Can Lorenzo Ferttita and Dana White Make MMA an Olympic Sport?

Since I have often been accused of disliking Dana White, I would like to make mention of the accomplishments of his which cause me to admire him.

Dana White and the Ferttita brothers have established MMA as a legitimate sport and distanced it from an earlier conception that it was synonymous with cockfighting.

Changing the minds of such influential American movers and shakers as presidential candidate Arizona Senator John McCain was not an easy task.

Explaining to Senator McCain that the new sport of MMA welcomed rules and regulations with the aim of making it a safe and legitimate sport helped seal the deal and showed an honest earnestness to be taken seriously in the world of professional contact sports.

Having a more desirable image was important in selling the sport to the mothers of youths longing to train and set foot in the octagon as soon as they reach the age of 18 as well. 

Although there are many men in their upper 20s and early 30s who are also training to compete in MMA, there is always a need to attract future competitors for the sport to flourish. Reassuring parents of the longevity of the sport has also been important. No one would encourage a child to choose a career that could soon be obsolete.

Recently at the Mall of America in Minnesota, Dana White mentioned that he and Lorenzo Ferttita have dreams of elevating the sport of MMA to Olympic status within their lifetime. 

If anyone can accomplish this goal, I am confident it will be Dana White and the Ferttitas. As other organizations enter the competition for the dollars represented by the growing popularity of the sport, few have voiced a concern of working to make it an Olympic sport.

Although I am unsure of how this can be accomplished, I think it is a worthwhile goal and am sure that many devotees would be thrilled to train towards the end of competing at that level. So many countries now have athletes involved in the sport that the Olympics would surely have no problem attracting teams from almost all countries.

Even though Dana frowns on cross promotions between MMA organizations, the sport achieving Olympic status could change many aspects of current competition between different countries which could be very beneficial.

It is very admirable of the owners of the UFC to fight to achieve the recognition for the sport that becoming an Olympic event would bring. So I wouldn't hesitate in cheering them to bring on the gold and go for Olympic glory in the future.

MMA in London 2012? We can only hope and pray.