MMA to the Glory of God

"Brett, do you really need another sport to follow?" These were the words of my wife about 8 months ago when I specifically started following MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) closely. "I mean wasn't basketball, football, baseball, college hockey, golf, nascar (I follow just to know the numbers of the cars - to give a bad time to Steve Pederson and others) - isn't that enough????" To complicate matters I was watching a fight and my 2 year old daughter went up and kicked the television and tried to fight a one Joe Stevenson at UFC 95. Aunika no longer watches with me and I have not tuned into fights when my girls (all three of them) are around.

So, the question comes up, Can a Christian watching the UFC, do so to the glory of God? - as I believe we do all things for the fame and glory of our Creator. Here is how I answer that question.

1. MMA is a sport, in my mind, just like any other. It is about competition and respect. The sport has come a long ways and has a long list of rules . Many people do not know that rules exist - because MMA used to not have any. I believe some of the more important rules are no strikes to the spine or the back of the head, no strikes to the trachea or neck area, and no head butting. Not one single death has occurred in the UFC and their have been zero life threatening or career ending injuries. The NFL has at least 2-3 of those a year.
   
2. Contextualization - contextualization is a missional concept that says "Christians should be aware of the cultural context in which lost people around them live, and they should make every effort to bring the love and truth of Jesus in word and deed and be all things to all people" (Vintage Church, p. 228). I have relationships with two guys that I ref in a city league volleyball league that has developed and started with conversations surrounding the UFC. If I wouldn't have had any knowledge of a sport that they were interested in - I possibly would not have these relationships. The nice thing about knowing these guys is - they come back every week. I see them every week. Now are these guys saved - no, but relationships are formed and God may be using MMA as a bridge to the Gospel - we can't question that. There actually are many Christian men that are Mixed Martial Artists and a ministry has been started to minister to others within this culture.
   
3. MEN - the former chairman of our church board is a fan as is a 29 year old single dude who works in the world of computers as a young professional. The fact is that MMA is the fastest growing sport in America and MEN - specifically young men (18-35) love MMA. If I want to teach, mentor, and train men I probably should have a working knowledge of what they are into (besides just the knowledge that men struggle with porn). The days of giving men crappy books by Max Lucado and John Eldredge and telling them to live "Wild at Heart" are over.
4. Enjoyment and Entertainment - I can honestly say that MMA doesn't cause me to sin. I enjoy the sport aspect and am entertained by the personalities of some of the fighters.

The truth is that this sport has issues with people stereotyping it. A bunch of thugs, who are pierced, tatted up, cuss like sailors, and participate in what John McCain once called "human cockfighting". That is what the fundamental sectarianist would say. These would simply be the same people who would argue that Jesus went too far in culture. They would view Jesus' actions and involvement in culture as sinful as they falsely accused him of being a glutton, a drunk, and a supporter of sin (Matt. 11:19).