The UFC, or Ultimate Fighting Championship, is the premiere league for the world's best
mixed martial arts fighters.
These fighters are amazing, for years they’ve honed their skills, cross training in several
martial arts to become the best at hand to hand combat.
Gladiators are armed combatants who violently fought each other for the entertainment of
society mainly during and after the fall of the Roman Empire.
Gladiators participated in ‘Ludi’ or public games sponsored by the state and ‘munus’
public entertainment sponsored by rich citizens.
These fighters were also amazing; they endured harsh conditions and years of training to
hone their skills.
Thousands of years, different regimens, training styles and technology separates these top
combatants but we think a bout between a gladiator and a UFC fighter would be an amazing match.
Let’s discuss the fighters and the advantages or disadvantages they might have over each
other.
But how about we make the fight a tad more fair?
The gladiator can have a groin protector too.
Contrary to what a certain movie might portray, gladiators did not always fight to the death.
Only about 1 in 9 or 11% of matches ended with someone dying.
But, you ask, what about the chariot races, the crowds clamoring for ‘pollice verso’
aka the crowd voting with their thumbs to kill a gladiator, ect.?
Well, a typical day of entertainment at a coliseum had several different events.
During the morning session, there were animal entertainments--mainly animals fighting each
other to the death would be showcased.
Around midday, when the crowds thinned for lunch, the ‘b entertainment’ such as the
executions of criminals and dissidents would take place.
These events might involve fights to the death between the condemned or the condemned versus
animals.
The afternoon games were prime time, reserved for gladiatorial combats, chariot races and
recreations of famous battles.
Thousands of years later, a full day of Romans games has jumbled into a single pop culture
narrative about gladiators chaotically fighting to the death.
Sometimes gladiators did fight hungry animals in contests called venationes or ‘wild beast
hunts’.
Also, occasionally there were bouts to the death between gladiators.
But overall fights lasted until there was a decisive outcome, perhaps a competitor was
wounded or collapsed.
There were rules of combat and most bouts actually had referees who were often retired
gladiators.
The referees could caution fighters or pause a match.
Sometimes a ruler or rich sponsor watching a fight did weigh in to achieve a certain
outcome, but in general, most audiences wanted to see a well crafted match between skilled
fighters with a bit of showmanship.
This is not too different than the UFC bouts of today, audiences want a great fight between
professional fighters and judges and referees to ensure them to be so.
Historians dispute when and where gladiators and gladiator games started.
It’s thought that Etruscans started the tradition and the bloodthirsty Roman Empire
continued and added on to the tradition.
Some young men of noble families volunteered to become gladiators when ludi grew very popular,
but the majority of gladiators were slaves and/or prisoners of war taken captive by the
Romans.
If in good health, a POW might be sold in the marketplace.
A lanista or gladiator trainer would purchase prisoners and train them to fight.
The lanista might be backed by sponsors or sponsors might rent gladiators out or put
up funds to train a certain gladiator for a certain fight.
Gladiators received board and training, but weren’t paid a salary.
However, they could win prize money or receive gifts from fans.
Sometimes successful gladiators were able to buy their freedom.
Becoming a gladiator took a lot of training, and was quite an expensive investment.
Unless they were well compensated by a sponsor a lanista was not going to let a skilled warrior
die and lose money.
Actually that’s somewhat similar to the general rules regarding fights and companies
carrying insurance for professional fighters of today.
Aside from the ethics and humans rights issues, if a UFC fighter is killed or seriously injured
it’s bad business.
The typical UFC fighter doesn’t actually make much of a living from fighting.
It’s the highly ranked fighters who are household names who make bank.
Per a 6 year agreement UFC made with Reebok in 2015, in-ring sponsorships by any company
other than Reebok are banned.
However fighters can earn money via endorsements, often through video or social media posts.
In recent years, some UFC fighters have spoken out against the company’s inadequate pay
structure and even tried to unionize.
Some UFC fighters made more money on the amateur MMA fighting circuit and found themselves
starting over with ‘beginner’ wages once they joined the UFC.
Lanistae often ran gladiator schools where the gladiators lived and trained.
There were multiple schools scattered through the Roman empire, each providing warriors
for a nearby amphitheater.
The gladiators lived in barracks style housing and were well fed; Lanistae knew that in addition
to thrilling matches, the audience wanted to look at beefcakes.
