This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Jay Fullmer, a former professional boxer from Salt Lake City, is not a fan of mixed martial arts.
"That toughman stuff is just street fighting, which is recognized by the public now and that's what's sick," he said.
Over the years MMA has fought, and continues to fight, criticism. Senator John McCain called the sport "human cockfighting."
Part of the reason is that, though rules have been adopted, there is no overall governing body for the sport - though each event is sanctioned by the sports authority of the hosting state - and the rules can vary. But since UFC was founded in 1993, there has not been a reported death, and MMA fighters assert the sport is safe.
"In the end, people have to realize that boxing is more dangerous than MMA," said Steven Sharp, a Salt Lake City native and MMA fighter. "In boxing, you get hit over and over. In MMA, if you take a solid, hard shot that drops you, that's usually the end of the fight. There is no standing eight-count where they'll let you have your brain swell up and then get hit again on top of that."
In the past 50 years, there have been more than 500 boxing-related deaths, according to a Journal of Combative Sport report published in January. None, however, at UFC events.
MMA safety has improved since Zuffa LLC bought the UFC in 2002. UFC president Dana White helped create rules that gave the sport more structure. The new rules include no gouging of any kind, butting, biting, clawing, hair pulling, groin attacks or "engaging in any unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to an opponent."
Johnny Riche, a former MMA fighter who is now co-host of the Ultimate Combat Experience, said MMA's growth has been in part because of the rule changes.
"Just like in anything, you have to grow and improve, and boxing has been the same for a long time," he said. "That being the case, there have been many deaths in boxing whereas in the professional world of mixed martial arts, there hasn't been a death yet - knock on wood."
Another reason for the sport's safety, its fighters say, are the many ways a fight can end - from verbal or physical tap outs, or by stoppage from the ringside referee.