Mma is Ready for the Mainstream

2008 saw massive growth for the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), the premiere Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organization on the planet. With UFC 83 they broke new records in Canada, and the event sold out faster than any other event in histroy. With the rise of Brock Lesnar as a legitimate heavywieght, the UFC brought in millions of new fans, and also garnered mainstream media attention fro sports outlets like ESPN that up until that point had been unprecedented. With a total of 12 pay-per-view (PPV) events, the UFC has gone to set a new record in PPV revenue for yet another year.

2006, which was a banner year, was supposed to be the ceiling for what they could accomplish according to some pundits, but after an even more successful 2007 and 2008 one thing is becoming apparent. The UFC is about to get huge. Now, one could argue that the UFC already is huge, but in terms of household recognition the UFC has only scratched the surface. Walking down the street you could ask anybody who Shaq O'neil is and it is almost guaranteed that they will know who he is. The same can not be said, however, for Chuck Liddell, the promotions biggest star. That's not to say that Liddell doesn't get mobbed by fans wherever he goes, because he does, but even at the height of his popularity he is not as well-known as one of the major sports stars like A-Rod or David Beckham.

But that could all change soon. As the UFC ventures deeper into Europe and cements their position as the leader in Combat Sports, they tighten their stranglehold on the market and ensure growth in the years to come. The UFC is also taking steps to get their product out to millions of new fans via the new UFC Undisputed 2009 video game that will be released not only on the next gen consoles but also as a mobile phone version.

2009 should be a banner year for the company. Dana has said that there will be big things coming in 2009, and there is no reason to doubt him. Year after year the promotion has delivered, and year after year they become a more dominant force in the industry. It's not a question of if the UFC will break into the mainstream, but when. I think it will be sooner than later.

I run http://themmafiend.com, a Mixed Martial Arts website, along with my other friends who love the sport as much as I do.

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