Is it Finally Time for an MMA World Cup?

This summer’s historical Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup must have raised a number of questions in the mind of MMA fans worldwide, such as: will we ever see a mixed martial arts equivalent of futbol’s most prestigious tournament?

Will MMA ever become an Olympic event? Will there ever be some sort of international MMA competition where fighters compete on behalf of their nations, regardless of what organization they belong to?

For the Olympic question, the list of events for the 2012 summer games has already been decided (at least nominally). If MMA does make it to the Olympics (I’d predict 2024 at the earliest), it will probably be with modified rules, similar to modern Pankration. The subject of MMA at the Olympics can form an article on its own though, and here I’d like to focus on the second possibility mentioned above.

The grand prix tournaments that were held by PRIDE FC represented the pinnacle of what MMA competition could be. So why hasn’t there been an international tournament featuring professional fighters from multiple organizations yet?

Notwithstanding the logistical difficulties of holding such a spectacle, the reluctance of the UFC (which has the largest roster in the sport) to cross-promote with other organizations is one of the main obstacles in realizing this possibility.

With the UFC favoring exclusive contracts and being very protective of their talent, the chances of them sending top fighters to compete in a global competition seems remote, especially given the probability of certain combatants getting injured and costing the company future revenues.

The UFC’s refusal to cooperate with WAMMA (World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts), the sport’s first and only independent sanctioning body, is another reason that could impede such a tournament from happening.

WAMMA, acting in a manner similar to that of FIFA or the FIA, could work with smaller promotions to hold this competition; but without the UFC’s support, the overall quality of the talent pool would be limited. It would be a truly international event only if all the top fighters and organizations participated.

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