How would you convert a "nonbeliever"?

[The Doctor]

There are people out there who just don't understand the appeal behind boxing or MMA. They may enjoy watching it when it's on but not find anything particularly amazing about it, or maybe they are just supremely disinterested in the sport.

I am one of these people. I have seen some boxing matches and some MMA fights and I have enjoyed them, but nothing I watch really compels me to watch more, or to learn as much as I can about either sport.

So, I want to ask you: How would you convert someone into an MMA or Boxing fan?

Would you show them particular matches?
Would you tell them about the art of the sport?
Would you talk about history?
Would you invite them to your house for a viewing?
What would you do to raise someone's interest in the sport enough that they might even start following it?

 

[Ferbian]

Very nice thread Doc.

Would you show them particular matches?

I might not specifically show them particular matches, seeing as some of the more impacting matches and impressions can be shown through showing someone a fight between two boxers (I'm gonna be a boxing converter, I'm looking to be converted to MMA potentially) would be going around 10-12 hours, to show the resilience of a boxer, and the brutality that some of them are willing to go through for a championship, or to prove themselves worthy of a championship.

Would you tell them about the art of the sport?

I wouldn't go into specific details, I would tell them more about the reasons of why I think they should check it out, some of the techniques and styles perhaps.

Would you talk about history?

Only to a certain extend, if I knew that he or she had some kind of interest into a specific boxer like say.. Mike Tyson, I'd dig into that specific thing, perhaps talk about some of the people that defeated this "beast" that Mike definitely was, and then convince them that if someone can beat Mike, they're worth checking out, and if someone can beat the guy that beat Mike, they're worth checking out etc.

Would you invite them to your house for a viewing?

I would definitely do that, the spirit of watching a boxing match together with friends, or family for that sake is just pure awesomeness, it gives a kind of bonding, especially if you're in a situation of say.. Mikkel Kessler vs Carl Froch, nationalism struck me like nothing else, and I supported him no matter how much I believed Carl Froch could've won that match.

What would you do to raise someone's interest in the sport enough that they might even start following it?

All of the above mentioned, and perhaps, if chances is there, I would try to convince the friend to go with me to the actual arena where the fight is taking place (seeing as Denmark hosts it's fair amount of boxing events, especially for Mikkel Kessler, in a town called "Herning" which isn't incredibly far away)

 

[Via Armbar]

Honestly, it's all of the above Doc. For me personally, my father and uncle were huge fans since UFC 1 and both grew up practicing jujitsu and were both wrestlers in high school. So naturally I would watch it with them and grew to love it. I started off just liking it for the violence as most kids would. Eventually though I grew to love it as a true sport; a battle between two athletes who have trained their entire lives for each fight. That's the one thing that puts it ahead of team sports for me. The fact that each man is in control of the outcome of the fight and no one else. Each fighter has the ability to sieze the moment and make a name for themselves, something they have strived for years to achieve.

I have a couple of friends who will watch fights with me but aren't too interested in the sport outside of the knockouts. I have noticed more that the ones who have watched the most cards with me are the ones who are slowly starting to become knowledgable fans. They are familiar with the fighters and their backgrounds/fight history now which automatically makes them more exciting for upcoming fights. The more familiar they are with the fighters the more they will enjoyable the fight will be. It works the same way with professional wrestling.

There comes a point when you find your favorite and want to follow them. Trust me, there are storylines in mma. They may not be issues with betrayal and there may not be any weapons used, but each fighter has a storied past. There are real life rivalries between fighters and their camps leading to real grudge fights. There are stories of comebacks and falls from graces. There is plenty of drama there, it's just hidden. When you know about these pasts you have more emotional stock invested in fights and cards, just as you would any other sport.

The one thing that I think is holding back a lot of people from watching mma is the ''meat head mentality''. Even if you aren't an mma fan, you know the guys who walk around in tacky silver shirts with illegible medieval texts across the back. The guy that ''trains UFC'' or has a friend of a friend who trained with Chuck Liddell. The guy who screams at the big screens in a bar, trying to encourage the ref to stand them up or vocally displaying their displeasure with fighting on the ground. Trust me, that is not a reall mma fan. That is a douche/manbro/brodude hybrid of some sort that has latched on to the most overly macho sport out there. They know little to nothing on the sport and their priority isn't enjoying a back and forth chess match between two elite athletes, but rather which Affliction t-shirt is the metallic. This is not how die hard mma fans are and that's not what the sport tries to represent.

The only thing you can really do to try and get somebody interested in mma is to try and educate them slowly. Nobody likes the guy that continuesly tries to get you to like the same things he likes. Make it subtle and not too overbearing. Invite them to the watch the fights. Explain to them what's going on and give them quick history lessons. As long as there are good fights for them to watch, it will start off well. The more people know about any sport, the more than can enjoy it.

 

[jmt225]

First and foremost, I would look at the person's taste, and then make a judgment off that. If someone is a fan of rap and that kind of lifestyle, then I would show him fights from guys like Rampage Jackson and Nick Diaz. If someone is a fan of Japanese culture, then I'll show him the best Japanese fighters out there. If someone is a blue collar type of man, then I'll show him fights from guys like Matt Hughes and Chael Sonnen. And if someone is just your normal Joe Blow, then I'll just show him fights from guys like GSP and BJ Penn.

For someone to fall in love with the sport, they have to fall in love with a fighter first. They have to have someone to root for. If they can find a connection with someone, then they'll watch his fights and then learn his opponents, plus the guys on the undercard. His love for the sport would grow from there. When I first started watching, Tito Ortiz, Ken Shamrock, and Tank Abbot were the only guys I knew that still fought for the UFC, but I was a HUGE fan of Tito, so I kept up with the sport just to see what he was doing. And just from that, I learned more and more about it, and became fans of other people at the same time.

Another way to get someone hooked is The Ultimate Fighter. Most people love reality shows, and there aren't many that exist that are better, more entertaining than the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 6th Seasons of The Ultimate Fighter. So, I would use that as a tool as well, since it would A) make you connect with a few fighters and B) teach you everything you need to know about the sport.

But that's it. History and all that junk is unimportant. They'll learn that for themselves the more they become a fan of the sport. Preaching to them how MMA has evolved would just bore most people out, so I would stay away from that.

 

[Via Armbar]

I think in order for them to love fighters though they need to know some history. What if the first fight they watched was Silva/Maia? That wouldn't be a very good first impression of either man. If they knew what Silva has done in the past though, they might think differently. They will become more interested if they know even just a little bit of the importance of the fight or each fighters journey to that point. They aren't going to become fans of fighters they don't know anything about. I absolutely agree with people needing to fall in love with certain fighters first.

 

[jmt225]

I think in order for them to love fighters though they need to know some history. What if the first fight they watched was Silva/Maia? That wouldn't be a very good first impression of either man. If they knew what Silva has done in the past though, they might think differently. They will become more interested if they know even just a little bit of the importance of the fight or each fighters journey to that point. They aren't going to become fans of fighters they don't know anything about. I absolutely agree with people needing to fall in love with certain fighters first.

Well, of course if someone came up to me and said, "Anderson Silva vs. Damien Maia is the only MMA fight I've ever seen," I would spit some history towards him or her about Anderson Silva and Damien Maia. And of course for me to get them to like someone, I need to show them past fights.

But, my statement was more about the history of MMA. You know, how different it is today than it was at UFC 1, or what impact Japanese MMA has had on the sport. That would bore people I think, so I would just focus on the active fighters of today and show them fights and maybe interviews and entrances of people I would get a sense they would like.