Abstract
The characterization of modern sport lists elements that distinguish it from other bodily practices. Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) are often understood as a sportized activity based on changes aimed at regulating and reducing violence. This study analyzed MMA for what distinguishes it from other sports, based on the concept of sportization put forward by Elias and Dunning. Its ethnographic methodology employed participant observation at an MMA gym and fighting events, as well as field diaries and interviews. Three empirical-analytical categories were developed to analyze elements of MMA - the “event owner;” spectacle rather than victory; and violence as spectacle - which raise debates on the notions of victory, institutionalization, belonging, and violence. The importance of broadening the concept of sport to understand MMA is underscored.
Keywords:
Sports; Violence; Institutionalization; Sociology