The UFC is threatening to not sign fighters that sign on with video game publisher EA, MMAscraps.com reported.

MMAscraps cited two forum posts, one by MMA agent Ken Pavia of MMAAgents.com. Pavia confirmed that the UFC informed fighter managers that if their fighters not currently under contract with the UFC sign with EA for its upcoming MMA video game, they will be forever banned from fighting for the UFC.

The UFC has an exlusive contract with publisher THQ, who put out UFC 2009 Undisputed earlier this year.

If this rumor is true, then fighters like Tim Sylvia, and most notably Fedor Emelianenko, will suffer this lifetime ban.

Sylvia stated that he and Randy Couture have signed with EA. It will be interesting to see how the UFC handles Couture, who is still under contract with the company, if this is indeed true.

This is not the first time that the UFC has taken a strong arm approach to the video game industry. Jon Fitch was cut from the UFC for refusing to sign away his digital rights to the company, and UFC president Dana White threatened to stop doing business with the American Kickboxing Academy altogether. The situation was quickly resolved, and Fitch was brought back to the UFC days later.