When are major media outlets going to start writing about news worthy developments in the MMA world? Instead they talk about Kimbo Slice and Nate Diaz’s middle finger.

It’s painfully obvious when people who know nothing about MMA write stories on the sport. The LA Times recently came out with a piece titled, “Nate Diaz forced Fox to cut away from fight with Benson Henderson.” The author Houston Mitchell goes on to say in the piece, “Diaz has done this in previous fights too, thinking that it gives him a psychological advantage, which might work if he was in the third grade instead of fighting in UFC.”

Now I believe that Nate Diaz didn’t force Fox to do anything. He was just trying to win one of the most prestigious titles in combat sports history. This goal is something he has disciplined himself to accomplish for the better part of his life. He’s a warrior and nothing like an immature third grader an ignorant writer might try to draw comparisons between.

Nate Diaz might have flicked off Benson Henderson a couple times during the UFC on FOX main event last Saturday, but both the UFC and FOX are definitely responsible for freaking out and cutting to an empty stadium. I’m sorry but that’s poor broadcasting and even more unprofessional than a gestured swear word.

In a statement by a spokesperson from FOX to mmafighting.com, we can all see the silliness behind it all. “It’s not appropriate for air, but the folks in the UFC’s production truck were on the ball. They cut away so quickly that it was virtually indiscernible to the naked eye. We regret even a small fraction of a second snuck through.”

We regret even a small fraction of a second snuck through? It’s a finger. That’s it. Am I alone on this? It’s odd to me how everyone treats a middle finger as a general conflict of interest in a live combat sporting event. Swearing on TV really isn’t that big of a deal when we all swear in our daily lives. In fact, I’ll wager that those who don’t swear at all are the odd ones in society.

Considering the audience, I’m even more baffled. Clearly it would be a very bad thing if Dora’s little friend Diego was running around and flicking off all the cute little tree creatures on the Dora the Explorer show.

The truth is the contexts of gestures are more important than their actual function. Kids should be taught not to swear, but then again, don’t let your kids watch combat sports if you’re worried about them picking up inappropriate behavior.

Nate and his brother Nick Diaz commit all kinds of antics during a fight to unglue their opponent emotionally. It makes sense. Most fans know this and view their behavior as something similar to when Anderson Silva drops his hands and stares at his opponent during a fight. Sure it’s not professional and leaves them open at times, but it’s effective and an integral part of their strategy.

Watch highlights from last Saturday’s UFC on FOX event in the video below.

Video courtesy of ufc.com