I read the guest column, “MMA is too barbaric” by Bob Trumpbour (Oct. 11), and was amazed to read that the author is a communications professor at Penn State Altoona. Hopefully, this ill-researched article, filled with hyperbole, would not receive high marks if presented in one of Prof. Trumpbour’s classes. Allow me to present the rebuttal to the misstatements and poorly developed arguments put forth in the original column. First, it took an enormous leap to compare Michael Vick’s dogs with mixed martial artists. Vick’s dogs were forced to participate in fights to the death without any ability to consent. If unsuccessful, these dogs were put to death by the ringleaders. Is that truly how Trumpbour thinks MMA treats its fighters? These men and women come into the sport because of their lifelong participation in one or more traditional martial arts (jiu jitsu, karate, wrestling, boxing, etc.), and they desire to test their skillset against others.