Women should have the same opportunities as men to fight professionally for equal pay. One of the reasons for these inequalities lies in society’s deeply ingrained ideas about gender roles and the inability to view women as protectors, not just caregivers. I am calling for a redefinition of these roles so that women can have a fair and equal opportunity within the world of combat sports and beyond.

As a woman who likes to fight, I often wonder why society as a whole does not take women’s professional and amateur fights seriously (or at least on an equal footing with men’s). For me and women around the world, it’s like any other sport, we dedicate ourselves completely, we learn, we train hard and we put in the same amount of work as the guys.

Here are some reasons why I feel like wrestlers don’t get the respect they deserve:

– It is difficult to see how they hit a woman
– Women are caretakers and nurturers, not fighters
– People find it difficult to be passionate about watching two women fight
– For men, seeing their partner hurt is unpleasant
– Women’s fights do not bring money.
– Society wants girls to be demure

All of these are legitimate concerns; However, the bigger picture is that if a woman has a passion for a combat sport, nothing or no one should stand in her way. He should have the same opportunities as any other man to pursue his dreams. Yes, there are martial arts and MMA schools everywhere, but I know for sure that when a woman walks in followed by a man, the reactions are very different.

I also understand that it is mostly about money and in the case of women’s fights, money doesn’t talk.

“Gina Carano became the first competitor to deposit six figures on a disclosed US card, according to figures released by the California State Athletic Commission on Tuesday.”

“The Face of Women’s MMA” earned $ 125,000 in her first-round TKO loss to Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos last Saturday at Strikeforce in San Jose, California. Santos, who was crowned the Strikeforce Women’s Lightweight (145-pound) Champion, earned $ 25,000, which included a $ 5,000 win bonus. “[1]

In “UFC: 142,” the salary for the top three men was as follows:

“The Brazilian athletic commissions do not publish information on the pay of the fighters, so none of the following salary data for the event is official.

Vitor Belfort: $ 279,000 ($ 275,000 to display, $ 4,000 from Anthony Johnson’s bag)

Edson Barboza: $ 142,000 ($ 6,000 for showing up, $ 6,000 win bonus, $ 65,000 Fight of the Night bonus, $ 65,000 Knockout of the Night bonus)

Gabriel Gonzaga: $ 134,000 ($ 67,000 to show up, $ 67,000 win bonus) “[2]

I think the inconsistencies are mainly due to social stigmas, including the ones I mentioned above, to the point where innate dogma prevents people from “messing around” with this sport. The start of the UFC has shown that money can be made in combat sports, and just as boxing has had its long and continuous success throughout history, the UFC continues to dominate. There are some organizations that offer women the opportunity to fight professional matches televised in the US, Strikeforce and Bellator, however the pay for the winner does not compare to what the men get and the fate of Strikeforce It has yet to be determined since it was recently purchased. by, Zuffa (company that owns UFC). Additionally, Strikeforce has only 2 women’s weight divisions that squeeze the pool of talented female fighters into a pinhole, thereby alienating a pool of world-class women.

A NEW ARENA (NOT THE UFC)

This movement has to start from scratch; in the basic ways that society views women. I think the focus should be on the self-defense side versus the sports side. If we teach and encourage girls and young women to empower themselves through their own protection skills, society will realize that we women ARE capable of great things equal to men. To improve girls’ opportunities to maintain equality, schools must incorporate self-defense for all boys ages 6 and up so they can learn to defend themselves in a controlled environment while teaching respect and discipline. Ultimately, this could result in fewer crimes against women and a general redefinition of gender roles.

Until this revolution takes place, it will continue to function as usual and we women will continue to “shoot” for a place where most of the people do not want us to leave our girls with a legacy of inequality … something unacceptable, ¿ not? Do you think

[1] Hunting, Loretta. “Carano wins $ 125,000”. Sherdog.com Aug 18. 2009.

[2] Fox, Jeff. “UFC Fighter Salaries”. MMA-manifesto.com January 15. 2012