I'm not against this being legalized in the state, as legalizing it makes sure there are safety standards and sanctioned medical care. What I find curious is that this brutal "sport", which is titled, ultimate, extreme or cage fighting on TV is called, officially "mixed martial arts".

This appears to be one step up from a fight in a bar, (without the spontaneity of a fist fight in a bar,). How is this martial arts?

"Ultimate fighting" or "mixed martial arts" is actually a combination of skilled sports such as wrestling, kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, taekwondo, karate, judo, and boxing. Hardly no more than a "step up from a fight in a bar."

We don't have enough wannabe gangsters, 'tough guys' and under achieving dolts walking the halls of our high school and streets now? Why give them an opportunity to emulate and worship a completely new set of bad influences?

Woodrow makes some good points. It's not up to the government to restrict consenting adults from engaging in activities, no matter how vile, as long as they are not harming others. Personally, I don't understand the fascination with watching people beat the stuffing out of each other. There's enough real violence in the world.

cfield- I'd like to hear from a serious student of any of those genuine martial arts you mentioned, to see what they think of this activity being called called, "martial arts".

I see it as just a 'cockfight using humans'. The serious martial arts students I know would be kicked out of their dojos in disgrace if they engaged in this so-called 'sport'. Serious martial arts studios spend years training their students to exercise self-restraint and use of their skills only in self-defense or defense of others. This is just televised brutality for profit.

Oh god who cares.. If you do not like it don't watch it. They are humans, they have the choice to do this, who will this really effect if they dont go out of their way to view it?!

jonw757 - Some of us don't think it's really martial arts, yet believe it should be legalized. What do you say about the legalization matter? Should it be legalized? Why?