| If you ask someone on the street today if he watches | | | | mainstream culture. The Ultimate Fighter showcased |
| MMA, he may answer "no". But if you ask him if he | | | | the best up-and-coming MMA fighters. And because it |
| knows of the reality show The Ultimate Fighter, you'll | | | | was a reality show, it allowed fans to get a look at |
| see his face light up with recognition. The Ultimate | | | | what life is like behind the scenes for an MMA fighter. |
| Fighter has helped to catapult the UFC and MMA into | | | | This insider's view drew people, who hadn't heard of |
| mainstream culture making it the fastest growing sport | | | | MMA before, into the sport and into the lives of the |
| (MMA schools and gyms have been sprouting up all | | | | fighters. Allowing viewers to see the training that MMA |
| over the country) in the United States. | | | | fighters endure and giving glimpses of a fighter's |
| The UFC and the MMA have come a long way from | | | | personal life really drew people into the sport. It was a |
| the "no-holds barred" days when political pressure | | | | brilliant promotional feat on the part of UFC's |
| nearly forced the fighting underground. Originally labeled | | | | management. The UFC not only got a new fighter, |
| by presidential candidate John McCain as "human | | | | who had proven himself against his opponents, but |
| cockfighting," the UFC has made changes to | | | | they also attracted new fans. The viewers of the |
| competition rules in order to legitimize the sport. And it | | | | reality show became viewers of the sport as they |
| has worked, as evidenced by recent pay-per-view | | | | followed the Ultimate Fighter's journey to the UFC |
| numbers. Today, with stricter rules and procedures, the | | | | league. |
| UFC has established its claim that MMA is a legitimate | | | | With the success that Spike TV had from The |
| sport, and the fan base is exploding. | | | | Ultimate Fighter, they decided to start showing re-runs |
| This explosion is due, in part, to the MMA industry's | | | | of older fights. This gave new fans exposure to the |
| expansion to include live events (sales of UFC tickets | | | | history of the sport and again, added to MMA's |
| for live events continue rise), pay-per-view, and reality | | | | popularity. Internet gambling on MMA events took off, |
| television shows. All of this media attention has | | | | surpassing Boxing in betting revenues in 2007. No |
| exposed more people to the sport and helped fuel the | | | | longer a fringe sport, MMA is now featured on major |
| popularity explosion. The popularity of the sport was | | | | sports websites such as Sports Illustrated and ESPN. |
| first evident in 2006 when an MMA event set an | | | | So what's next for the MMA? The UFC brass now |
| all-time single year revenue record, beating out World | | | | has its sights set on expanding to worldwide |
| Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and Boxing. | | | | competition. The way that many other cultures tend to |
| Preceding this record setting event was the Spike TV | | | | follow the lead of the United States makes it quite |
| reality show, The Ultimate Fighter. It was The Ultimate | | | | plausible that the MMA will expand its horizons even |
| Fighter that helped introduce the UFC and MMA into | | | | further in the coming years. |