You'd be surprised dude. A lot of people older than their 30s, and a lot of non athletic men/men who aren't into combat sports/younger women, don't know a damn thing about the sport, and think it's pretty damn brutal.I don't see it, I don't see them having to ever convince people of anything I never hear a single discussion themed "Are MMA fighters animals and savages?".
Haven't for half a decade at least. People were saying this was all bad for the sport before the signs got thrown. No the signs are not a good thing, that part, fine that's stupid. But brawling doesn't bother me as entity and it doesn't bother promoters. People are in for star power and hype now, regardless of what happens as long at isn't a hot button issue.
That's it.
Especially older folk who know nothing about it except shit like the War Machine Christy Mack deal, and whatever other shit CNN puts front page when an MMA fighter fucks up.. and they're sure to put "UFC FIGHTER" in all caps even if the guy was barely a prelim fighter.
The perception has certainly changed for the better but there are still a lot of people out there who don't know a single thing about it, have probably never watched a fight at all, and think it's brutal