Should Christians Watch UFC? The Morality of Combat Sports | Fr. Gregory Pine and Fr. Joseph-Anthony Kress

September 28, 2026

The Morality of Combat Sports: MMA, Violence, and the Christian Life

Are combat sports like MMA and boxing compatible with the Christian life? Fr. Gregory Pine and Fr. Joseph-Anthony Kress examine the morality of combat sports and the important distinction between virtuous aggression, self-defense, martial discipline, and violence pursued for entertainment.

In this episode, the friars consider why aggression itself is not necessarily evil, how martial arts can cultivate courage and preparedness, and why Christians are not required to embrace absolute pacifism. The question does become more complicated, however, when real physical violence is transformed into spectacle.

What happens when the goal of a competition includes knocking someone unconscious or physically incapacitating an opponent? Does watching this kind of violence desensitize us to human suffering? And can the discipline and artistry of martial arts be separated from the potential dangers of combat entertainment?

This episode of Godsplaining explores MMA, boxing, self-defense, courage, violence, and the Christian understanding of the human person, and asks where Christians should draw the line.