Ultimate Fighting at fairgrounds

If Mixed Martial Arts Fighting appears to be a bit primitive, that’s because it is.

MMA, also referred to as “Cage Fighting” and “Ultimate Fighting,” traces its roots back to ancient Greece and the hand-to-hand combat sport known as pankraton (“all powers”), a wildly popular one-time Olympic event.

Jaime Jara.

Since then, the no-holds-barred sport has spread across the globe, picking up elements of other martial arts, from kickboxing to karate.

This Saturday, fans of MMA will flock to the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa to watch former Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Nate Loughran of Santa Rosa square off against the tattooed bogeyman, Jaime Jara of North Highlands (Sacramento). Doors open at 4:45 p.m.

Loughran, a former wrestler who went to Rancho Cotate High School, trains at the NorCal Fighting Alliance of Santa Rosa. He plays chess, cultivates orchids and grows his own food.

His father, author Rob Loughran of Windsor, will be in the audience Saturday to cheer on his son.

Nate Loughran.

“These guys are perhaps the best all-around conditioned athletes in the world,” Loughran said. “They lift and run and stretch — and then grapple, punch, bend, twist, and wrench. I could never do it.”

Although the testosterone-fueled sport obviously appeals to young men, members of the gentler sex also enjoy the spectacle.

“It’s really cool to see them live,” said Shannon Klein, owner of the Westside Bar & Grill in Santa Rosa. “You’re up close, you can hear everything and it’s action packed.”

At press time, the VIP seats had been sold out, but general admission tickets were available. $40-$50. eventbrite.com.

Meanwhile, the 2011 film, “Warrior,” about two brothers who face off in the cage, is up for an Oscar Sunday night. Nick Nolte, who plays the father, was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

After surpassing boxing as a pay-per-view sport, MMA is now poised to return to its roots. A proposal has been made to reintroduce it to the Olympics.