In Dubai’s packed-out Coca Cola Stadium, 17,000 people look on as Souhil Tairi wraps his arm around John Mitchell’s neck in a guillotine choke. Inside the cage, Mitchell’s face turns purple as he continues to land blows and knees on the torso of his French-Algerian opponent before wrestling back control. The fight ended with a decisive three-nil victory for the 29-year-old fighter from Cork. The brutality of mixed martial arts (MMA) and the lack of regulation once discouraged broadcasters and sponsors, but today the combat sport is a multi-billion-dollar industry drawing in 300 million fans across the world. “The rules are…

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