MMA Magazines Rated!

With the recent upturn in MMA viewership and popularity (thank you, UFC 71), more and more publishers are trying their hand at something that's never really been done before -- an MMA magazine. I set out to my local Borders to collect as many as I could. I found five in total and I'll profile them all right here.

This whole business started when I was down the shore with my family. I caught my Uncle Dan, the family MMA aficionado, flipping through a copy of boxing's The Ring magazine. I asked him about it, and he commented to me that since there weren't any MMA magazines in publication, this was the best he could do.

While the quality isn't always consistent and many of the magazines still seem to be finding their bearings, there are (finally!) a number to choose from.

Top Pick: Fight!
Fight! magazine (pictured above) differs from the rest of the pack in that it not only delivers the interviews and late news that has become typical of these publications, but it has numerous Irish Whip-esque features as well. That is to say, the inaugural issue features many opinion-based columns such as "10 Fights That Made MMA," "MMA's Deadliest Weapons," and "Five Men Who Can Beat Fedor." I've always found that these articles are much better for creating a dialogue than a story on Cro Cop getting knocked out. And yes, UFC 70 was being covered as "news" in another magazine. Additionally, I like the emphasis placed on betting as this has become a more popular way to enjoy MMA. Fight! easily offers the most original content and that's why it has received my Top Pick award.

Honorable Mention: Fight Sport
Fight Sport is another good one, with less original content than Fight!, but featuring enough coverage of events to make up for that shortcoming. They do a really good job of covering all MMA, including UFC, IFL, and WEC events. However, the news was outdated as the current issue features UFC 70. Again, I feel that this is a just a result of these publications getting their kinks out. Fight Sport is also one of two to feature rankings, a feature which I really appreciate. That being said, the rankings go hand in hand with the news...Cro Cop and Liddell at the top of the heap seem like an antiquated concept by now. As a side note, I'd like to mention that the picture to the left isn't a current issue.

Honorable Mention: TapOut
Put on by the TapOut company (obviously...), this magazine also features good rankings which seem to be a bit more current than those put out by Fight Sport. Another advantage of purchasing this publication is that it features pages upon pages of submissions and instructions on how to execute them. TapOut should be receiving its first lawsuit...now. Unfortunately, for as many pages of detailed moves sets as they provide, the magazine features an equal number of TapOut ads which only serve to bombard and distract the reader. Again, the picture isn't a current one.

Decent, But Not Worth The Money: Ultimate Grappling
I had high hopes for Ultimate Grappling considering its slick website and good coverage. Similar to the site, the layout of the magazine was very nice, but the content left something to be desired. It was thin, like an issue of Sports Illustrated during hockey season. The major plus of the issue was a feature on Urijah Faber, the WEC fighter who often gets lost in the mix of the bigger organization. It was nice to see him getting some love. Other than that, the content was weak.

Don't Waste Your Time: Fighters Only
This British-produced MMA publication is...well, it's British. I'm not sure how long it takes them to get the UFC results, but they are LATE. It's sort of like how Middle Eastern countries are still getting our music from the 80s. The issue didn't have any moves nor did it have fighter rankings. It did feature a decent article on Dan Henderson, but nothing to make it worth the $7.99 or whatever it was. There was some bizarre across the pond shipping charge included in the price of the issue, making me very...very upset to be buying it for the site.