Mainstream MMA Needs Exclusive Contracts

This article is geared towards the bigger organizations (UFC, Affliction, EliteXC, DREAM, etc.) and fighters of modern day (Names mentioned later in article). Exclusive contracts are an issue that fighters and promoters will fight to the death about. We will examine both sides of ther story right now.

On one side we have the fighters point of view where they do not want to be locked into long term contracts and not be able to do other things with their career. Fedor is a prime example. He enjoys competing in competitions other then MMA, like Sambo.

You can also make more money shopping yourself around to other promotions, much like Andrei Arlovski and Renato "Babalu" Sobral are doing right now. Arlovski is currently fighting for Affliction, EliteXC, and probably some more on the horizon. Babalu is in Affliction, Strikeforce, and a few other smaller organizations. This is all well and fine, until you sign a contract to fight in two different promotions within days/weeks of each other. Babalu did this recently, he fought on one card, then was injured and unable to perform on another the card of an organization that he was contracted for. Nick Diaz was running into the same problems when he tried to fight in Japan right before he had a fight for EliteXC.
You risk getting yourself injured and you make one of the organizations look bad for taking a chance with a non exclusive contract. You also disappoint the fans who may have been looking forward to seeing you fight, and that's the same as breaking one of the Ten Commandments of MMA.

The UFC has the right idea with exclusive contracts. Why would it want to risk the health of it's fighters and make itself look stupid when they get hurt fighting on a smaller card? You don't see LeBron James playing for a Canadian basketball team on his off days during the season, do you?

The UFC also builds you up not only as a fighter, but as a brand. When you become a name like Liddell, Couture, Franklin, etc...the UFC got you there. With a non exclusive contract, another organization is taking advantage of the brand that you created from day one. It basically all comes down to the money. If you want to fight for the current #1 MMA organization in the world, then you fight in the UFC and only the UFC. Being 2-1 in the UFC will get you far more career recognition then being the Cage Rage, Rumble On The Rock, and Ohio Valley MMA League LHW champion at the same time. So if you want to be a journey man and fight in 5 organizations at once to hold various somewhat meaningless world titles because you're getting paid a little extra, then go for it. Whatever keeps you happy.