Why Formula 1 legend David Coulthard called Lewis Hamilton-Max Verstappen rivalry ‘F1 UFC’

The rise of the UFC and mixed martial arts from the dark ages to become one of the major sports in the world is commendable. Combat sports have found their new place in the lives of the general population and have become a global phenomenon.

UFC stars like Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov and others have become household names, which even the biggest names in other sports can’t help but draw comparisons to.

Recently, retired British racer and prominent F1 personality David Coulthard tackled the budding rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, comparing it to the UFC.

Rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen is similar to UFC, says Coulthard

The era of heated rivalries and massive media campaigns on social media has provided a new source of entertainment. Rivalries no longer stay within the realm of one sport, they sometimes even involve external factors. The UFC has seen its fair share of such moments, and it seems that this long-standing feuding nature has been adopted by F1 as well.

According to a report by Express, Coulthard believes this budding rivalry between Hamilton and Verstappen is turning F1 into the UFC, he said, “

“You look at the UFC – as far as I know there are only two rules, and it’s about below the belt and the eyes, everything else is fine. It now feels like F1 was redefined as F1 UFC pretty much anything goes and then the stewards step in. The special thing for me is when Red Bull was given the option to drop what was the Grand Prix lead then take the restart ninth grade I’ve never heard anything like this before – I need that explained.

Did the birth of the UFC and mixed martial arts change the landscape of the modern era of sports? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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