EliteXC goes out of business.

[TFoA]

As a very casual fan of MMA, I've gotta ask what is the difference between UFC and all the other promotions? Are the fighters exclusive to one promotion or another like in pro wrestling, or are they independent contractors that happen to be sanctioned like in boxing (WBA, WBC, IBF, etc.)?

It's basically exactly like boxing, except that you can pretty much tell what the hierarchy is between the promotions that are on TV. UFC is the premier promotion in North America and the world as a whole, with PRIDE (which has become DREAM since the UFC/PRIDE merger fell through apparently) over in Japan running a pretty close second, and everywhere else is either a feeder to those 2, just now starting up (like Affliction), or a fly-by-night promotion like EliteXC was destined to be.

So I'd consider UFC, DREAM, & Affliction as the premier level right now, with WEC basically being a level below that, and everywhere else being a step down on the ladder.

[sc49erfan15]

Am I the only person in the world that doesn't care about UFC or MMA or whatever?

Nope. But, given the amount of crap I give people for doing the same thing to soccer threads, I'm not going to piss all over it in here.

Oh, believe me, I'm not pissing on it - everyone I know seems to be big into it, but I just don't get it. I see Tap Out and Affliction stuff all over the place...I guess this fad passed me by.

[NJTank]

I will tell you why MMA is succesful.

Because boxing sucks.

If Boxing was able to fix itself and rebuild itself and get stars in all division with defined champs in every division. Boxing's popularity will get out of the toilet and that will be the end of MMA.

However, with boxing essentially dying MMA is filling the void, for fans who want to see real competitive fighting and not the semi scripted fights of professional wrestling.

[jr79]

UFC did buy PRIDE but some of the talent defected to start up DREAM in competition with them.