NY Times Article on MMA And Shad Smith, An Openly Gay Fighter
Here is a link to a great article on Mixed Martial Arts in the NY Times back in March of 2008. The writer interviews an openly gay fighter, Shad Smith, Shad is an Ex-Con and has participated in Felony Fights in the past. The author, Paul Wachter talks about the early history of the UFC, talks with Felony Fights’ Mike Lynch and talks about how MMA has grown from brutal early matches to safer, more sportsman-like matches of today.
UNTIL RECENTLY, professional fighting in the United States was confined to the boxing ring and the theatrical gimmickry of wrestling. But in 1993, the Ultimate Fighting Championship was born, featuring the mixed martial arts — a blend of boxing, wrestling, jujitsu and other disciplines. At first, the new sport was likened to “human cockfighting” and attacked by lawmakers, but thanks to a few rule changes and savvy marketing, mixed martial arts now outearns boxing and wrestling in pay-per-view revenue. As professional M.M.A. — which includes not just the U.F.C. but also tens of smaller organizations that adhere to the same rules — has gone mainstream, however, other, unregulated forms of fighting have emerged in its shadow, offering greater levels of violence. Felony Fights is the most extreme of the lot, and Lynch, its founder, is quick to distinguish its fights from state-sanctioned events. “A guy can train in a gym forever, but he doesn’t know what to do when a guy bites his face,” he says. The company’s fights can be found on YouTube and other Internet sites, but they have also made their way into Best Buy, Sam Goody and other megastores with little fanfare or controversy.
Gladiator By Paul Wachter in NY Times March 23, 2008
Tags: Felony Fights, Mike Lynch, Shad Smith, UFCRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Mixed Martial Arts, UFC
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