Description
Violence has been a part of the human story since the very beginning. In ancient times, fighting was a raw and often lethal reality of daily life. People fought for survival, for honor, and for status. A person’s ability to defend themselves directly shaped their place in the social order. This constant threat of brutal conflict, however, eventually led humanity to develop ways to control its own aggressive urges. Over many generations, societies began to create rules and structures around violence, transforming it from chaotic brutality into something more predictable and contained.
This process of creating rules for combat can be seen throughout history. The duel, for instance, was a significant step. Instead of a spontaneous, no-holds-barred fight, duels had strict codes of conduct. Opponents had to agree on a time, a place, and the weapons to be used. The goal was often to prove one’s honor, and victory could sometimes be achieved without bloodshed if an opponent backed down. This trend continues today in modern combat sports. A mixed martial arts (MMA) match, while appearing intense, is a highly controlled event. The violence is confined to a specific time and place, overseen by a referee, and governed by a set of rules, making it a safe and structured outlet for our primal instincts.
Many people are drawn to combat sports like MMA for practical reasons, such as learning to defend themselves against bullies. Bullying is a timeless social dynamic where stronger individuals assert dominance over the weak. Learning a potent form of self-defense can level the playing field and deter aggressors. Beyond self-protection, however, these sports fulfill a deeper need for what is known as ritualized combat. This is a form of conflict found throughout the animal kingdom, used to establish social hierarchies without causing unnecessary death or injury. Like chimpanzees puffing up their chests, human fighters engage in displays of intimidation, such as intense staredowns, to gain a psychological edge before a fight ever begins.
The connection between physical conflict and gender, particularly masculinity, is undeniable. From an evolutionary perspective, males have historically been more violent due to reproductive competition. Because men can father many more offspring than women can bear, there has always been fierce competition among men for mates. This biological reality has shaped the male physique, making men, on average, larger, stronger, and more muscular. It also encourages a culture of risk-taking and the defense of honor. While women are certainly not devoid of aggression, their methods are typically more indirect. They are more likely to engage in social competition, attacking a rival’s reputation or status rather than engaging in physical violence.
These behavioral differences are visible from a very young age. Boys’ games often revolve around competition, hierarchy, and simulated combat. Girls, in contrast, tend to prefer cooperative play that builds social bonds. This is not to say women do not compete, but even in professional sports, studies show that male athletes are generally more focused on the singular goal of winning, while female athletes often place a higher value on teamwork and the experience of playing. Society has created countless rituals, from schoolyard games to professional rap battles, that allow these competitive instincts to be expressed in a structured way, establishing social roles while keeping actual violence in check.
On a larger scale, sports have long served as a substitute for warfare. Throughout history, games and athletic contests were used to train warriors and prepare them for battle. Medieval tournaments, where knights fought with real weapons, were both a spectacle and a crucial form of military practice. The language of sports today still echoes this connection, with terms like “blitz” in football or calling a decisive win a “massacre.” Fans, dressed in their team’s colors and chanting in unison, act as a modern-day tribe supporting their champions. These contests also provided a way for rival groups to establish dominance without resorting to a full-scale, deadly war. The original version of lacrosse, for example, was played by Native American tribes with hundreds or even thousands of players to settle disputes and prove which tribe was strongest.
Our fascination with watching violence is another fundamental aspect of our nature. In ancient Rome, tens of thousands gathered in the Coliseum to watch gladiators fight to the death. In the Middle Ages, public executions were a form of mass entertainment. Today, our society is far less outwardly violent, but our hunger for it remains. We have simply replaced real suffering with fictionalized violence in popular books, television shows, and movies. We are drawn to these spectacles because they are thrilling. They show us the extremes of human potential—the raw power, skill, and grace of a fighter, but also the dark and terrifying side of our nature. This intense excitement is why some soldiers have compared the experience of war, despite its horrors, to the powerful rush of sex.
In the landscape of modern combat sports, MMA stands apart. It was created to be the most realistic and effective form of fighting possible. Dissatisfied with the artificial limitations of traditional martial arts, fighters wanted to test their skills in a scenario that was as close to a real, no-holds-barred fight as possible. Initially, there were almost no rules, no weight classes, and no banned moves. While some safety measures have since been introduced, MMA remains a brutal and honest test of a fighter’s ability. It acts as a laboratory where different techniques from around the world are combined and perfected, all in the pursuit of finding the most effective way to win a fight. It has stripped away ceremony and tradition in favor of pure, unadulterated combat.
