B/R MMA Mailbag: Who Could Be the UFC's Biggest Competitor?

Welcome back to the B/R MMA Mailbag. Here's where we answer your questions about the various MMA issues of the day.

The UFC took last weekend off, and into the void stepped a big Bellator card and the stateside debut of the suddenly star-laden Eagle FC promotion, now owned by lightweight GOAT Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Although the UFC is the unquestioned lord and master of the MMA world, it doesn't quite reach full monolith status. As long as global demand for blood sports persists (and UFC fighter pay levels remain a concern), the UFC will never truly be the only game in town.

To be crystal clear: even in a crowded field, the UFC is miles ahead. But the battle for Nos. 2 and 3 is as hot as it's ever been. What horse do you have your money on?

Let's weigh the options. Want to see your question or comment here? Drop it in the mailbag each Monday, and I'll answer a selection of some of the more reasonable ones. Let's get it on.

          

I think the PFL format has value, maybe offset the schedule so every card has a title fight and expanded roster

@NetProphet

The Professional Fighters League has two structural advantages going for it: an innovative regular-season/postseason format and the sparkly $1 million prize for season winners in six different weight classes.

There are downsides. First, the format is fun but rigid, meaning it may be too complex to bring flexibility—i.e., different timelines for each divisional season—into the mix. Second, with Kayla Harrison perhaps poised to fly the coop, PFL is a little short on big-name fighters.

They do have a few, with Anthony Pettis leading the pack, but a flagging Rory MacDonald and jiu-jitsu wiz Antonio Shoeface are not household names. The recent signing of a very washy Jeremy Stephens is fun, I guess, but kind of in the same semi-mediocre vein. Homegrown talents like Ray Cooper III and Lance Palmer are impressive competitors, but they haven't broken through to the mainstream consciousness. 

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

The PFL has to be heartened by recent news that its tentpole star may indeed be returning to the fold. But Harrison can't fight on every card, and when she does compete, the way she consistently mollywhopps the jobbers takes some intrigue out of the equation. Boxing champ Claressa Shields has been bandied about as a potential opponent, but to date her 1-1 MMA record hasn't shown she's equal to the challenge or the hype.

The league will heat up again in April when it begins its 2022 season behind a multiyear contract renewal with ESPN. There's a lot to like in the PFL, even if it lacks some of the shine of its competitors.

           

It's been Bellator for years

@Bear2327

It's true. Bellator just keeps chugging along.

Bring Bellator your tired, your hungry, your huddled masses. If you made a name for yourself in the UFC but were released or grew disgruntled, you have a home in Bellator. 

Last Saturday's Bellator 273 card was topped by heavyweight champ and eight-year UFC veteran Ryan Bader, who decisioned interim champ Valentin Moldavsky to unify the strap. Former UFC lightweight belt-holder Benson Henderson was doing Benson Henderson things in the co-main, grinding out a dull but technically proficient split-decision win over heavily favored Islam Mamedov, who hadn't lost since 2009. 

The list of UFC converts goes on, from Sergio Pettis to Cris Cyborg to Corey Anderson. Legends from around the game, like heavyweight GOAT short-lister Fedor Emelianenko, also are in the mix. Remember, Bellator MMA is owned by media giant Viacom. The company is canny about its decisions, but when it does decide to pursue someone, it has the resources to get its man and/or woman.

What sets Bellator apart from the PFLs of the world is its demonstrated ability to find and cultivate young talent. For example, the promotion has an electric star on its hands in AJ McKee, the featherweight champion and Bellator's current pound-for-pound kingpin. The 26-year-old with the spotless 18-0 record has only ever competed professionally under the Bellator banner.

Similar examples of Bellator-developed talent include Patricio Freire and Michael Chandler. Aaron Pico, perhaps the most ballyhooed prospect in the history of the sport, is on a five-fight winning streak after stumbling big time out of the gate.

Put it all together, and Bellator is your clear No. 2.

               

UFC has established itself to be in the top spot. A better question would be who can be #2 and I would say Eagle FC because it's being run by a respected legend who understands what fighters want.

@SkipBrainless

Well, the question was who can be the UFC's biggest competitor, so I'd say the question was pretty good.

To your more specific point, we may need to pump the brakes just a bit on the meteoric rise of Eagle FC. 

Every new show puts its best foot forward at first. Eagle FC, which streams for free on something called FLX Cast, certainly emptied its talent tank for Eagle FC 44 last Friday in South Florida. 

In the main event, two striking legends met when old-as-the-hills Sergei Kharitonov, 41, defeated Tyrone Spong by second-round TKO. Other notables on the card included former UFC light heavyweight champ and current media personality Rashad Evans, ex-flyweight contender Ray Borg and welterweight slugger John Howard. Former UFC lightweight challenger Kevin Lee and former UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao also are on the roster.

But Eagle may have an advantage in generating its own fighters. Given Nurmagomedov's involvement, this could become a developmental league for the well-stocked North Caucasus region of Russia, which includes Nurmagomedov's native Dagestan. Check any divisional ranking, and you'll likely see this region represented. The lightweight GOAT gives Eagle FC a built-in advantage here. 

So, there are some makings. But the promotion will have to put on more than one or two big cards to establish itself among the sport's major properties.

                       

Jake Paul Productions 

@Ninergang916

This isn't so silly as it seems. Bro, I'm not even kidding. 

Jake Paul has taken it upon himself to hit the UFC right where it hurts: its large, stingy wallet. That's going to keep the show relevant far beyond the merits of its competition. That's the power of sizzle, and Paul is a professional sizzler.

Are his boxing matches with aged MMA wrestlers the stuff of legend? No, they are not. No one needed to see Ben Askren halfheartedly box his way to a loss and a big payday. Paul's two bouts with Tyron Woodley weren't much better. And we won't even bring up Nate Robinson.

But the question isn't who can put on the better fights. Don't forget: The UFC is unparalleled in that area. Paul is taking a different tack, leaning into the carnivalistic nature of his own fight career and the fight game in general. He's hit on a formula of making himself look good on the backs of well-known but boxing-deficient MMA fighters. In the meantime, he's offering more zeroes in Most Valuable Promotions than the UFC—as Paul is always quick to point out.

Paul and company will never compete directly with the UFC, but there's no doubt that they're carving out their niche, especially given their new contract with Showtime.

Let us now close up the B/R MMA mailbag. You're all competitors here. See you next week for new topics.