Amadi's Take
AMADI: UFC/WEC merger "Worst Case Scenario" for non Zuffa promotions
Oct 28, 2010 - 6:30:51 PM AMADI: UFC/WEC merger "Worst Case Scenario" for non Zuffa promotions

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By: Jason Amadi, MMATorch Columnist

The UFC/WEC merger is the best case scenario for MMA fans, and worst case scenario for anyone actually competing with Zuffa. The UFC absorbing the WEC means that they're on multiple networks, are going to be able to produce more free cards, more international cards, beef up any lackluster pay-per-view offerings with quality title fights, and have now incorporated every major male weight class in mixed martial arts. For Zuffa, this is another step towards the UFC becoming more than just a league and more than just a fight promotion.

There are no two ways about it, the UFC is beyond just being the premier league in mixed martial arts. The UFC name is so dominant in the sport that the vast majority of fans who hear that the UFC and WEC have merged will have no clue what the WEC even was to begin with. Now that the UFC is in possession of not only the top fighters in the world, but now every major weight class, what chance do other promotions have of truly competing? Now that the pesky WEC name is done away with, organizations like DREAM, DEEP, Sengoku, and Bellator are now on notice. The UFC will be able to lure away the top fighters at 125, 135, and 145 lbs. in the same way that they've been able to do for years with the higher weight classes. Fighters at these weights will now enjoy the benefits of UFC payouts and exposure that the other promotions, including the WEC, have been unable to provide.

Beyond just superior fight cards, the UFC can also increase the amount of media coverage they now receive. How much time can be devoted to Tyron Woodley climbing the ranks of the Strikeforce welterweight division if there is a UFC Bantamweight Championship fight upcoming? How “super” of a fight can Gilbert Melendez and Eddie Alvarez be if talk shifts towards an eventual pay-per-view showdown between Jose Aldo and Frank Edgar?

There is no doubt that the three letters “MMA” are threatened by the expansion of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. MMA is at a point in time where the collective efforts of the non-Zuffa promotions, coupled with efforts of the world's leading video game developer, publisher, and marketer produced a game that fell flat on its face without the UFC license. Electronic Arts is, of course the dominant force in sports games, but the acronym “MMA” alone means nothing to the casual consumer, apparently even with Randy Couture featured just below them.

After Zuffa's purchase of Pride in 2007, they began to use the phrase "global domination" on their broadcasts, and it's just now becoming clear what they've meant by that. The UFC brand expanding beyond 155 lbs alone is something that's been expected for some time, but the timing of their decision is impeccable. The UFC now, more than ever, is producing more free cards and holding more international cards; and now they have the talent to continue their expansion even more aggressively. The UFC absorbing the WEC is going to be remembered as one of Zuffa's crucial final steps in making the UFC brand the entirety of the sport.