Donning a new Jerzy in the UFC

MMA.

Any guesses as to what those three letters stand for? No, it’s not Marshmallow Maties Association or Marilyn Manson Advocates, though some might think you have to delight in violence to enjoy MMA like many fans of Manson do.

MMA stands for mixed martial arts, a sport that has taken over the hearts of many sports fans across the nation ““ largely through the rising popularity of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

There’s no doubt that MMA is popular; it has taken the place of boxing as the king of pay-per-view television. But I was always reluctant to watch it. Whenever friends of mine were getting together to watch the likes of Brock Lesnar and Kimbo Slice fight in “the Octagon,” as the octagonal ring is called, I saved my 25 bucks and watched basketball or football instead. I knew that I was in the minority; this wasn’t something akin to the XFL that was going to come and go quicker than patrons at a Nickelback concert.

Despite my stubbornness, recent MMA cards have started to catch my eye. My favorite sport, football, has started to take over the MMA scene, with former football players finding success fighting MMA. Former Purdue star Matt Mitrione is an alumnus of The Ultimate Fighter, a reality TV competition that appears on Spike TV, and is fighting today. Marcus Jones, former North Carolina Tarheel and Tampa Bay Buccaneer, has also appeared on the show.

Even 1982’s Heisman Trophy winner, Herschel Walker, has gotten in on the action.

But a card that was fought in Orem, Utah, on Sept. 24 took root with me as a UCLA student (not to mention a native of Salt Lake City). The amateur bout on the card pitted former BYU defensive end Jan Jorgensen against former UCLA defensive tackle Jerzy Siewierski.

After coming to UCLA in 2006 and playing in 38 games as a Bruin, Siewierski graduated last spring and started training to get himself into shape for MMA. He has a background in judo, one of the elements of MMA, but had to put it on hold to play high school and college football. Siewierski’s family also has a history in martial arts, as his grandfather was a World Masters judo champion.

Jorgensen graduated from BYU as the Mountain West Conference’s all-time leader in sacks and became interested in MMA at a young age as well.

The two were matched up together in a heavyweight amateur fight that Jorgensen said was billed as the revisiting of a rivalry that was created when the two players played each other in college. BYU and UCLA met twice in 2007 and once in 2008, but Jorgensen claimed he harbored no ill will toward Sieweirski heading into the fight.

“It’s a sport,” Jorgensen said. “You don’t have to hate the people you go against. For some reason, people think that MMA is different, but it’s not, at least not to me. It’s like a football game; when the game’s over, it’s done. I have no problems talking to him, training with him or anything.”

The fight went the maximum three rounds with Jorgensen winning in the third by a technical knockout. Siewierski looked strong in the second, landing 13 of 18 punches, but Jorgensen ““ a former state champion wrestler ““ was too much to handle in the third.

Jorgensen and other MMA fighters are trying to dispel the myth surrounding MMA as a violent sport that only bloodthirsty fighting fans can enjoy. He said that many skeptics don’t think to look for the subtleties in technique that are required to win a fight, nor do they appreciate the physical effort that goes into a fight.

“MMA is so physically and mentally taxing,” Jorgensen said. “You get ridiculously tired when you’re fighting MMA, and you just have to make a conscious choice to keep pushing.

“Mentally, it was harder than anything I’ve ever done.”

After years of getting badgered by friends to bask in the glory that is MMA and finally figuring out that Karl Malone isn’t going to pursue his career with the WWE any further, I think I may have to start tuning in. But I’m not going to start watching just because The Mailman is too old to throw down a Diamond Cutter.

After looking into it and speaking with Jorgensen, I’ve only just begun to appreciate what it is that these fighters go through when they step into the Octagon.

So, MMA enthusiasts, you’ve won over another fan. UFC 120, here I come.

Have a life-sized cardboard cutout of Brock Lesnar in your dorm? E-mail Strong at sstrong@media.ucla.edu.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *