Two men stand in the middle of an octagonal ring - ready for war.

The challenger is a nimble American, the other an ageing but wise Brazilian.

Bell rings and both men start to cautiously circle each other. After a few rounds of vigilant jabs and well-placed kicks to the leg, the American lands a massive right hand hook to the Brazilian's left cheek.

Trouble.

The Brazilian's knees give way, his eyes roll back and he hits the canvas with an almighty thud. The crowd rises to their feet as the American pounces on his opponent's vulnerable mat position with quick right and left hooks to the face.

Fight over.

No - this is not a Jackie Chan action scene out of ‘Rush Hour'. This is as real as it gets.

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has officially become the fastest-growing sport on the planet. It is violent and potentially life-threatening, but it has fans entranced by its realism and an abundance of sponsors aching for some publicity.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) - an American-based institution - is the most popular and most commonly known form of MMA. Since its humble beginnings back in the early 1990's, its popularity has risen dramatically. UFC 116 - an event held a few weeks ago in Las Vegas, Nevada - drew an audience of 1.25 million Pay-Per-View viewers and an attendance of 12,740.

A ticket to this spectacular show is considered one of the hottest tickets in town. In fact earlier this year, the UFC came to Sydney's Acer Arena and drew a crowd of 17,831. The event was sold out within an hour and was officially the second fastest sell out time for a UFC event. UFC president Dana White has expressed his interest in showcasing the brand to other parts of Australia.

But under current state law, the people of Victoria are unable to witness or participate in a cage-style match. Therefore the UFC can't be shown in the state - known to many as the world's sporting capital.

The Victorian Government banned MMA back in December 2007 because it "didn't meet the community's standards". It caused plenty of outrage amongst cage fighting organisers and diehard fans and the move still has them scratching their heads to this very day.

Victorian Sports and Recreation Minister James Merlino was the man at the forefront of the sport's banning and, in an interview with backpagelead.com.au last week, his opinion on the matter still hasn't changed despite the MMA's continuing rise in stature.

"Contests in cages do not fit with our long-term aims for the industry," Mr Merlino told Back Page Lead.

"The Victorian Government believes the spectacle of two competitors fighting in caged combat-style competition does not meet the community's standards of what is acceptable for professional combat sports in our state.''

Despite a UFC visit having incredible economic benefits, Mr Merlino firmly believes that that there are more important issues than just entertaining fans and making money.

"Together, the Government and the Professional Boxing and Combat Sports Board will continue to promote safety and integrity in the professional boxing and combat sports industry."

If any promoter or organisation stages a caged combat sport event, they risk major fines, jail time and the cancellation or suspension of licences, permits and registrations.

But has the Victorian Government not given MMA a chance? Have they not looked beyond the blood, sweat and tears and seen how much skill, style and discipline is needed in the sport?

Carl Drapper, owner and head trainer of Hangar4 Mixed Martial Arts, and managing director of Primal Fight Promotions, believes that they have banned the sport purely because it's held in a cage, not because of the brutality of the sport.

"It's not cage fighting," Drapper said, "the cage is what they fight in, the sport is mixed martial arts".

"MMA is every really good martial art there is all put into one style."

Drapper agrees that the sport is requires an incredible amount of tolerance. But believes it is refereed and judged fairly to strict rules and performed in a controlled environment. There are over 30 ways for an opponent to commit a foul, including biting, head kicks and strikes to the groin.

The State Government doesn't intend to conduct a thorough analysis of the sport anytime soon. But there is no doubt that if they change their mind and the UFC hear about it, they will be heading out to Melbourne as soon as they can.

(Ben Waterworth is a journalism student at LaTrobe University.)