Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen on Friday. (Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC, via Getty)
The UFC title bout tonight shows how MMA has inherited boxing’s tradition of using racial pride (and hate) to raise interest in two men pummeling one another. Chael Sonnen and Jon Jones will face off for the UFC's 205-pound title in New Jersey—the result of a public relations campaign utilizing race-baiting to sell an absurd fight. Given Sonnen's low chances of beating Jones, an undefeated champion, their face-off is a prime example of how toxic the sport's rhetoric and hype-making machine has become.
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