I had a long post that got erased for some reason...perhaps this is for the better as now I am annoyed and will put a more concise reply.
It seems that part of the conflict is how combat sports and real life situations relate. Of course, a boxing, kickboxing, jujitsu, or NHB match can simulate a real fight because there are rules. However, these competitions can help develop attributes such as timing, strength, speed, endurance (even if it is the endurance to run away--which I think should always be the first option looked at in a street situation), skills within the compeitions (e.g. striking, kicking, throwing, grappling, etc.), mental toughness, ability to take a hit, and determination, etc.
As for myself, I have not been in a fight since high school and hope to never be in one again. In my current training, I am doing more full-contact sparring and would like to compete in some type of combat sport competition in the future. Why? I think it would be fun (which should be one of the reasons for putting your body in harm's way). Also, I think it would be a way to test myself. Test my ability to "fight for real"? No, since the competition has rules, but it would test all of the attributes I mentioned above.
My fiancee sometimes ask, "can you defend yourself if you had to?" It's always a tough question to answer, because you don't know what the situation is until you're in it. However, I think my current training has improved my chances if ever put to that test.
In any case, I hope we can all share and learn from each other in this forum. Even if we disagree, I hope we can all be respectful of each other.
Regards,
Bryan