Woman’s mixed martial arts has been fraught with arguments from its inception. Though it is slowly rising in popularity and is now featured on television and other known events, it still has a very rough road to climb. Proponents are becoming more vocal and with that vocalization, come the response from the opposite side.

Because this is a fight between women, it still has to work against the stigma of mud wrestling and any number of other ‘shows’ that objectify women for their body and not their talent. Don’t be fooled, these are real fights between real combatants. Some are pretty and some are not, but in this ring, that is of no consequence. This is a real fight and it’s time it attracts the attention, respect and appreciation it deserves.

Veteran men’s fights are three rounds of five minutes each. Veteran women’s fights are three rounds of three minutes each. It is understood that professional fighters with less than five professional fights only go three minute rounds, but women are required long after their five fights, to fight only the three minute rounds. The fighters would like equal treatment, but so far this has not been the case. They claim equal training and sometimes harder training than men, these women have pushed themselves to be recognized as the athletes they are but to date, they are still generally not offered the same benefits men receive.

The thought of women fighting, especially professionally has been at the very least frowned upon, but no one can dispute that a fight between two women will invariably draw a crowd of screaming rooting spectators. So why the problem with women fighters? Simple, Wrestling and any form of it has been historically a man’s sport. But now women are not only infiltrating it, they are doing very well at it. While (for now) their names aren’t likely to be household names, they are growing in popularity.

Professional woman’s fighting isn’t a thinly veiled beauty contest, quite the contrary. While some of the women are undoubtedly very easy on the eyes, just as many are not. Their popularity and draw have much more to do with their talent fighting than anything else. Those women that go into the ring thinking it’s the updated version of a female mud wrestling match are going to be very sorely surprised, VERY sorely.

As time goes on, and women prove themselves more and more in the fighting ring, their names will begin to become more familiar and their accomplishments will gain much more recognition. As their recognition increases, the demand for them will increase and so, you will see women take their rightful place in the ring, not with men, but beside them.