Ex Libris

As soon as I glimpsed the cover of , Abby Niles' latest Entangled release I knew tons of readers would pick it up because the cover piqued our interest and made us curious about the hero. It seems several recently released novels feature extreme/MMA/cage fighters as heroes, so that made me wonder and when I had the chance to chat with Abby, I just had to ask her why she thinks romance readers find a fighter hero sexy and not brutal or primitive? And is it something that has changed recently? Please give Abby a warm welcome and you could even win a copy of ! 

Why Women Find Fighters Sexy

by Abby Niles

The opinion on MMA has definitely changed recently. It wasn’t too long ago that the UFC/MMA was considered brutal and primitive by the masses. It used to be referred to as human cock-fighting and was banned in a lot of states. The UFC has come a long way in making MMA a respected sport. Rules and regulations were put into place. The caliber of the fighters increased. And it’s become what it is today—a respected sport with some of the toughest MMA fighters in the industry.

One of the smartest moves I think the organization did was creating the reality show The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). This is what helped me understand the sport more. THIS is where my respect for the sport came from. It was one thing to watch a fight, but truly another to grasp that this wasn’t just two men fighting. These were men who had trained for years inside their specific martial art going against men who were trained in a totally different martial art. You had grapplers going against boxers. You don’t just jump into a fight like that. You train your butt off!

So I really do credit The Ultimate Fighter for the massive change in opinion toward cage fighting. I also think that TUF really helped create a fan base for the fighters. I grew to love a lot of these guys from the show, Rampage Jackson, Chuck Liddell, GSP (I already loved GSP, but the season he coached was awesome!) I also grew to despise some of the fighters. I won’t list them, but TUF really lets you see the types of personality they had, and some of these guys are way too cocky for their own breeches and they do need to be brought down a peg or two. And I WANTED to see them be brought down.


When I got on a more personal level with these fighters, it changed my entire response to the fights. I, personally, consider extreme fighters the elite of the elite in regard to physical sports. And I think a lot of women feel the same way now.

Do I still come across someone who thinks it’s barbaric? Yeah, I do. Being the fan that I am, when I’m asked what my favorite sport is, my response is two things: MMA and football. I still get the occasional grimace when those three letters come out of my mouth. But, more often than not now, the responses are, “Girl! Me too.” And then a favorite fighter debate follows.

As for why women find it sexy? Have you ever watched a fighter fight??? WHEW! I love a good-looking man. I also love muscles. What’s even better than muscles? FLEXED muscles. Let me tell you, a fight is endless flexed muscles goodness. Add in the testosterone these men exude and…*fans self*

I’d like to hear other women’s opinion. Why do you find fighters sexy?

Thanks so much for having today, Stella!!

Abby

Abby Niles has always loved to read. After having twins and becoming a stay-at-home mom, she started doodling stories to keep her sanity. She didn’t plan for writing to become an obsession, but it did. Today, she juggles work, home life, and writing. It’s not always easy, but hey, who said life was easy?

When Abby’s not writing, you can find her playing ‘Just Dance’ with her kids or trying to catch up on her never-ending to-be-read list. She also loves Zumba, and refuses to admit she looks more like Animal doing his Muppet flail than a sensual Latin dancer.

Where you can find Abby:

Website | | | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY RULES: 

Entangled Publishing has generously offered an ebook copy of  to a lucky commenter!

To enter just leave a comment and answer's Abby's question: Why do you find fighters sexy?