“It Is What It Is”: Masculinity, Homosexuality, and Inclusive Discourse in Mixed Martial Arts

Abstract

In this article we make use of inclusive masculinity theory to explore online media representations of male homosexuality and masculinity within the increasingly popular combat sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). Adopting a case-study approach, we discuss narratives constructed around one aspirational male MMA fighter, Dakota Cochrane, whose history of having participated in gay pornography became a major talking point on a number of MMA discussion/community Web sites during early 2012. While these narratives attempted to discursively rescue Cochrane’s supposedly threatened masculinity, highlighting both his “true” heterosexuality and his prodigious fighting abilities, they also simultaneously celebrated the acceptance of homosexual men within the sport that Cochrane’s case implied. Thus, we suggest that these media representations of homosexuality and masculinity within MMA are indicative of declining cultural homophobia and homohysteria and an inclusive vision of masculinity, as previously described by proponents of inclusive masculinity theory.

KEYWORDS:

• combat sports
• homophobia
• inclusion
• masculinities
• mixed martial arts
• netography
• pornography
• UFC

Notes

1. 2008 Olympic judo bronze medallist Ronda Rousey joined the UFC in November 2012.

2. World Extreme Cagefighting, a now-defunct MMA promotion.

3. Despite his evident prowess, Cochrane was defeated before being able to reach the final stages of the TUF 15 contest. At the time of writing, he remains active as a professional competitor, being tipped for a possible future championship fight (Bratcher, 2012).