Chris Weidman: The Ugly American Redux? Anderson Silva #maimed? or #defeated? #UFC

In the largely, made up world of gladiators that we like to watch in movies, we’re no stranger to cheering when the bad guy is murdered by our hero. But, what if the hero is white (or Caucasoid) and the villain is black (or Negroid)? Are you still cheering?

Chris Weidman, the UFC champion has become a kind of race-avenger for the disenfranchised whites of the Americas. You’d better believe it. Mr. Weidman may not even be aware of it, but, after he interposed Anderson Silva’s spindly, black, tibia and fibula with his patella; the 2nd hardest bone on the human body – propelled by the mightiest muscle group – he became a folk hero to his muted, constituency of whiteness.

Its rather sad, actually. As an African and a Briton, I often stand aghast of the mixed race fray taking place in North and South America. I’ve had my taste of it. I respect it, actually. There’s almost something pure about it all. When one race vanquishes another, a paradigm shift occurs. Many young black, whites and inbetweeners went to sleep the night after the fight with their eyes rolling rapidly in their sleep. Muted, they no longer have a sanctioned voice of race-reason to describe what just happened.

Yet, the processing continues in their young brains: who speaks for me? Who represents my race, my breed? Do I fight…someone? (or anything!) Or do I submit and follow the new order of white (right?)! I can survive! I can merge with the victor, the winner! Perhaps, I, too, can be a WINNER?

That’s very complex. Or, perhaps not so. I’m no MMA fighter. I wouldn’t do it; couldn’t do it; and only in recent years, with the slightly improved safety regulations can I barely stand to watch it. I say that as a veteran of the US Marines and Royal Navy, who’s had some compulsory close combat instruction. I’m not much good at it all, but I remember the basics: always block with your soft fleshy muscle side of your legs and arms – as to not MAIM your friendly, sparring partner.

Those are training rules, of course. If you happen to engage an enemy during war (for example) then, of course, you interpose with a KNEE or ELBOW … and maim your attacker. Because he is obviously not a friendly (He’s trying to kill you). Back to > the UFC: This is not war, no matter how you try to rationalise it. The UFC is (supposed) to be entertainment. Thus, soft-tissue blocking should be compulsory and those who fail to abide by those rules should be eliminated from the sport.

I’ve seen a lot of things spurred by the poison of racism. Especially from the dominant, white side of the coin (unfortunately). I reckon the confusion that powers race-violence, race-superiority and race-ambition is akin to being drunk, to be honest. There you have it: Racism is a form of emotional inebriation! It is a frenzy of abstract hatred, that really, never stands against reason. The only spoils one benefits from - if only in an Alexandrian sense - is a bit of primal pleasure, however fleeting.

The ultimate point of Ethnic Assets (as an application) is to completely understand this sort of ancient construct and to dismantle it. After which, intellectual conversation will ensue and genuine evolution can happen - rather than this form of violent, artificial selection.