2017/08/29 by Katie E. MacDonald, Matthew Lamont, John Jenkins · 1 citation
Social Sciences · #Sports, Gender, and Society #Sport and Mega-Event Impacts #Media, Gender, and Advertising
paper · doi:10.1080/01490400.2017.1344164
openalex publication_date 2017/08/29 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/03/13
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is a professional mixed martial arts league around which a subculture of fans has developed. Using a theoretical framework for the study of collectives, this study explored foundations of social stratification within UFC subculture. Multiple modes of qualitative data were collected at a major UFC event. Social stratification was perceived by UFC fans as influenced by an individual's subcultural capital, reflected by their scope and mode of involvement in the UFC subculture; displays of UFC fandom through dress; expression through specialized mixed martial arts (MMA) discourse and knowledge; strategic social media use; and conduct at MMA events. This research also highlights the importance of digital technologies and mediated communication in studying contemporary leisure-centered subcultures.