Photo courtesy of Zenzoria

The music is cut and the lights go up, focusing on the octagonal steel cage in the middle of the club. Inside two fighters circle each other warily, under the watchful eye of the referee.

The crowd waits in silence, anticipating the imminent explosion of action and combat. Finally one of the fighters makes a move, lunging towards his opponent in an attempt to take him to the floor and gain the upper hand. He is successful; both fighters hit the ground and grapple desperately to gain an advantage. Absolute concentration is vital; any lapse results in a strong strike to the head or abdomen, or worse. Every punch, every kick is greeted by an approving murmur from the crowd.

Suddenly there is a break in the deadlock: one combatant has manoeuvred himself successfully and wrapped his arm around his opponent’s neck, constricting the flow of blood and air to the brain. He tries desperately to free himself, flailing wildly with his fists in an attempt to break the hold. But it is no use; with oxygen levels rapidly depleting he has no choice but to submit.

The winner springs up in triumph while the medics rush in to check the well-being of the defeated opponent. But there is nothing to worry about; the only thing that has been hurt today is his pride. The referee gathers both fighters in the middle of the ring and raises the arm of the champion, while the crowd is on its feet sounding their appreciation.

The next fight is in fifteen minutes, in which the whole performance will be repeated once more. Welcome to the world of Realfights MMA, Argentine Ultimate Fighting.

When you think of sport in Argentina, one word comes to mind: Fútbol. Reading the local newspapers you would be forgiven for thinking sport in Buenos Aires begins and ends with the barras bravas or the tribulations of El Diego.

In fact there is a small yet thriving mixed martial arts (MMA) scene in the city, and if the event I attended is any indication then the future of the sport is very promising indeed.

The event was organised by promoters Realfights Argentina, whose president is porteño Eugenio “Eushie” Sangiorgio. Eugenio spent 11 years living in the US, where he was introduced to  American MMA promotion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). UFC promotions are full of music and spectacle, and Eugenio admits this style of event was a key influence: “What I wanted to do with Realfights is create an Argentine version of UFC; create the same buzz and excitement around mixed martial arts here. But there are certain differences. Our promotions are definitely more underground than and not as commercial as UFC promotions, although everything is above ground in terms of medical cover and insurance for the fighters.”

Photo courtesy of Zenzoria

With this in mind, two-and-a-half years ago he started Realfights with friends from the Buenos Aires martial arts scene; the group to date has hosted six MMA events, all of which have been sold out.

Watching the fights it is clear that the razzmatazz of UFC has been transplanted into Realfights. Grinding American hip hop is blared out between fights, while between rounds scantily-clad girls parade around the ring holding numbered cards, to the obvious delight of the audience. The audience is fairly homogenous; male, between the ages of 20 and 40, with martial arts backgrounds.

At the event itself no alcohol is served, although Eugenio maintains that this is more to do with lack of demand rather than any security issues: “Its usually the case with these guys who are into martial arts that they never drink, never smoke, all eat healthily and this is as true of the audiences as the fighters themselves. My wife is Russian, and she can’t believe that when I meet with my friends we will sit around drinking milkshakes instead of beers, for her this is very strange!”

A glance at those in the audience confirms this; the atmosphere is one of appreciation and respect for what the fighters are doing, the kind of respect which stems from having an intimate knowledge of the art you are observing.

Mixed Martial Arts, or Vale Tudo/Todo as it is also known, originated as a stand-alone sport in Brazil in the 1920s. The modern, safer version of MMA however dates back only to 1993 with the advent of the UFC, with the stated aim of discovering which martial arts were most effective when pitted against each other. Vale Tudo can be translated as “Anything goes” in Portuguese, and this is an accurate description of the sport. Rules vary, but generally most attacks will be permitted; with only the most dangerous acts such as eye-gouging outlawed.

To the casual observer the fights can appear barbaric, reminiscent of such antiquated pastimes as bare-knuckle boxing. Even commentators from other martial arts have criticised the sport as being dangerous and gratuitously violent. British boxing promoter Frank Warren has said of MMA: “Certain members of the public would buy a ticket for a public hanging. Extreme fighters wouldn’t last five minutes with a proper, schooled boxer. Boxing is an art, a way of life. That ultimate fighting stuff is for guys who chuck steroids down their neck, pump weights in the gym and get out of breath after a couple of minutes. I hope it doesn’t catch on.”

Eugenio refutes these accusations, arguing that “there is no truth in this because (the critics) often don’t know what they are watching; they can’t appreciate the subtlety of the art. It does often look brutal, I admit, but every precaution is taken to ensure safety.”

Photo by Dan Edwards

A few days after the promotion I went to see Eugenio at his gym in Villa Crespo. The gym was full of youths training intensely, hitting punch bags, skipping and practising martial arts holds and techniques. Eugenio informs me that serious competitors train every day for three hours, year-round to be in shape. “All of these guys know they’re not going to become rich off the back of MMA, but still take it very seriously, they are here every day training. To do this sport you need to know at least four martial arts- Boxing, Muay Thai, Wrestling and Jiu Jitsu, and you need to be proficient in all of them or we wont let you compete.”

MMA in Argentina is still in its infancy, an underground cult rather than a mainstream sport à la UFC. However the sport is steadily growing,. More and more people are becoming involved with training and more events are staged on a larger scale. The impression I received was that this is a movement open to everyone, martial art novice or maestro; the only requirement is to be dedicated and willing to train hard, pushing your body to its limit. The success of the Realfights promotions also demonstrates that a substantial audience exists for this type of event; to sell out a 1,500 capacity venue on a Sunday night is no mean feat.

For Eugenio, this growth has a very simple explanation: “People watch Mixed Martial Arts, they get involved and compete because it is the closest thing to real fighting you can legally see. The guys are in the cage, closed off and they can do anything they need to in order to win.”

Eugenio’s gym ‘Fight Club Extreme V.C’ is located on Camargo 284, Villa Crespo, and offers as well as MMA training classes in various martial arts.

Visit www.realfightsmma.com for news of upcoming fights, as well pictures and videos from previous promotions.