This Sunday, the White House will be hosting a mixed martial arts (MMA) tournament in honour of the nation’s 250th (and the president’s 80th) birthday. Managed by the UFC, the fight card will feature top fighters like Justin Gaethje and Ilia Topuria. The announcement was met with mixed responses. Some applauded the unusual move, saying that it offers an “opportunity to be inspired to live up to the best American ideals”. But others fear that it risks endorsing “our worst vices” as a nation.
Much of the debate over the upcoming fight is entrenched within broader debates about masculinity. The #MeToo movement challenged the idea that men ought to be tough, domineering, and emotionless, arguing that such “toxic” traits have adverse consequences not only for women but for men themselves. Some men argue that they are being pressured to be “feminised,” and that their more aggressive impulses are being unfairly demonised. This logic is in part what has motivated so-called “manosphere” influencers like Jordan Peterson and Andrew Tate to encourage their young male fans to take up a combat sport in order to develop discipline and confidence.
