MMAPredictions

For the extent of mixed martial arts’ existence in the United States, the UFC has enjoyed its status at the top of the feeding chain of mixed martial arts organizations. Just as the brand name Kleenex is commonly used in place of the word “tissue”, the term “ultimate fighting” has become synonymous with the sport of MMA to the average English speaker who is aware of the sport. Understanding the power of branding, the UFC has gone to lengths to perpetuate the idea that the UFC is the sport of MMA itself over its fourteen year lifespan, especially since the purchase of the UFC by Zuffa LLC in 2001. While some claim that the sport of mixed martial arts has gained ground and mainstream success, astute observers that indeed the UFC can claim this level of achievement, but MMA as a whole can not.

This week however the UFC encountered a trio of setbacks their Las Vegas headquarters would not likely have predicted a mere six months ago. Fedor Emelianenko, the man regarded by most knowledgeable MMA fans as possibly the best heavyweight fighter in the history of the sport, has been on the market and shopping around for the best offer for his services after the purchase of his former employer PrideFC, leaving him a free agent. Emelianenko’s management claimed that he would be signing a deal with an organization by the end of September, ending months of speculation about where fans may see him in action again. Though many suitors were reported to be in competition for the Russian fighter including EliteXC, HDNetFights, BodogFights, the IFL, and M-1, it was widely expected as time passed that the UFC was going to wind up on top as time went on and details of negotiational wrangling between the two were the only news that emerged on the matter.

On Wednesday Loretta Hunt of The FightNetWork broke the news that Fedor Emelianenko had signed with M-1, an historically Russian mixed martial arts promotion. Emelianenko’s manager Vadim Finkelstein has executive roles in M-1 so the possibility of him signing in that organization were never totally ruled out.

While Emelianenko’s value to the UFC is derived from what he does in the ring, it was his potential impact on the UFC brand that mattered most. There will likely always be more fighters out there for the UFC to sign that can excite a fan base, but at this moment Emelianenko symbolizes something more. As Emelianenko has held the number one spot in online fighter ranking polls across the web including Sherdog and Yahoo! Sports, the UFC’s hope was that by signing him they could lay to rest any notion that there is another organization on the planet where the best fighters go to ply their trade. While a fighter of his significance competes elsewhere it leaves the door open for fans to remember entities aside from the UFC.

Randy Couture has been an icon in the sport of mixed martial arts for more than a decade after debuting as a professional MMA fighter in his first fight in UFC 13. Only six of his twenty-four fights have not taken place in the UFC octagon, and his two underdog victories against Gabriel Gonzaga and Tim Sylvia since coming out of his 2006 retirement from the sport have cemented him as fan favorite. No fighter in the sport can be said to possess the recognition and respect that Randy Couture has, earning himself the nicknames “Captain America” and “The Natural” in addition to working as a representative for the UFC and commentator for UFC fights.

When the UFC received Randy Couture’s resignation by way of fax this week just a couple of days after Fedor Emelianenko announced that he decided not to sign with the UFC, it added insult to injury. Couture told Sherdog.com that his reasons for leaving were two-fold. First, in terms of competition left for the aging competitor, only one man aroused interest for Couture: Fedor Emelianenko, who had just announced that he would not be competing in the UFC. Secondly, Couture stated that he was “tired of being taken advantage of” with regard to compensation. A consumate professional, Couture had never previously publicly expressed dissatisfaction with his employer. Now however, in one blow the perception that the top MMA talent can and does fight outside the UFC was reinforced as well as the notion that it did wrong by the most popular and loved MMA fighter the sport knows.

Outside the octagon, the week held more news that was likely not welcomed by UFC president Dana White either. Multichannel News reported that the long-promised agreement between the UFC and premium cable channel HBO was not to be. While HBO exec Ross Greenburg played the diplomat and stated that, “You never know what the future holds”, leaving the door open for a deal in the future, the message for the time being is that the two parties have decided to “go [their] separate ways”.

There is no doubt that the UFC is and remains the highest-earning, most stable, and most popular venue for mixed martial arts today. With years of inertia, a current stable of popular fighters and its status among aspiring fighters as the place to legitimize one’s career, it remains the default incarnation of the sport of mixed martial arts. Its success in the near term is all but guaranteed. If it is true however that such giants meet their end by way of the proverbial “death by a thousand cuts”, most would agree that the juggernaut received three this week.

- Caleb

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