MMA: Steps the Sport Must Take to Finally Become Mainstream

Dana White works every day to bring MMA into the public eye. Dana White's ultimate goal is to have MMA be the biggest sport on the planet.

He works hard for people to accept MMA as a legitimate sport, and he works to do everything in his power to make it mainstream.

Unfortunately, it's not just up to him.

MMA becoming mainstream is going to be about Dana White, the Fertitta brothers, ZUFFA, the UFC champions, the Strikeforce champions, the judges, the referees, the fans, and many, many more people.

It's going to take a lot to get MMA up there with MLB, NFL, and NBA.

In the meantime, here are a few steps that can be taken to get MMA to their level.

Get Dana White to Stop Cursing on Camera

This first idea was given to me by a fellow member on B/R, unfortunately I don't remember who it was. Feel free to speak up in the comments if it was you.

This is a very good idea, and very true. If you look around, you don't see Roger Goodell, Bud Selig or David Stern dropping the f-bomb on camera.

If a casual fan were to catch an interview with Dana, they would seem him cursing, and probably wouldn't think much of him or the sport of which he is the president.

Get Legalized and Hold a Major Event in New York

This one would be huge.

Getting legalized in New York would be one thing, but once they hold the first event there, it would be monstrous.

As if the hype for UFC 129 wasn't enough, an event in New York would outrageously huge.

Of course this is much easier said than done, as New York is one of 3 states in which mixed martial arts is illegal. If there's only 3 states left, it means MMA is close to nationwide legalization, but it also means those last 3 are going to be real sticklers.

Once New York legalizes it, you can assume the other two states will follow soon after.

An event in New York would generate huge coverage, and give interest to many casual fans.

Have Jon Jones Keep Doing What He's Doing

Jon Jones is a fantastic ambassador for the sport of mixed martial arts.

He is well spoken, articulate, intelligent, and so many other things. MMA could not ask for a better ambassador than Jon Jones.

With the recent retirement of Chuck Liddell, and what appears to be the impending retirement of Randy Couture, MMA needs someone to fill the publicity hole.

Keeping Jon Jones in the spotlight will do just that. People will catch an interview with Jon Jones, and be impressed by what he has to say and how he says it.

He can help bring MMA into a more public eye.

Title Unification Bouts with Strikeforce

Champion vs. Champion fights always bring in big numbers. UFC 75, UFC 82, and UFC 94 were three of the biggest events in UFC history.

If the UFC and Strikeforce were to have title unification bouts, the numbers, and fans brought in, would be incredible.

Frankie Edgar vs. Gilbert Melendez

Georges St-Pierre vs. Nate Diaz

Anderson Silva vs. Ronaldo Souza

Jon Jones vs. Dan Henderson

Cain Velasquez vs. Alistair Overeem

Those are 5 massive fights that could bring in many casual fans.

Take Full Advantage of New ESPN Deal

UFC Primetime can now be seen on ESPN 2. The UFC now has programming on one of the major sports television channels.

They should expand that relationship as much as possible, and get as much programming on there as they can.

Someone could be flicking channels and see an interview with someone they recognize, be it Georges St-Pierre, or Jake Shields, and could keep watching and learn about the sport.

Anderson Silva vs. Georges St-Pierre

This one is a given. It would be the super fight of super fights.

It would be the biggest promotional fight in the history of the UFC. It would be the biggest PPV in the UFC's history.

Two champions at the top of their game. The top two pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Waging war to see who truly is the number one fighter in the world.

Everybody from a hardcore MMA fan to your grandmother would watch this fight. Maybe a little exaggeration. But you get my point.

Price of PPVs

The one problem I have with watching UFC events is the cost of the PPVs.

It is 55 dollars to watch the live events. Personally, that's too much for me, and I actually write about it.

If the UFC wants to bring in more fans, Dana White has to realize that a slightly interested fan will not pay 55 dollars when they could just look up the results the next day.

Better Judges

That is Cecil Peoples. I only use a picture of him because he's the only judge who's name I know... and because I've heard his name most when it comes to controversy about judging decisions.

MMA judges need a course to teach them, well, everything all over again. Or have former fighters become judges.

Ricardo Almeida is setting a good example of former fighters becoming judges. I really, really hope that more fighters follow his example.

Nobody likes draws, they're not going to help bring in new fans.

Continue to Expand to Other Countries

In 2010, the UFC went to 6 different countries. So far in 2011, they are tentatively scheduled for 6 different countries this year.

They have to continue to expand to other parts of the world, to not only bring in US fans, but to bring in global fans.

Not just do they need to hold events in other countries, but they need to get as many international fighters as possible.

Dan Hardy from England, Anderson Silva from Brazil, Yushin Okami from Japan, Georges St-Pierre from Canada, George Sotiropoulos from Australia, Dennis Siver from Russia, Tiequan Zhang from China, and Chan Sung Jung from South Korea are all going to bring in fans from their respective countries.

The more diverse the UFC gets, the more fans it gets, the more global it gets.

Promote Mayhem Miller... a Lot

There have been many times when I have been reading an article online and there has been a picture of Mayhem on the page. There have also been many times that while I'm doing that, someone walks past and says something along the lines of "oh hey, its that guy from the 'Bully Beatdown' show!"

People know Mayhem Miller. People like Mayhem Miller. Mayhem Miller can do as much for the sport as Jon Jones can.

The UFC needs to promote the hell out of him, because he will bring in a lot of casual fans, and he can bring this sport into the public eye.

Exceed Expectations in Toronto for UFC 129

UFC 129 needs to blow people away. If the UFC has this card go off without a hitch, and if it brings in a lot of money to Toronto, they can use that as proof for how much they can help a city's economy.

They would then have one more argument towards the legalization of MMA in New York.

They get closer and closer with every event as they prove themselves as a viable and legitimate sporting event.

People want to see this. MMA will be a mainstream sport some day. The UFC, Dana White, the Fertitta brothers and ZUFFA need to keep doing everything they can.

They get closer every day to making MMA mainstream.

Someday you'll see a highlight from a fight in the SportsCenter Top 10 every week.