America’s political and cultural divisions have infected just about every aspect of life, and sports have certainly not been spared.
When it comes to mixed martial arts, the sport’s culture lies decisively on the right end of the spectrum, and it’s not hard to see why. In a cultural left that tends to prioritize values of equality, empathy and solidarity, and a cultural right that centers individualism, rugged self-reliance, and a good dose of toxic masculinity, it seems to follow that a sport that employs individual violence to pummel an opponent into submission would appeal more to the cultural right.