What is your UFC?

I am a sports fan.

More specifically, I am a passionate fan of the UFC and Formula One. I read almost every article I can find about both sports and, whenever possible, I watch every race and every fight.

My wife and daughter have absolutely no interest in either.

That is perfectly fine. They know how much I enjoy them and have always supported my interests. In fact, they even bought me a ticket to my very first UFC event in Macau, which remains one of the most memorable gifts I have ever received.

I also understand that not everyone enjoys sports the way I do. My good friend Kevin, for example, barely follows any sport at all. If I started talking about title contenders in the UFC or debating Formula One strategy, his eyes would probably glaze over within minutes.

Over the weekend, my wife, daughter and I were shopping at the Venetian Macau.

What I didn't know was that a Korean K-pop group was performing nearby.

The place was packed with fans.

Most of them were young women. Some looked like teenagers while others were probably in their twenties. They carried posters, banners and hand-made signs. Many wore T-shirts and merchandise featuring the group. There was an unmistakable sense of excitement in the air.

To be honest, I was puzzled.

I found myself wondering why they idolised this group so much.

It reminded me of when Taylor Swift performed in Singapore. Thousands of fans dressed like her, sang every lyric and travelled from all over the region just to attend her concert.

Back then I had wondered the same thing.

Why do they do that?

As we walked through the Venetian, another group of fans passed us carrying posters and merchandise.

I turned to my wife and asked, "Why are they so fanatical about this group?"

She gave me a simple one-sentence answer.

"This is their UFC."

That was it.

One sentence.

Suddenly, everything made sense.

This was their UFC.

The same way I can spend hours reading about fight cards, watching post-fight interviews or analysing Formula One races, these young women feel exactly the same excitement about K-pop.

The same way I would be thrilled to meet a UFC fighter or see Lewis Hamilton or Lando Norris in person, they would feel that same excitement when seeing their favourite singers.

The posters made sense.

The merchandise made sense.

The long queues made sense.

The enthusiasm made sense.

I had simply been looking at it through the wrong lens.

It's easy to assume that the things we love are somehow more meaningful than the things other people love. But the truth is that passion is passion.

For some people, it's the UFC.

For others, it's Formula One.

For others, it's Taylor Swift, K-pop, photography, gaming, football, cooking, hiking or collecting stamps.

We may not understand someone else's passion, but we all understand what it feels like to have one.

And I think life is more fun when you have a "UFC."

Something that excites you.

Something that makes you lose track of time.

Something that gives you a reason to look forward to tomorrow.

Something that makes your eyes light up when someone mentions it.

So I'd like to ask you a question.

What is your UFC? ☺️

Jerome