I wanna preface that if you are reading this, please don't compare MMA to boxing or pro wrestleing or even you people who think it is like dogfighting, just no comments.  Apples and oranges.  I'll do the Boxing vs MMA comparison another day.

It's about time that the UFC has returned after nearly a 2 month hiatus.  We finally get to see the much anticipated match between Randy Couture and Gabe Gonzaga, and Georges St. Pierre makes his triumphant return to the octagon against Josh Koscheck.  I don't know about the other matches, nor do I care about those matches. 

With MMA finally back I get something to take the place of Saturday night hockey on CBC and something until NCAA Football starts in a week.  I think that the UFC is the best run sports organization in the entire world, because they don't have all the controversy that some other major sporting organization, (Soccer fan don't tell me anything because there are studys that say that referees give extra time if the home team is down a goal, because they are in fear for their lives.) have had to deal with over the last year.  With Michael Vick-who I will get to on Monday-, the NBA ref allegedly shaving points, the NHL dealing with the Staal's being arrested and the Operation Slapshot scandal, Baseball with Barry Bonds assault on history, the UFC and MMA has come out smelling like a rose.

The UFC is the definition of promotion when it comes to marketing their sport.  They make their pay-per-views affordable, sell advertising effectivelly and have ways of getting to the people who can't afford the PPV, mainly with the TUF show and a UFN every so often.  These fighters are seen as real people without the rediculous pay days that boxers, and pro atheletes in the 4 major sports get on a yearly basis.  They have attacked their steroid problem head onand has said to thier fighters, you will be caught and you will be punished, severly.

Maybe all sports could take a lesson from the UFC in every facet of their marketing.

Just a thought,

Mark