To be honest when I think of Gladiators I think in terms of WWE wrestling more than I do MMA. As it is meant to be more of a spectacle.
Looks more like Medieval Times to me. WWE is just a bunch of performative groping.
Even Cirque du Soleil carries more risk of death. The corpse removal process is seamless enough that the show continues.
Is MMA not meant to be a spectacle? Meanwhile WWE is more like a cooperative dance in drag than it is resembling actual fighting. And I mean that in a sense of absolute respect for the art.