Fighting in the Age of Loneliness
Season 1
Throughout its history, mixed martial arts have served as a refuge for people disillusioned and confounded by the world at large. The sport was invented by those who were thought too small, evolved by those who were thought too poor, and enjoyed by outsiders who just wanted to find some measure of escape within the honesty of primal combat, even if only for a few hours on a Saturday night. It's no accident that it has become so massively popular in such a lonely time.
Where to Watch Fighting in the Age of Loneliness • Season 1
5 Episodes
- The invention of fighting for moneyE1
The invention of fighting for moneyWe begin with the legendary encounters between UFC champions Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman, the touchstones of this modern era of fighting. How did we get here? The origins of this sport trace back to centuries ago, when a 5’2, 90-pound young man named Kano Jigoro revolutionized martial arts forever. - The unwashed masses clamor for weird men brutalizing each otherE2
The unwashed masses clamor for weird men brutalizing each otherThe 1990s saw the introduction of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which quickly proved hugely popular within a certain demographic. Why then? Why did these unwashed masses suddenly clamor for these weird men brutalizing each other? And could it possibly survive within a newly sanitized, bloodless, corporate America? - The yakuza find something to do with their moneyE3
The yakuza find something to do with their moneyJapan’s garish, spectacular Pride Fighting Championships captured the imaginations of people beleaguered by an economic recession. Meanwhile in America, those struggling to process devastating and endless warfare suddenly rediscovered the cathartic refuge of competitive fighting: one person hit another, the other fell, no one died, and nothing about it lied to us. - As the world fell apart, the only magic was in the cageE4
As the world fell apart, the only magic was in the cageAs Pride Fighting fought for its life in Japan, the UFC enjoyed unprecedented popularity in the wake of America’s own recession. The golden age of mixed martial arts had finally arrived, ushered in by the some of the most captivating personalities and rivalries the sport has ever seen. There was no magic out there in the world. The magic was in the fights. - Sometimes we feel a little self-conscious about our dumb sportE5
Sometimes we feel a little self-conscious about our dumb sportThis is our stupid, violent spectacle sport for freaks and assholes that’s as legitimate as any other sport in the world. At least, it was ours at some point. The UFC has spent the 2010s sacrificing much of its magic in its desperation for mainstream legitimacy. This sport once transcended our world. Now, it is our world.