Just started reading Blood in the Cage by L. Jon Wertheim yesterday. Having read most of the autbios of MMA champions and several histories of the sport as well as the Sam Sheridan fighting around the world tome that covers much of the same Miletich Fighting Systems ground but from a participatory angle, I'm not finding any new info or insights in Blood in the Cage.
I also dispute Wertheim's premise--that MMA is appealing at its core because it's the closest thing to watching two people kill each other and the purest, most reductive yet complex form of sport.
I agree that those elements are all part of MMA's appeal, however I think the sport's deeper appeal is the gameness of the fighters and the inspiration the average person derives from identifying with the warriors in the arena.
While not everyone's jumping up after watching an underdog arm bar his opponent to run out and conquer the world, the intermingling of chance, cunning, skill, and raw natural ability displayed in the ring remind us all of what we hope we can be at our best.
$.02
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