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Combative Values: Hybrid Masculinities And The Gendered Consumption Of Violence In Women’S Mixed Martial Arts, Nicholas E. Shriver

Sociology Honors Projects

This study contributes to sociology of gender by analyzing male spectators’ perceptions of women’s violence in the sport of professional mixed martial arts. The emergence of women’s mixed martial arts (MMA) in recent years provides a new and interesting case for examining performances of violence and gender in sport. MMA is the fastest growing professional sport in America over the last 25 years. In 2013, the world’s premier MMA organization, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), organized its first women’s division. Women’s MMA has experienced tremendous success, with a gender pay gap much smaller than most sports. How do male spectators …