Mixed martial arts is hugely popular in Utah and growing at rates that make other sports envious. Even in tough economic times, MMA gyms are attracting more than enough clientele.

"It's almost like when times are tough, that's when fighters gain popularity," Burkman said. "People admire their toughness. Whether it's the guy who just lost his business or a guy who just lost his job with GM, people are struggling. And they respect getting to see that in athletes that they admire."

It is also a release, an escape and that may even become more important when daily life gets darker.

"It's exciting," said Steve Siler, who successfully defended his featherweight title. "Two guys competing one-on-one, no excuses about how it ends."

Faragher has been a fan since the sport was born in 1993.

"I started watching it when it was not good, when there weren't rules," he said. "I was at a friend's house and I happened upon MMA … There was this 170-pound fighter named Royce Gracie, and because there weren't weight classes, he was beating up 300-pound guys because he knew submission techniques. I thought, 'This is cool — a small guy can defend himself against a bigger guy if he knows what he's doing.'"

Faragher said if detractors understood that MMA is not just street fighting, they'd have more respect for the sport and for those who train up to four hours a day to compete.

"Only about 10 percent of the people who were fighting on the street can walk into MMA and be successful," he said. "Most people who just want to fight aren't dedicated enough to put in all the training, in all of the disciplines, necessary to compete."

E-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com