Awful. Truly horrendous. I had read about her assault and knew he was MRA, but I didn't realize how pervasive those attitudes were in the sport. This passage is especially chilling:

But it's not too hard to believe the culture this article points too.

It's brutal, huh??

Here is the pitbull guy. Looks like a total dweeb.

It's like the NFL's problems on steroids.

Scandal sells, but it's not the norm. I'm a woman who has done martial arts a long time, and I've trained with many of these dudes. They are not misogynists or brutal people as a rule. If anything, they love having a woman in the gym who can go toe to toe.

Obviously there are exceptions. There sometimes are whole schools of exceptions, thugs who train together, often being trained by other thugs. Let's not pretend that they represent most of these guys.

At a school I trained at for a long time, the Sifu would use a few of us to either knock sense into, or weed out, the overly cocky, aggressive newbie males who thought they knew everything and should be able to kick the ass of everyone but other overly cocky, aggressive, young males. One of the instructors, who looked like a sumo wrestler and whose power was utterly scary, used to have some of us demo with him in class, knowing he could safely kick us halfway across the room (flying is fun!). It was all about making it clear to the guys that they'd better put away their egos and work up to the women's abilities, and making it clear to newer women that they were fully able to rock and roll, and shouldn't feel at all intimidated due to gender.

There are idiots and jocks and thugs everywhere. Don't generalize the asshats to be the norm among genuinely great guys.

in our culture.

Three women a day are murdered by their husband or boyfriend.

I'm not sure of the stats on how many women are beaten a day, but I'm sure it's got to be pretty high.

So, to see it in sports where people are paid by their fans, there is a bit more attention. But the problem exists in all walks of life.

Thing is, is it is excused often, not just when money is involved, but when it is excused to make a buck, it adds another dimension.

Did you read it? I was prepared to say it wasn't the league until I read that. Management sets the culture. I'm sure there are fine guys in MMA, but the rot starts at the top.

We have GOT to start taking domestic violence seriously.

That this sport would attract men who are severely infected with toxic masculinity is no surprise. I'm stunned I hadn't heard of some of those vile comments. Fucking sickening stuff.

What an asshole. Not to excuse him or make excuses about violence against women, but do MMA's take steroids at all?

Sounds like another violent jerk with 'atta boy' pals. Far too typical in our society. The likening it to a disease is absolutely correct IMO

Nothing is ever their fault.