UFC on Fox Results: Primetime Display a Make-or-Break Event for UFC

I want to call tonight's UFC on FOX event mixed martial arts' very own Super Bowl. But honestly, I don't think that would be doing it proper justice.

The truth is that tonight's event, which revolves around a heavyweight championship bout between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos, is bigger than the Super Bowl. At least, as far as UFC and the sport of mixed martial arts are concerned, anyway.

UFC has not been building towards this event for a year. It has been building towards this event since its inception in the early 1990s. It's been a long time coming.

Think about it. After years of gathering an impressive following primarily via pay-per-view mega-bouts, UFC is on primetime television, and it can be watched by all at no charge. The fact that it is on FOX is even better, as people know to associate FOX with championship events that simply must be seen.

It's finally here. And for that, you have to tip your cap to UFC. It has come a long way.

The question now is how much further it can go, and that depends entirely on how tonight's event is received.

It's going to be a hit no matter what, make no mistake about that. Fans of MMA are among the most obsessive sports fans in existence, and they're not going to miss this. Many more viewers will be tuning in to UFC on FOX to be exposed to MMA for the first time. If not the first time, certainly for the first time since the last fight they watched and didn't enjoy all that much.

In order for the sport to continue growing, a good percentage of these people must be converted. UFC already has a huge following. But based on its own aspirations, it needs an even bigger following.

If you're just tuning in, the idea is for MMA to become a mainstream sport and for UFC to become a mainstream league. Many insist that both are already at this level, but this is true only to a degree. UFC wants its sport to be as big or bigger than the NFL, NBA and MLB. By those lofty aspirations, MMA is still well short of being mainstream.

That's why doing a free primetime event on a major TV network is such a huge deal. If ever there was a chance for UFC and MMA to take the next step, this is it.

The chief danger, obviously, is that the response will be disappointing. Given the number of sporting events UFC on FOX is up against—including the third bout between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez—it's definitely possible that it will miss out on a good number of precious viewers.

The other danger, which we won't know about immediately if it happens, is that those who tune in to be converted decide that once is enough. MMA still has a widespread reputation for being barbaric, and that's not far from the truth. It's two men fighting tooth and nail in a cage. Essentially, it's a real-life Thunderdome.

Not everyone is going to want to see more of this after tuning in to tonight's event. We'll know they don't when the next primetime event rolls around, and the numbers fail to inspire. If the so-called fastest growing sport in the world stops growing after being exposed on FOX, it will be clear that MMA and UFC in particular have reached their collective pinnacle.

To be sure, MMA can become a mainstream sport, and UFC can become a mainstream league. But only if the mainstream allows it.