MMA's PR Gaffe

In a giant head-slapping moment, the legitimacy of mixed martial arts was almost KO'd this past Saturday on CBS.

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is starting to really make some headway in the sports world. It was once deemed as human cockfighting by Senator John McCain, but it is now well-regulated and a legitimate sport (and even getting coverage on ESPN). However, this past Saturday, the MMA world took a HUGE step back.

CBS and MMA promotion Strikeforce aired a fight on Saturday night. After the surprising and relatively entertaining Henderson-Shields fight, a brawl broke out between other fighters. I won't get into the culprits because casual fans probably won't know who they are anyway (though one fighter does host an MTV show), but it's interesting to see the PR moves going on (or not going on) between Strikeforce and its competitor UFC.

(NOTE: You can read more about the Brawl HERE and HERE. You can also read a "Top Villians of the Brawl" according to CageWriter HERE.)

The brawl was bad enough, but the situation wasn't helped when CBS announcer Gus Johnson stated the obvious and really irrelevant "Gentleman! We're on national television!" and then idiotically saying "sometimes this happens in MMA." It does not happen in MMA.

There hasn't really been any damage control from the Strikeforce side, which is surprising. Dana White, co-owner of the UFC, has immediately commented on the brawl and mentioned how it doesn't happen in the UFC (a jab at Strikeforce). Why for the love of the sport has no one from Strikeforce come forward and say anything? CBS hasn't come out with a comment yet either.

MMA has taken great strides to evolve from a street brawl to a legitimate sport - like making fighters wear gloves and not allowing them to kick a downed opponent in the head. Regulations for the sport has also helped its legitimacy. For example, a fighter wasn't allowed to fight on a UFC pay-per-view because there was a possibility of him getting a severe head injury.

If I was involved with Strikeforce, I would immediately make a comment and dish out some punishments to the brawlers. As of right now, the only comments are from UFC's Dana White. That's like allowing the Boston Red Sox comment entirely about something the New York Yankees did - it just shouldn't happen.

Scott Coker, who owns Strikeforce, also needs to comment for the sake of MMA. There have been numerous articles written demeaning the sport and claiming how it's too violent (in reality, it's no more violent than boxing) and lacks proper rules and regulations. By laying down the law, Coker can help MMA's reputation, or at the very least, help make it not look like a street fight. The same can be said for White, who really should punish the one UFC fighter that was involved in the brawl.

Strikeforce might also be in some trouble with CBS, who already has had issues regarding MMA. With this brawl, it'll be interesting to see how CBS will react (will they drop the promotion or continue to air the broadcasts? As of right now, they don't seem to be dropping the promotion.).

After an amazing night of fights, it's sad that after an upset of an MMA legend, all everyone is talking about is this brawl.

So, MMA leaders (looking at you White and Coker or even well-known fighters like Chuck Liddell), make your comments known, talk to national sports shows (ESPN might be a good start) and try to redeem yourselves in the eyes of the casual fan/hater.