A study of 1,800 year old bones excavated from a gladiator graveyard in Turkey showed
that nearly all the gladiators buried there had a vegetarian diet primarily consisting
of wheat, barley and beans with little to no meat products.
Surprisingly, that’s not too different from the approach many athletes, including UFC
fighters, take to their diets today.
Some of the bones also showed mineral deposits.
Apparently after training or fighting the combatants drank a health boosting tonic made
from the ashes of plants to help their bodies recover.
Yeah, that sounds sorta nasty, but ‘Tropical Undertow’, ‘Feral Cherry’ or any of
the other electrolyte packed sports drinks athletes consume today would probably gross
a gladiator out.
Lastly the bones showed evidence of healed wounds.
Gladiators received top notch medical care of the day and sometimes survived horrible
wounds.
Although not as high tech or scientifically accurate as the nutrition or health care UFC
fighters receive, gladiators were fit and healthy.
Unfortunately, archeology has yet to uncover any specific gladiator training manuals so
we don’t know much about gladiators' daily schedules.
However, we do have art, graffiti and literature which provides some clues as to how the gladiators
trained.
The Romans revered the ancient Greeks for their Olympic athletes and used something
like the Greeks’ ‘Tetrad System’ a four-day regimen.
Day 1) a short yet intense prep-day workout, Day 2) high intensity workout where fighters
gave their absolute best, Day 3) a rest day, and Day 4) a medium intensity workout.
And repeat.
The Romans understood that a diverse itinerary of activities was best for producing strong
fighters.
Many UFC fighters and other professional athletes adhere to the Tetrad System today.
It’s still considered one of the best programs for achieving athletic goals.
Calisthenics or body weight exercises were a huge part of gladiator training.
They also weight lifted using halteraes, an ancient version of the dumbbells.
Generally when entering the school, the trainer would assess a gladiator’s body and existing
fighting skills to help determine which type of combat specialty the gladiator should train
to become.
There were over 20 types of gladiators who wielded a wide variety of weapons and had
unique fighting styles.
A Thracian was probably the most popular type of gladiator, they fought sporting a curved
blade that was usually around 13 inches (or 34 cm) long, round shield and broad helmets
with a griffin insignia.
The Murmillo was armed with a gladius or longsword, carried an oblong shield and dressed something
like a Roman soldier.
The Retiarius or ‘net figher’ employed a net similar to a fisherman’s to ensnare
opponents, a trident used for jabbing, and a four pronged dagger of last resort.
They didn’t wear helmets, but some wore galerus or a metal shoulder shield to protect
their necks.
Beyond strength exercises, gladiators spent the majority of their time training in their
fighting style.
Trainees generally started with wooden training weapons and progressed through various ranks.
Once they began sparring with partners they would fight in the training arena attached
to the school.
These arenas, while considerably smaller than the amphitheaters where gladiator games were
staged, still were large, having seating for an audience of a couple thousand people.
These public mock battles cured combatants of stage fright and got them used to possible
distractions such as the roar of a crowd.
After a long day of practice or fighting a gladiator would rejuvenate themselves by spending
time soaking in Roman baths.
In fact spa treatments were considered so vital for a gladiator’s rest and recovery
that most schools had them onsite.
An archaeological excavation at the site of a gladiator school in the ancient city of
Carnuntum, near what is now Vienna, Austria uncovered a large bath complex.
Not too different a practice from the whirlpool and massage treatments a UFC fighter might
receive after an intense day of training or competition.
To become a UFC fighter there isn’t one set route.
Many UFC fighters have gotten their start wrestling at a top tier high school or studying
martial arts as they were growing up.
Even if a wanna be UFC fighter did neither of these things, if they were in their early
20’s, athletic, very determined and disciplined they still have a small shot at being a UFC
Fighter.
Here’s how one path to becoming a UFC fighter could work: Our fighter has spent about 4-5
years becoming a good amatuer MMA fighter.
That means he gained a high level of skill in wrestling and competed at the college level.
He studied Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, or BJJ, and has an adult purple belt.
A Purple belt is the intermediate adult ranking and it takes a consistent practitioner about
2.5-3 years to reach this status.
He also has 3 years of kickboxing experience, and some knowledge of Muay Thai and judo.
Our fighter is pursuing MMA as a lifestyle.
He adheres to a carefully calibrated diet.
He has a consistent training schedule based on the Tetrad system.
In addition to martial arts, he lifts weights and stretches for flexibility.
