The Etiquette Guide for Live UFC Events

the crowd is amped, the Octagon is lit up, and the air horn signals the start of the round. you've paid good money to watch the most skilled, exciting mixed martial artists tear it up right in front of you. and then you hear it: "jab! come on! jab!"

the young man two seats down is screaming 'advice' at Jose Aldo, one of the best fighters in the game right now.

"one, one two!" he yells, oblivious to the annoyed looks being thrown his way. perhaps all those whiskey coolers have clouded his judgment. otherwise he would realize that

1) Jose Aldo does not need boxing 101 advice
2) we're in the second level of the SkyDome and there's no way Aldo can hear him
3) even if Aldo needed the help and could hear it, he doesn't speak English.

this is number one on the etiquette list - do not try to coach the fighters and certainly do not repeatedly scream your expert tips at them throughout
the night. sure, discuss and analyze the fight with your friends and seatmates, if they choose to engage in such a conversation. but unless you're at least semi-professional or a member of a genuine fighting camp, keep the coaching to a minimum because you're just pissing off the spectators around you and making yourself look like a noob in the process.

number two - save the booing for boo-worthy moments. have you ever watched classic Pride fights? the Japanese crowd rarely boos. they rarely make any sounds, true, but there's far more respect for the fight in that audience. Western crowds boo when the fighters are pushing against the cage for 30 seconds. they boo when someone pulls guard and tries to control posture. and has it really come to this? they boo when someone is not born in the same country as them. WOW. enough. the SkyDome crowd wasn't as bad as some groups have been, and this was no small feat considering the sheer size of that crowd. but i still didn't want to be THAT audience. i was hoping for respectful, appreciative fans that judged the skill and the excitement and not the birth certificate. and on a side note, please learn the basics of the ground game prior to watching a live fight. if you want pure stand-up and nothing else, go watch K1 or boxing.

this is not an XBOX game or a highlight montage. real fights are strategic and calculated as well as exciting. if you could rise to the top of MMA just by scrapping and throwing haymakers, then well-muscled YouTube stars would own this sport. and they do not. there's often more going on in the moments between huge KOs or before amazing submissions. learn THAT game. because it's that footwork, those small postural changes, and that miniscule setup that sets the stage for the finishes you love.

UFC Fighters: the estrogen dilemma

"so is this your first event?"
"no, it's my third."
"third?! WOW. so do you actually like this stuff or do you just go with your boyfriend?"
"actually, i'm the one that got my husband into it. i've been watching UFC for over 10 years."
"really?! that's so rare!"

this was the actual conversation i had with the young buck next to me at UFC 129. everything i said was true. i grew up in a fighting family: my grandfather was a wrestler, my father did judo and boxing,and my brother is a TKD champ with experience in other arts as well. i started watching UFC around the time Zuffa took it over (2000 - 2001). tito ortiz was a brash, young up-and-comer and events took place every 4 - 6 months. acronyms like MMA, UFC and BJJ meant little to the 18 - 45 year old male population, let alone to the rest of the world.

i introduced the sport to friends, ex-boyfriends, and my then-boyfriend turned husband. and like my young seatmate said, this is not a common occurrence. because i grew up educated in fighting, i enjoyed the sport for its analysis as well as its entertainment. certainly being immersed in fighting paved the way towards my degree in kinesiology and my interest in athletic injuries. i was surrounded by competitive martial arts all my life and will continue to be always. i love MMA.

i'm glad that the sport has become so mainstream and that fighters are beginning to get the recognition and respect they deserve. but with an increase in popularity comes an increase in posers and wannabes. fight gear has become a status symbol - a sign of coolness and machismo. i was wary of donning certain brands because i knew i wasn't a fighter. my participation in recreational, non-competitive kickboxing did not count in my eyes. but i had no problem wearing the other more popular brands such as TapouT and Bad Boy because i knew i was a genuine fan, and one from the old generation at that.

there are few girls at live UFC events. the SkyDome held 55 000 people at UFC 129, and still i never had to wait in line at the ladies' room. i'm glad females are starting to get into it, not just as fans but as competitors as well. but i have one pet peeve that must be laid bare...

i am a girl and yes, i appreciate the athletic bodies and chiseled features of some of these fighters. but i'm first and foremost a fan of the skill, the attitude, and the personality - in that order. i was a fan of GSP since his inception into the UFC. he is the best all-around athlete in the sport right now. he evolves his game more efficiently than anyone else and is well-rounded to the point of being a cyborg. that is why i like him. even if he looked like Shrek or Marcus Davis, he would continue to be at the top of my favourites list because his physical appearance does not factor in for me. the fact that he's canadian holds more clout than his blue eyes and washboard abs.

it's totally okay that other gals are ga-ga over him. i understand and appreciate his ridiculous hotness too, don't get me wrong. but his looks are just an added bonus.

i am a fan of the fighter as i am a fan of the fight.

a beautiful smile and a six pack are just icing on the cake.