Mixed martial arts is on the rise in Britain, and on the right
But the sport attracts interest from both ends of the political spectrum
MANSFIELD, A FORMER mining town in the Midlands, tends to be ahead of the curve. In 2017, after 94 years under Labour control, it fell to the Conservative Party, foreshadowing the collapse of the “red wall” of northern Labour seats in 2019. It is also in the forefront of a sporting revolution sweeping former industrial towns, particularly in the north and the Midlands: the rise of mixed martial arts.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Class conflict”
Britain October 17th 2020
- The second wave in Britain
- Political biographies are dislodging celebrity books
- How drone swarms will defend Britain
- Farmers, greens and animal-lovers make doing trade deals difficult
- Mixed martial arts is on the rise in Britain, and on the right
- Covid-19 is limiting access to maternity services for British fathers
- The prospects for Andy Bird, Pearson’s new boss
- Britain’s political and social fabric is under unusual strain
From the October 17th 2020 edition
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