Dear MMA,
I’ve put up with your shit long enough and now it’s time to walk away.
You may have been under the impression that I’d already left. I stopped making my silly prediction videos ages ago and haven’t reported on the sport of mixed martial arts in a minute. But while my professional interests pulled me away from MMA media, I remained an attentive, pay-per-view buying fan. After all, I’ve been interested in combat sports since I was a child. My uncle was a boxer and I grew up respecting fighters. I bore witness to the ways in which combat sports provides those who have grown up in an atmosphere of impoverished violence the opportunity to claw their way out.
But from an entertainment point of view, boxing never held my interest, not the way that mixed martial arts did. People criticize MMA for showcasing the ugliest, darkest impulses of man, but what I saw was a competition that celebrated our most intrinsic and awe-inspiring qualities. Heart. Courage. Faith. Determination. Self-belief.
I was given an opportunity to cover MMA for the Vancouver Sun and wrote a couple dozen pieces covering everything from small amateur shows to the politics involved in decriminalizing the sport to profiles on MMA’s biggest stars. During this time I felt blessed to have the opportunity to meet the athletes and do my bit to grow the sport. How great to be able to support these amazing athletes by educating people about their astounding work ethic, talent and courage.
But MMA, it isn’t all about you. I can’t wait any longer for you to grow up and treat me right. It’s not just the sexist comments on fan sites, it’s not just the homophobic slurs made by the athletes, and it’s not just the misogynistic crap spouted by the figureheads of the sports biggest organization – it’s all of these things. I can’t respect myself as an adult bisexual woman and support a sport whose leaders, stars and fans think it’s just business as usual to objectify and belittle me and my ilk. If I was able to make elbow room at a dinner table where everyone was talking shit about me, but the food was great, I wouldn’t do it. My hunger for respect is greater than my hunger for entertainment. I want to end this letter, and our relationship, on a positive note and wish you well, but that would be insincere. What I really want to say, MMA, is this: Fuck you, too.
Sincerely,
Candice Mackinnon
This post brought back memories of this post:
http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2010/7/13/1567803/on-homophobia-in-mma
I can’t quit the fights, but the fanbase is often infuriating. With the SF Giants doing an “It Gets Better” video and Charles Barkeley admitting to playing basketball with gay players, we’re stuck with an overgrown frat guy as our figurehead.
Well said, Candice.
J. Probst
Sherdog.com
Sorry to see you go Emma May. Don’t blame you one bit. The combination of meathead culture and attempted thought control is very wearing for me too. Take care, the MMA world is lessoned by your leaving.
I’d agree with Kid Nate. You shouldn’t leave. Yes, MMA has been monopolized as of late & it was bound to happen. The truth is the beauty of reporting & or blogging is that you develope your own fan base. I love the tournament world but the fact is guys get injured with little pay-off with those fights & those promotions make even less $. Good journalist bring edjucation to the veiwers & thereby change the fan base. If you quit, they win. Hang in there.
well. you must ignore the fans. its as simple as that. Im male, I dont agree with any of that BS you see on those sites, I enjoyed when we had strikeforce full force instead of zuffa controlled…there ARE fans who want to see the sport as it should be.
unfortunately, women’s mma even seems to be getting the boot thanks to dana white. its sad because the women’s divisions have put on some of the most exciting fights in the past 2 years in ALL of mma.
oh well, ill have to count on Titan or XFC to see the marianna kheyfets of the world
Tremendous. You know their friends are all gonna say “I never liked her anyway,” right?
[...] One of the sad developments of this entire situation has been seeing some people give up on the sport. Candice Mackinnon has covered MMA for outlets as large as the Vancouver Sun and wrote a letter “ending her relationship” with MMA on her website: [...]
[...] One of the sad developments of this entire situation has been seeing some people give up on the sport. Candice Mackinnon has covered MMA for outlets as large as the Vancouver Sun and wrote a letter "ending her relationship" with MMA on her website: [...]
I sent my original post to SB Ntn., because I thought Ms. Bryant allowed herself to hate all of the MMA culture instead of just the idiots who have given us a black eye. I said “us” because I compete & have been a fan for 14 years. My reply was simple, all these acts were wrong & there is no questioning that, but to allow an organization of one-sided, foot-in-mouth, scrubs turn you on a whole culture of people is insane. Joe once disrespected a fan because he felt it would be nice for the org to have back-stage pastors for the athletes who wanted them. He assumed he bully the rev before the rev got to bully his beliefs on the fighters. The world is imperfect & not everyone is accepting of everything but should we join their club & be as bone-headed as them. Point: don’t let them bring you down to their level. They may be the biggest org out there but they don’t represent all of “us”. I love people as much as I love fighting & I look at all of it as education. Everyone deserves better that’s what we fight for. Thanks!
Well said, Ems. In fact, I have much the same issues with the game as its played right now, even as a dude.
I love MMA. It’s the purest sport around. But my wife hates it with a passion, not because of the violence (though she’s not into that, she’s tried to give it a chance), but because of guys being on “Queer Street”, and endless extreme close-ups of a ring-girls ass, and douchebag executives that drive female reporters from the sport with their idiotic remarks and refusal to accredit.
I too consumed everything the sport offered for a long time. But I don’t automatically get every pay-per-view now. In fact, I’m down to maybe one in three. And I don’t spend several hours a day of my own time writing articles about the sport that I haven’t been assigned by my bosses anymore, because I just don’t feel good about where things have been going.
Yes, MMA is a tough guy sport, but it’s also a tough girl sport, and a tough kid sport, and while the UFC insists on gearing things only to the guys, I can’t sit by and do the whole “I’m a guy, so I’m cool” thing.
It’s been hard work getting MMA recognized in Vancouver. At times I’ve placed my career prospects on the line insisting it be covered, both in the sports section and the news section. But I don’t do that anymore. MMA goes where MMA goes.
I’ll cover UFC 131 as a professional and a fan, but I’ll do so acknowledging that one of the headliners is under a steroid cloud, that people I respect have been refused accreditation because they’re a “bitch”, and that I’ll probably be accused of being “c_nty” for saying so.
Grow up, UFC. You’ve brought it this far, but if I can’t watch with my wife, you just don’t want it enough.
Emma, why not just kiss off UFC and Zuffa- there are loads of excellent regional MMA or even martial arts events that need someone like you to cover their events and be their champion. As a bi-sexual woman, I know that Dana White could give a crap what I think, but at every event I go to here in FL, women are welcomed and celebrated. Ring girls included, of course.