Recently, gay bloggers, homophobic critics of mixed martial arts (MMA) and even straight fans have declared that one of the great appeals of the sport is its homoeroticism. They note the large number of gay men and straight women who have become fans of MMA and attribute it to the appeal of the nearly-naked hard bodies of the fighters and the intimate, often pelvic techniques of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the favored grappling discipline in the sport.
Jim Buzinski, the publisher of Outsports.com, a web site devoted to gay sports fans and athletes that has counted NFL Network and ESPN Radio among its advertisers, calls MMA "intrinsically homoerotic."
Perhaps acknowledging MMA's pan-sexual appeal, Dana White, president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, recently became the first head of a major sports league to welcome gay athletes.
