Bioethical Perspective of Mixed Martial Arts

Preliminary communication

Abstract

When we observe sports in a (bio)ethical context, we are usually dedicated to the questions of fair play, sport virtues, gender issues, or racism. However, we rarely ask the question of bioethical justification of sport per se. MMA (mixed martial arts or ultimate fighting) has experienced a boom in the last 15 years, with its dynamic and combination of elements from different, more traditional martial arts, slowly overtaking the throne of popularity from the most popular martial art hitherto - the “noble art” of boxing. Questions arising in the triangle of MMA, sports, and bioethics are various. Can we bioethically justify, in the name of entertainment and sports, deliberately harming another human being? Can we justify placing ourselves consciously at the risk of injury as well? What about the rest of the (in)direct participants of this sport, such as organizers, promoters, fans - people who profit in some way from the fights (be it material or immaterial) although they are not directly included in it? It is easy to answer these questions, especially from the aspect of a right to harm and self-harm, as much as it is easy to answer a question of whether we have a right to take our own life. However, in this paper, we will try to deal with the general justification of the sport of MMA as a legitimate bioethical problem. We will offer an example of a perspective, and show how the sole idea behind the sport can be observed as a legitimate issue, examining definitions of violence, harm, and, in the end, philosophical notion of dignity and duty, based on the works of Immanuel Kant.