When It Comes to MMA and the UFC, It’s Still the 90’s in Germany

**Tony** · 12-06-2009, 11:33

YouTube - Rich Franklin and Wanderlei Silva at the UFC 99 Open Workout

(Wandy and Rich can't even get an open workout in without being bothered by this crap.)

Oh, Germany. Your fashion sense and taste in music aren't the only things that often trend about a decade behind the United States. Your media coverage of the first German UFC event this weekend is equally outdated, raising all the same arguments and accusations that our media did back in the dark days of MMA. The only difference is, when our media blasted the UFC for putting on brutal, bare-knuckled brawls with a dearth of rules to protect the competitors, it was actually true.
Apparently the German media coverage of UFC 99 this week has been not only ungenerous, but also completely inaccurate. Some media outlets are claiming that the fights are done with bare fists and even go to the death, and even normally cool-headed dudes like Rich Franklin are starting to get pissed off at having to answer all the same questions we thought we put to rest years ago in the USA:

"We got asked these kind of questions in the USA like, ten years ago," said Franklin. “It has surprised me to see some of the negative reactions in the German media over the last week, if I am honest. We didn't get those reactions the first time we came out here to promote this show. It seems like since then the media have gone away and read a couple of things and have developed preconceptions. It is a bit frustrating to have to once again be defending my sport and myself as a sportsman, but I suppose that is what happens when you move into a new territory that maybe hasn't been exposed to the sport [of MMA] before."

I understand the part about not being exposed to MMA, but how about being exposed to fact-checking? At least when John McCain called MMA “human cockfighting,” he was kind of right. It’s a completely different sport these days.
It’s especially ironic to hear Germany (who you might remember from such World Wars as I and II) complaining about the violence found in the UFC. But it’s kind of uncool to keep bringing that up sixty years later…unless you get a German dude to do it for you. Oh good, here comes Marek Leiderberg, the UFC’s local promotions partner in Germany:

"[Politicians and the media] have also tended to criticize an event that has never happened here. They have said that violence comes from UFC or glorification of violence. I must say for an event that has not happened, how this could have influenced violence in Germany is unclear to me. And as a historical reference, I must say I think Germany has a lot of remarks to make about its own history and references to violence, if I want to return with the same kind of coin."

Oh. Snap. It’s like you kill a few million people and nobody ever lets you forget it.
Look, German media, how about just give this thing a chance and actually see what it’s about before you criticize it? Or at least criticize stuff that is factually accurate. For instance, did you know the UFC ownership is connected to casinos?