He’s involved in the MMA community and has joined a local league.
He’s actively building a network of colleagues and workout partners in the same way that
a gladiator would have a ‘familia gladiatoria’ or a chosen gladiator family of comrades.
He’s started to fight on the amateur level and wins a decent amount of matches.
He’s thinking about his ‘brand’ and building a social media presence.
He’s maybe gotten some sponsorship from a local company such as a gym or sporting
goods store.
Our fighter keeps on grinding.
He spends another few years continuing to study and practice.
He’s now a brown belt in BJJ and has masterful wrestling skills.
He’s picked up some Taekwondo.
He’s made a name for himself on the MMA amatuer fighting circuit and has won bouts
both nationally and internationally.
At this point he’s ready for the UFC.
What he needs now is luck and timing.
By this time the UFC is probably already aware of him, their scouts attend amatuer MMA fights
and keep tabs on upcoming talent.
UFC also periodically holds casting calls to find new fighters.
Our fighter attends a tryout for The Ultimate Fighter and ends up being signed to a 5 year
contract.
Now all he has to do is rise through the ranks and make a name for himself as a UFC fighter.
Whew!
So what if our UFC fighter goes up against a Thracian gladiator of roughly the same height
and weight?
Each fighter may have a slight advantage if the fight is taking place in their home milieu.
While the UFC fighter probably wouldn’t be disturbed by the crowds, his sense of space
may be off kilter, the amphitheatre has an immense fighting area as compared to a UFC
ring and also he would be dealing with the stench of a society who hasn’t yet discovered
deodorant.
The Thracian would be cool with the modern crowd.
He can adapt to the compact fighting space, but is probably thrown by the lights and cameras.
Sorry Thracian, we’re going with a modern arena.
Once the fight starts, the gladiator comes out swinging!
His sword gives him a superior reach.
The UFC figher’s boxing gloves aren’t great for protecting his hands against the
Thracian’s shield.
However, the UFC fighter is quicker and rapidly adapts to the way the Thracian fights.
They both have tricks up their sleeves, but the UFC fighter has superior foot work aided
by his kickboxing practice.
The gladiator begins to have a little trouble as the UFC fighter keeps switching between
fighting styles.
The fight might come down to stamina.
A UFC fight goes for either 3 rounds or 5 rounds for a championship title.
Each round lasts up to 5 minutes.
In between rounds the fighters get a 1 minute break so a 3 round fight is max 17 minutes
and a 5 round fight max 29 minutes.
Fights may end early due to knockout, submission, doctor stoppage, etc.
From descriptions of fights found in literature, historians think that Gladiator fights on
average ranged from 15- 20 minutes.
The gladiator is slowing, with each move his sword and shield feel heavier, the UFC fighter
may have it.
But our Tharcian’s warrior mentality was forged in a world without posturepedic beds
or toilet paper, he’s beyond tough.
The gladiator feints and strikes, drawing blood.
That’s it folk, the Thracian wins.
Yep, though it would be a tough match, we totally think that a gladiator would beat
a UFC fighter.
Now about the ladies…..There are a bunch of amazing and tough female fighters in the
UFC.
Their origin story would be similar to our UFC fighter’s beginning.
Many years of various martial arts training, fighting on the amatuer MMA circuit and building
a rep before being signed to the UFC.
What about female gladiators?
Well, technically they were called ‘gladiatrix’ and were considered an exotic rarity, much
of the time they were showcased for titillation.
They were often portrayed in the amphitheater as Amazons, the female warriors of Greek myth.
Unfortunately, not a lot of information is known about them.
Some inscriptions suggest that they trained with private tutors rather than regular gladiator
schools.
Few records have been found regarding their battles.
Mainly they fought each other and wild animals, rarely did they fight men.
Generally they were equipped with a dagger, belt, rectangular shield, and wore loincloths
and helmets.
They may or may not have worn greaves or leg protection and manica--arm protection.
In 200 AD, Emperor Septimius Severus, angry over the ribald and harassing taunts from
audiences when gladiatrix were fighting, banned female gladiators altogether.
We think a UFC female fighter with her more consistent training and fighting opportunities
would beat a gladiatrix hands down.
And now that you've reached the end of our video, why not keep the watch party going?!
Navy Seals are tough, right?
But is a Navy Seal tough enough to take on the SPARTAN 300?
Braveheart was an awesome movie, but is it an accurate portrayal of William Wallace?
Click here to find out: