REALITY OF VIOLENCE: First of all, I think fighting and violence is completely pointless.  But as much as I dislike it, the fact remains that physical confrontations do sometimes occur. It starts as kids at schools and in play yards, then progresses on to high school where relationships and their associated complications begin to increase in numbers and hormones begin to introduce themselves to an unsuspecting male population. Then as adults these conflicts are experienced in intercollegiate activities, nightclubs, or even walking around downtown.  The good news though is that as long as weapons aren't involved, it's a very rare occurrence for the participants to actually die or suffer irreparable harm from them. MORALITY OF SELF-DEFENSE: If it can be acknowledged that violence exists and sometimes presents itself without invite, then the simple question that follows is this - is it wrong (ethically, morally, spiritually, etc) for people to prepare to defend themselves and/or their families by training in martial arts? One argument against learning how to fight is that it will only inspire you to be more violent. But if you talk to the people who are the most proficient at self-defense, the "Masters" of martial arts, they will be quick to tell you (and their students too) that you should never use your acquired skills to inflict physical harm unless it is absolutely necessary.  Conversely, the people who are usually the most eager to use violence are individuals who have not had formal training or instruction.  This is because most men feel the need to in some way prove themselves and test their toughness (read “Wild at Heart” by John Eldridge for more explanation). But when you are testing your strength and skill in the gym as well as in the ring against other trained opponents, the need to prove yourself elsewhere is diminished significantly. Not only that, but learning how to defend yourself will actually help prevent another party from starting a confrontation in the first place. I have read time and time again that criminals who are looking for a victim want the easiest target they can find. By learning how to fight, you will walk around with more confidence and less fear for your own safety, especially in circumstances where fear may be more warranted (like in a dark parking lot at night). Thus, by exuding more confidence, a logical conclusion can be made that you are less likely to be targeted by a criminal. Now, if it can be agreed that it isn’t morally wrong to learn self defense, then the next question is - what is the best way for an individual to test his/her knowledge and ability to apply the self-defense skills that they have spent a large amount of time and energy acquiring? TRAINING AND TESTING: The original idea of the UFC was to determine which martial arts discipline would be the most effective in a real-world combat environment.  At that point in the event’s history, there were no weight limits, and very few rules. While the UFC and the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) as a whole has evolved significantly from those early days, the idea of testing the various chosen styles and skills of the participants remains intact. With the additional benefits of rules, weight limits, sanctioning bodies, and referees who are dedicated to ensure the fighters’ safety now in place, the UFC and other MMA competitions are the best ways to compete and test oneself within a controlled environment. THE CAGE: I think one of the most difficult things about the UFC for most people to accept is the octagonal cage that the fighters are enclosed by. While it may seem barbaric at first, there are actually several reasons why “The Octagon” is used. The next paragraph, taken from How Stuff Works’ website, explains the benefits. “The original UFC event was conceived as a way to match styles against each other to find which was best. Various styles of fighting take place in different kinds of rings or mats -- for example, boxing is in a square and wrestling is in a circle. The Octagon was designed to avoid giving any one martial arts discipline an advantage. Because the angles in an Octagon are wider than those for each corner of a boxing ring, there is little chance for a fighter to get stuck in a corner with no way out. The UFC bordered the Octagon with fencing so that fighters couldn't fall or get thrown out of the ring. The Octagon is a stable structure designed with the fighter's safety in mind, while still providing a good view for spectators.” THE PARTICIPANTS: If you have never watched an MMA competition (or probably not in quite a while), then you haven't seen the respect that almost all (probably 95%) of the opponents have for each other.  Even if they dislike each other beforehand, after the fight is over they frequently hug and demonstrate mutual respect for one another, with the winner often complimenting and encouraging his opponent afterward. In a recent Sports Illustrated article, Randy Couture (the current heavyweight champion) summed up most fighters’ attitude pretty well by saying "It's a combat sport, and injuries can happen. But what a lot of people don't realize is that you're not there to hurt the other guy. Your adversary isn't your enemy. It's a kinetic chess kind of thing." Numerous fighters in the UFC are dedicated and outspoken Christians, including Quinton Jackson (the current light-heavyweight champion), Randy Couture (the current heavyweight champion), Rich Franklin (former middleweight champion), Matt Hughes (former welterweight champion), Tim Sylvia (former heavyweight champion), etc...  So are the Christians who participate in or appreciate martial arts less dedicated to Jesus than non-combatants?  Or is it a personal preference that you as a person have, and not an issue about Christianity? Let's look at the Bible's perspective about it a little deeper. Does the Bible advocate men being strong warriors (Psalm 144:1)?  What about the majority of the Old Testament heroes, including Jacob (wrestled an angel), Moses (killed an Egyptian), Joshua (conquered the Canaanites), Sampson (slew the Philistines), and David?  While Jesus did say to turn the other cheek when struck, did he also say not to protect your own family?  Do you think Jesus would advocate protecting your wife or children from harm?  What about standing up to bullies, even physically, in order to protect a helpless victim?  What about protecting your country from invaders?  What about police officers - should they also turn the other cheek, or are they justified in sometimes using force? SUMMARY: I'm not saying that violence is good.  I'm just saying that it isn't as simple as wrong or right, and all violence isn't necessarily bad.  This is especially true when you consider that as a Christian, we believe in the actual existence of evil.  And with this belief is the reality that sometimes it is necessary to physically defend yourself, your family, other people, and/or your country against those who are controlled by its influence. If you can embrace this concept, then watching an event like the UFC is merely observing and appreciating two highly trained mixed martial arts combatants who desire to test their skill and their fitness level against one another, to eventually answer their own questions of “How effectively can I apply what I’ve learned?”, “How good am I, not just in my gym but amongst my peers all over the world?”