'It's women's MMA time': flow of fighters, substances and capitals between Brazil and the United States of America

• Grant number: 16/11357-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: September 12, 2016
• End date: December 13, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Anthropology - Urban Anthropology
• Principal Investigator: Larissa Maués Pelúcio Silva
• Grantee: Juliana Gomes Jardim
• Supervisor: Michelle Frances Erai
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia e Ciências (FFC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Marília. Marília , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 14/10774-6 - It´s time!: WMMA emergence and gender performativity, BP.DR

Abstract

Women´s Mixed Martial Arts (WMMA) has been growing fast in the last years, and its coronation happened with the implementation of the first female pound division in the American Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Being part of this organization (the greatest in the sport) is the biggest dream of most Brazilian WMMA fighters, some of whom have chosen to live and train in the United States. This research project aims to analyze the traffic of female Brazilian fighters to that country, focusing on the discussion of patterns of body, gender and sexuality throughout competition, training and the use of the body for entertainment. For such, a multi-located ethnography will be held. This ethnographic work has already started in Brazil and, in its international phase, the goal is to add Brazilian WMMA fighters living in the United States, from presential ethnographic immersion in training and competitions, as well as through televising and online follow-up. Data collection will be analyzed in dialogue with gender and sexuality studies, anthropology of sports, among other scientific references. (AU)