Resumo

CAMILO, Juliana Aparecida de Oliveira  e  VIANA-MEIRELES, Livia Gomes. Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) athletes: Precarious and Invisible Workers. Estud. pesqui. psicol. [online]. 2022, vol.22, n.2, pp.566-586.  Epub 03-Maio-2024. ISSN 1808-4281.  https://doi.org/10.12957/epp.2022.68636.

The vigorous performance of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters, widely exploited by the media, sponsors and gyms, hides the fragility of employment relationships and uncertain working conditions. Through this scenario, it was our objective to understand the working conditions of MMA fighters in Brazil. Methodologically, we followed the assumptions of ethnography, with observations and conversations recorded in a field diary when following the routine of two athletes in an event of national expression. These records were analyzed through content analysis and underwent a process of synthesis, analysis and discussion. The analyses were based on the psychodynamics of work. We understand the work of these fighters was involved in a complex situation of precariousness and labor invisibility before different social actors: sponsors, media, gyms, fans and even for themselves. This situation generated the maintenance of extreme exploitation, fragility in employment relationships and the consequent trivialization of social injustices suffered by them. The precariousness and invisibility of the work of MMA fighters, despite what the media shows, expose a contingent of professional athletes who are far from minimal working conditions and/or the millionaire figures the media constantly display.

Palavras-chave : social psychology of sport; sport psychology; social psychology of work; MMA..

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