Writing About Fighting: A Critical Content Analysis of Newspaper Coverage of The Ultimate Fighting Championship from 1993-2006

Given the increased popularity of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in the United States and abroad, the purpose of this study was to investigate newspaper coverage of the most profitable MMA organization in the U.S., the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), from 1993-2006. To better understand how the print media framed this controversial sport, a critically informed content analysis of 320 newspaper articles was conducted. Drawing from critical sport studies and media theory (Lowes, 1999; Rowe, 2007; Trend, 2007), the researchers analyzed how various categories of newsprint coverage have shifted over the 13-year period. One clear conclusion was the ability of the mainstream print media to effectively contour the popular discourse of this sporting practice, often playing a key role in the public's appraisal of the UFC during various points in its brief history. Moreover, the mainstream press often served to unwittingly promote the UFC through a lack of critical journalistic practices.