Michael Morgan and #WHOATV have just released their ambitious “#DNA” feature, a beautiful reflection on the UFC’s visit to Dublin, Ireland. The film begins with a behind the scenes look at Brad Pickett’s weight cut. It is more like a final farewell in a bleak hospital room than the buildup for a lively mixed martial arts fight. But all this drab, voluntary suffering makes sense. Because if we are human beings worth our lifetime ration of bone and flesh, an inclination towards self-harm is in our DNA. Two skeletons embrace at the weigh-ins, confirming that it is a shared truth, a miserable victory on the road to a painful glory.
I won’t spoil the rest of the video, but sit down for a half hour and watch it. It will remind you why MMA is appealing on a biological level, in the background space behind the fifteen minutes on Saturday night.
