So with the recent news of Elite XC landing a TV deal with CBS (parent company to Showtime network who already broadcasts EliteXC) and now Strikeforce forging a TV deal with NBC, what does this mean for the MMA landscape and the UFC in particular? Is the Ultimate Fighting Championship losing out on the few deals there are to be had? Has, UFC President, Dana White squandered his opportunities with the networks? Is this the beginning of the end for the UFC?

Not even close! As much as serious MMA fans like to follow other organizations and root for the underdog organization to usurp the big bad Zuffa Inc the reality is that unless you are a “serious MMA fan” you don’t even know who the other guys are. With the exception of Internet Sensation Kimbo Slice most casual fans, much less “soon to be” fans, don’t even know any of the fighters in the other organizations UNLESS they came from the UFC. I still face the situation all the time where the common response to “Mixed Martial Arts” is “Oh, do you mean that Ultimate Fighting Championship?”

If you talk about football it is the NFL, basketball is is the NBA, racing it is NASCAR. If you’re talking about Mixed Martial Arts with anyone, except the serious fan, you’re talking about the UFC! (that is after you explain that MMA is that UFC thing) The second biggest MMA organization was Pride. They still have a HUGE following, but only with serious MMA crowds. Every UFC party I have been at (and I have been at every one) where a Pride star was being introduced there is always a conversation where someone is explaining WHO the fighter is and WHAT Pride was. It always ends with “then the UFC bought Pride”.

Is all of this about to change because EliteXC is going to have bi-monthly events in questionable timeslots and Strikeforce will have highlight reel shows? Not even close! I hope the two new deals are successful. It should only be good for the sport. But with more MMA success comes the need for other networks to respond.  I am guessing that a TV deal with a major network will happen for the UFC in the near future and then Mixed Martial Arts will be introduced to the masses as a main stream sport. Until then Dana will hold his own waiting for the “right deal” for the UFC and you can bet there will be a network jumping at the chance to get it eventually. For now the UFC continues to dominate the pay per view numbers and Spike TV is doing just fine with it’s UFC programming. Add to the current UFC success the fact that they just got Bud Light as the number one sponsor and I can only see bright lights in the future of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.