MMA fighters take on Meryl

In the wake of Meryl Streep dismissing mixed martial arts as “not the arts” in her Golden Globes speech on Sunday, MMA fighters are going to the mattresses for their sport.

Scott Corker, president of Bellator MMA, said he is a fan of Streep's, but said fighters are “artists” and invited the 67-year-old actress to fights at the Forum in Los Angeles on Jan. 21 to see for herself.

“The global sport of mixed martial arts celebrates male and female athletes from around the world who work years, tirelessly honing their craft and — yes — art,” he said in a letter to Streep that he published on Twitter. “They come from every country and every walk of life. We at Bellator support them and honor their skill.”

Ali Abdel-Aziz, who manages mixed martial arts fighters, including Marblehead's Olympic Judo champion Kayla Harrison, said Streep is one of his favorite actresses, but she missed the mark with her comments about MMA.

“These are very educated fighters. Most of the men and women in this sport have a college degree,” he said. “I think she made a judgment, and maybe she judged a little too much. Look, this is America, she's entitled to say what she's saying. I disagree with her, respectfully. I think she's a legend in her field.”

Abdel-Aziz said he hopes Streep will go watch a fight, or get to know fighters.

“Martial arts is a way of life,” he said. “I think martial arts makes you a better person.”