(Video courtesy YouTube/Fox News)

It seems like everyone is jumping on the mixed martial arts bandwagon these days, so it should come as no surprise that religious groups would eventually hitch a ride on the locomotive that was set in motion by the shot in the arm of popularity that The Ultimate Fighter show injected into the sport.

Based in Clarksville, TN, Xtreme Ministries was founded by John Renken, an evangelical pastor who is also the gym’s head trainer.  The “church” and its leaders who preach and corner its fighters under the motto, "Where Feet, Fists and Faith Collide," attempt to tie together MMA and how Christ fought for what he believed in.

Seems logical, since Jesus was known for knocking and choking out anyone who tried to smite him.

(I don’t like that smirk on your face, four-eyes.  You.  Me.  Cage.  Now.)

With every good idea, there always have to be some idiots who come along and screw it up for everyone.  The Greeks go and invent democracy, and then a few thousand years later "American Idol" pops up and demonstrates its flaws. 

Former principal Donald Moten and the jerks at South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas, Texas are the latest to mess up a beautiful concept, since they decided that it would be a good idea to put problem students in a cage and make them fight it out bare-fisted to settle disputes.  And they actually thought they wouldn’t get in a world of trouble for this, somehow.  Christ, even the warden in “Cool Hand Luke” gave the guys boxing gloves.

Thanks to barstoolsports (via Doyle) we were turned on to this story in the Dallas Morning News, which cites reports of two years worth of totally illegal and unethical fights: