The Professor in the Cage: Why Men Fight and Why We Like to Watch

An English professor starts training in mixed martial arts, exploring the science and history behind the violence of men

When a mixed martial arts (MMA) gym opens across the street from his office, Jonathan Gottschall sees a challenge. Pushing forty, out of shape, and disenchanted with his job as an adjunct English professor, he works up his nerve and finds himself training for an all-out cage fight. He sees it not just as a personal test, but also as an opportunity to answer questions th...