A recent article on AOL contests that the breakthrough battle between women’s MMA phenom Gina Carano and the bone-crushing Cris Cyborg was no more than a huge step backward for the fairer sex. With a headline that reads, “MMA Is No Breakthrough for Women,” writer David Whitley takes the irresponsibly sexist position that women have no place in a cage or boxing ring, because – well, just because.
Whitley continues: “Women are called the better half for a reason. They are better than men.”
With that one line, Whitley discredits all of the truly talented women, who have chosen to give themselves over to this sport. What detractors of combat sports fail to realize is the true skill and beauty that comes in form and competition, from both men and women who enter a boxing ring or an octagon. While Whitley figured his carefully chosen words would veil his true condescending feelings towards women’s MMA fighters, the effect was, in fact, the exact opposite.
Women's MMA Fighters That Look Like Strippers, Fight Like Bouncers
Whitley further incriminates himself by stating, “If female combat is going to ever make it big, it will need competitors who look like strippers and fight like bouncers.” A clever analogy, no doubt, but it simply proves how far into the stone age Whitley is on gender relations, and regarding the MMA community.
Gina Carano is a natural beauty, yes. Many people were pulling for her for this very reason, yes. When she was overwhelmed and defeated, many fans decided to abandon ship, no. That’s right. No. If anything, the poise with which Carano carried herself after the loss turned people on to the fact of what a great fighter Cris Cyborg truly is. And although she does not deserve it, many will view Cyborg with a villainous eye, which simply makes for better TV, and even more interesting future bouts.
Does the MMA community need a fighting stripper to be entertained? Only if you think truly skilled fighters such as Erin Toughill (or “Steel,” for the American Gladiators revival series crowd) are repulsive. Toughill has not been truly beaten inside of a cage for nearly a decade, and has caught the eye of Strikeforce as perhaps the next contender to Cris Cyborg’s championship. And yes, she is beautiful.
(If that helps.)
And as for Cris Cyborg – who at 24 is still a very young woman – she has built on her pure athletic ability with extensive training in Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu. This is not the same thing as the early nineties ladies boxing craze, which featured buxom beauties with no ability crawling into a ring for a few rounds of glorified hair-pulling. These women work just as hard as the men for far less reward, and the night of Saturday, August 15th, 2009, was vindication to all those like Cris Cyborg and her fellow women’s MMA fighters. They deserve more respect than what was given to them in the condescending, ignorant, and ultimately asinine op-ed piece from Whitley.
What Whitley Owes the Fighters, MMA Community
The Gina Caranos, the Cris Cyborgs, the Erin Toughills, and the Marloes Coenens, all took a collective slap in the face with Whitley's article and he owes them a resounding apology. They are true athletes that believe beauty should not be a handicap of any kind in any pursuit. Hopefully, most are evolved enough to agree.
Until then, the true fans in the MMA community will continue to embrace the work these women do inside a cage. Fans will continue to spread the gospel that yes, these women really can put on as good of a show as the men, and no, there is nothing wrong with admiring their ability and allowing beauty to be placed on hold for three-to-five rounds of combat. Hopefully, such evangelism will take, and fans that have ventured into women’s MMA and mixed martial arts as a whole (for the wrong reasons, perhaps) will stay for the value these fighters bring to the sport.
In other words, hopefully evolved, civilized human beings will open up to new possibilities and ignore the pseudo-intellectual, pseudo-politically correct ranting of a mind stuck in the Dark Ages of human development.
Aric Mitchell - ABOUT ME I have approximately 7 years of instructional experience -- 5 in the corporate world and 2 in public education. I am also a ...
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