Welcome to The Hurt Business.

Not too long ago, a documentary diving deep into MMA hit theaters. Titled The Hurt Business – the doc went beyond the cage and featured some of the biggest names in MMA fighting. Athletes such as Ronda Rousey, Jon Jones, Rashad Evans, and Georges St-Pierre. Here’s the bad news: it was only in theaters for one night only. So if you weren’t free that night, you missed your chance to get a cinematic look into the sport you hold most dear.

But now it’s time for the good news: The Hurt Business has finally been released on iTunes. So now you have a second chance to see this ever growing sport finally get the big budget movie it deserves. So before the big holidays kick in and force you to deal with family, food, and gift giving – here are three reasons why you should watch The Hurt Business this weekend.

1. It Shows The Violence Front And Center… But Doesn’t Villainize It.

If you have any fears that this documentary would pull it’s punches when it comes to the violence to reach a wider audience… have no fear. The blood, sweat, and tears are front and center showcasing some of the most brutal examples of injury (even the talking heads describe injuries with such intense detail that it’s hard not to squirm). But on the other hand, they don’t villainize the sport because of the violence either. It takes a cold hard neutral look at all the carnage. So no fears, you’re not going to be preached at for 120 minutes.

2. The Doc Covers Every Aspect Of The Sport.

While it might be to a fault in some respects, The Hurt Business makes sure to cover all elements of the sport. It goes in depth with personal storylines such as Sara McMann, Joker, Jon Jones, and Rashad Evans. But it also digs deep into the long term effects from the sport (Gary Goodridge), the way the sport pays its athletes, the legalization of the sport, the history of the sport, and women’s place in the sport as it grows. Nothing is left out. It’s all things MMA and while it might make the narrative a bit scattered at certain moments, it’s a blessing for MMA fans like us who want to live, breath, and eat Mixed Martial Arts.

3. While Independent, MMA Gets The Cinematic Treatment It Deserves.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched an “independent” straight to DVD or VOD documentary about an underground sport only to groan. Why? Because it feels like I’m watching a bootleg movie on a shoestring budget. It makes the sport seem less credible. Maybe that’s not the right word. It makes the sport seem even SMALLER than it already is. Now, to call MMA underground is a bit much. It’s grown so large over the years that it’s well on its way to becoming a top tier mainstream sport. But when it comes to media and theatrical entertainment we haven’t gotten our fair share of high quality TV shows, films, what have you. So it feels good to see The Hurt Business go the distance in terms of visual and narrative quality. It doesn’t feel like a college thesis project or bootleg internet video. It feels like it belongs in theaters. It feels like an epic event on par with the best of MMA PPVs. And in that sense, it respects the MMA fan just as much as it tries to show the world just how exciting the sport can be.

So do yourself a favor and check out The Hurt Business this weekend. It’s out right now on iTunes and can be purchased right here. Hopefully this is just the beginning of a long line of high quality MMA content enveloping the mainstream. As always, we’ll be following it every step of the way.

The post 3 Reasons You Should Watch ‘The Hurt Business’ This Weekend appeared first on Cagepotato.