So for those who haven’t seen yet, Wrestlezone Forums’ MMA moderator ‘GuyCompton’ has posted a report that Chris Leben has once again been arrested for being an idiot – this time drinking and driving without a license or insurance. Read about that here:
http://forums.wrestlezone.com/showthread.php?t=71073
Sigh.
With the aggressive nature of MMA, it just seems like common sense that alcohol will be a challenge for several of the fighters. Sure, a bunch of them live clean lives and many of them don’t drink at all. Some just drink their own urine (because it’s sterile and I like the taste?) such as Lyoto Machida. But the live fast, die hard lifestyle of many MMA fighters seems to give way to alcohol abuse.
Think not only of Chris Leben, but of both the Browning Brothers, Junie and Rob.
So I think it’s time for MMA to take the booze out of the house during "The Ultimate Fighter."
I get why its there – it’s a spark next to the match that sits atop the puddle of grease. You take a mess of hyper-competitive, hyper-aggressive alpha males, lock them in a house with the very people they will have to knock out or choke out in order to win, remove television or any other distractions they may have access to, and give them free access to a 24-hour open bar.
Spark. Pffffttt. WHHOOOOSSSHHHHH!
Broken doors. Pissed-on mattresses. Inflammatory words (‘fatherless bastard’ ring a bell?). Fights outside the Octagon.
It’s freaking immature. But it attracts viewers, so they keep the liquor in the house. It also forces these athletes to make a choice – show some self-discipline or risk humiliating yourself on national TV.
To me, with so many issues of alcoholism in these types of sports, UFC is not only condoning it, but promoting it. "Oh, your step dad used to get drunk and beat you growing up, and that’s why you fight? I’m so sorry to hear it. Here’s your big house and there’s your stocked bar. Give’em a good show."
It seems like the WWE takes so much criticism for their talents being on painkillers, alcohol, steroids, and drugs. Are we giving UFC a pass for being new? Or are we still SO entertained by these guys that we are willing to ignore it the same way we ignored steroids in baseball as long as the Home Run chase was covered?
UFC needs to be pro-active here, not re-active. By that, I mean they should take the liquor out of the house and explain to fans that they don’t advocate alcohol abuse and want their fighters to stay disciplined. That they don’t want to put fighters with checkered pasts at risk.
In short, do everything WWE and Pro Boxing have failed at miserably, and come out better for it.
Discuss this topic here: http://forums.wrestlezone.com/showthread.php?p=2537179#post2537179
