Haha.. Some MMA journalists starting to get it. Thanks ViaBjork!

This Bellator-SPIKE-Viacom thing is the best thing that could have ever happened to worldwide MMA. A major shift has happened and pretty well overnight.

Zuffa no longer has absolute power over elite-fighter's careers or that of managers or coaches. There is now a very viable big-money extraordinarily-stable option for them to ply their trade.

For MMA journalists they no longer face the same threat of the death penalty from Zuffa. Now if Dana and Lorenzo continue to intimidate and annihilate journalistic freedom they will be forcing reporters to retaliate and give more coverage Bellator. Again the hilarious part is that the Zuffa guys are not smart enough to understand this. The more Dana feels threatened by Bellator the more he will lash out at those who criticize the UFC and himself. He will then just continue to erode the UFC's main base for public promotion.

This is just starting...

Jon Fitch Cut by UFC: Does His Release Create a Credibility Issue for the UFC?
February 20, 2013 - Bleacherreport.com

Perennial UFC welterweight contender Jon Fitch was cut from the UFC this afternoon, creating a whirlwind of emotions that has the Internet buzzing.

While some are okay with the decision to release Fitch, most fans and experts seem to agree that it was a shocking move that may have been done out of spite.

But even worse than that, by releasing Fitch the UFC has created a credibility issue for itself.

A few weeks back, the UFC started a campaign to further solidify the rankings of the fighters on their roster. Media members from numerous trusted sources, including Bleacher Report MMA's own Jonathan Snowden, Jeremy Botter and Damon Martin, were asked to rank the top 10 fighters in each weight class.

The results were then calculated to create the official UFC Fighter Rankings list.

Although no specifics were given in regards to how this list would be used, the UFC was essentially officially announcing that these were the best fighters in each weight class. As such, we all assumed there would be some sort of value given to them.

Even after two losses in his previous three fights, Jon Fitch ranked No. 9 in the official UFC welterweight rankings as of Feb. 18.

By releasing Fitch, the UFC has essentially stated that these rankings—their own official rankings—do not matter.

Again, it should be reiterated that the promotion never said that the rankings did matter, but if they don't matter, then what's the point of having them? Why take the time? Why put it on the website? Why promote it like they matter?

The consensus among dozens of the top analysts in the sport is that Jon Fitch is one of the top 10 fighters in the UFC's welterweight division. He was released despite the company employing somewhere around 70 other welterweight fighters on their active roster.

We've heard it many times from Dana White in the past: The UFC is supposed to be the place where the top fighters come together to prove who is the best.

Releasing Jon Fitch proves that the promotion cares more about "entertainment" than it does determining the best fighter.

And that's their choice. This is their business. Sometimes it's easy to lose track of that. If they don't feel that the return-on-investment is there to continue employing Jon Fitch or another fighter on the roster, then the right business decision is to release him (or her).

But if it's all about making a dollar and entertaining the fans, perhaps it's time to that we all admit that the UFC is starting to creep further away from proving who is the best and more toward the...

WWE's brand of "sports entertainment".

Better late than never, I guess. Since Zuffa bought UFC, they have always been this way, and admittedly patterned themselves after W"W"E, but with real fights. It's not sport, so the hell with them.

The UFC is, again, about bloodlust, not competition. UFC is now where the "best used to fight the best."

Strange as it sounds, Brad Pickett's walk-out at UFC 138 was the beginning of the end for me. I even remember Mike Goldberg making a point-blank WWE comment about Pickett holding the newspaper. I had an immediate flashback of Mean Gene Okerlund in the mid 80s.

The entire sport is on the brink of going underground, not sure if anyone else sees it. Ironically, WMMA may be the only thing that survives.

StealingFire wrote:The entire sport is on the brink of going underground, not sure if anyone else sees it. Ironically, WMMA may be the only thing that survives.

I've heard that for years. This is such a great international sport, I think it will always be around.

Dana is threatened for sure!

Viacom dont run it all they have input into the production. which imo has fucking improved 10 fold compared to previous mtv seasons.

We have seen a few UFC fighters that were featured on SPIKE TV coming into Bellator (thats not a bad thing ..star power and that) other than that Viacom haven't changed anything. unless they force bellator NOT to use a tournament format then Dana is talking out of his ass.

Bleacher report isnt a good example because UFC have banned them from getting credntials so I guess they dont give a fuck.