Feb 14, 2012 - 1:20:41 PM

By: Jason Amadi, MMATorch Columnist

Fox and the UFC's decision to air major fights on the Fuel network (much like every other decision the UFC has made in the last ten years) has been met with major criticism. Many seem to be convinced that airing important fights like Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez on Fuel is somehow deleterious to the UFC brand. However, that couldn't be further from the truth. While this particular event and the next few live events on Fuel may not reach as many people as they would have on Spike TV, the risk is more than worth the reward for the UFC and mixed martial arts fans.

The near billion dollars that Fox paid for the right to air UFC programming over the next seven years is great by MMA standards, but nothing special by professional sports standards. More importantly for MMA fans, it isn't enough money for the UFC to even consider abandoning the pay-per-view model that currently accounts for the vast majority of their revenue.

The UFC's performance on major network television is obviously important, but the branding of the Fuel network is just as important. The UFC's presence on each of the Fox platforms is an opportunity for them to demonstrate their value and command significantly more money on their next television deal.

Performing well on Fox is one thing, but actually building a network from the ground up is quite another. People like to imagine that the UFC built Spike, but the fact is they didn't; professional wrestling did. However, the UFC has an opportunity to do it for real with Fuel, and MMA fans should be encouraged to make this a reality.

The fact is all mixed martial arts fans dream of a world without pay-per-view for ourselves, our children and our children's children. We would all like to be able to sit back and consume MMA in the same way that we do other major sports; and deep down, the UFC probably would like to be able to put cards together without doing a hard sell for every event.

Normally, I would say that MMA fans shouldn't be bothered with the UFC's finances or what would make things easier for them, but the long term future of the sport depends on the UFC's success on the entire Fox family of networks, and that includes Fuel.

So for the good of the sport, invest in the Fuel network; or at the very least, don't wish death upon it.

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @JasonAmadi and direct your "Ask the Torch" questions to mmatorch@gmail.com

ALERT: Every Tuesday night, listen to the MMATorch Livecast from 9-10:30 p.m. ET or listen now to the most recent shows by clicking here. Listen live this coming Tuesday as Jamie Penick, Rich Hansen, and Matt Pelkey discuss the latest MMA happenings. Online listen at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mmatorch or call into the show at 646-716-8090 to either just listen or participate.