in their home state is a visit from the UFC.
For those who are unaware, although the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is legal in the southern state, the UFC’s cage is outlawed.
Sydney has hosted four UFC fights, the last of which saw a crowd of over 10,000 people.
Melbourne cannot claim to be the sporting capital of the country while it continues to shun the largest MMA organisation in the world.
I don’t understand why the state would allow MMA in a boxing ring, but not the cage. As was seen in the old days of Pride MMA, fighters are prone to falling out of the ring through the ropes. The cage, as it is designed to do, keeps all contestants within the confines of battle.
The reason Victoria do now allow the cage is the image of two men being caged in, like animals supposedly.
The fact that the UFC brings in thousands of fans, as well as puts millions of eyes on a city seems to be lost in the debate.
The current Victorian state government have stated that they have no intention of overturning the ban on the cage, while the opposition have shown some support in at least raising the idea.
Whether or not you like the sport of MMA, or even the implementation of the cage, a city that places a ban on the biggest organisation of a major sport cannot claim to be the sporting capital of any country.
Glenn Innes
Guest
Also Daniel lets look at the facts, horse racing is about - well horses racing, accidents happen, horses and sometime jockeys die but the sport is not about watching animals fight to the death to feed the sadism of the human spectators like dog fighting , you are playing undergraduate sophistry. Cage fighting is to sport what sado masochistic pornography is to cinema
Glenn Innes
Guest
Daniel - The sport is a disgrace and should be banned,it is the canary in the coal mine of a culture returning to barbarism. Try as I may I can't see the relevance of dead racehorses, we kill tens of thousands of horses every year to feed pet dogs and make glue, many of them slow racehorses, we kill millions of chickens, likewise cattle, what has that got to do with cage fighting? The question is not how dangerous a sport is, no doubt there are many sports more dangerous than cage fighting, the question is what values does is promote, and cage fighting promotes the values of a prison exercise yard brawl, this is prizefighting with pre 19th century values, a return to Hogarth's gin lane.
Daniel Nichols
Roar Guru
there were more deaths on Melbourne Cup day than there has been in the history of the UFC ... but don't let the facts get in the way aye?
Jack Russell
Roar Guru
What about Kabbadi. Who's going to be first to host a major tournament and claim sporting capital status!!!!! I mean really......MMA. Hosting it doesn't mean anything at all.
barneybuck
Guest
Couldnt agree more and who wants the thuggish and brutal so called sport of MMA in Melbourne maybe a handful of sadists.The same type of people that would think dog and cock fighting is OK.
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
Exactly my thoughts, well said Isaac.
Perry Bridge
Guest
Hmmm. This pre-supposes that one really rates UFC as a sport worthy of such consideration. Yeah.....Nuh!! Melbourne v Sydney as sporting capital of Australia - if a two horse race, then it's at least the length of the straight. However - Sydney's insecurities about this topic are legendary - such that even Cricket Australia (note, based in Melbourne, near the MCG which is the home of Australian cricket and the birth place of test cricket) recognise the Sydney neurosis and make most their public announcements in the Harbour city. Melbourne has 1 of 4 Grand Slam Tennis tournaments, has both F1 GP and Moto GP (Phillip Is counts), the Melb Cup and entire Spring racing carnival (who knows any winners of the Sydney cup??). The main thing going for Sydney is the ego of Sydneysiders now getting involved in private ownership - and that can distort anything - get someone wealthy enough and to inflate their ego can pump millions into a sporting 'franchise' and ....well, Tinkler, Palmer....good luck on that path. Melbourne is the home of community/membership based club footy because - as a population based culture it IS the sporting capital of Australia, - by the length of the straight.
Isaac Nowroozi
Roar Guru
It's one of those things people travel for anyways. It's not like football or AFL where it's played in different cities on a week to week basis. One or two events every twelve months in AUS... I think it doesn't really matter where it's hosted.
Isaac Nowroozi
Roar Guru
Dana White has expressed his interest in going to Melbourne in the past, and there is no doubt in my mind that an event there would be a success. I'm sure Melbourne has tons of MMA fans, but the 'sporting capital' aspect of this article is irrelevant.
Daniel Nichols
Roar Guru
Mma is legal in Victoria mate, it's the cage that is not. Until they host the world's biggest organization from the world's fastest growing sport, Sydney number one!!!
Daniel Nichols
Roar Guru
Says an obvious non mma fan. What about those who support it? Thanks for comment btw :)
Daniel Nichols
Roar Guru
How can a city that claims to be the be all and end all for sport ignore the fastest expanding sport in the world?
Pete
Guest
LOL If that's what it takes to be great keep it ... UFC lol
Dean
Guest
Daniel likes MMA and wants Victoria to make it legal. Why the bit about sporting capital was thrown in is about click-bait I'm guessing, since nobody would click on this if it was just about MMA. And therefore he's defeated his own point. Nobody cares about MMA or if Victoria makes it legal.
AR
Guest
A cursory glance at Daniels articles will show you that he has a subtle knack for picking highly "clicky" topics - stadium articles, hosting the World Cup, Melb v Syd themes etc. Generally, they're a fun read. This one, however, misses the mark...and by a fair bit. But I'll play along, and offer this Melbourne perspective... Sydney, UFC is aaalllllll yours.
pat malone
Guest
absolutely not (from a proud sydneysider), pretty weak argument