2009: The Defining Year of the UFC

The world of MMA has grown so much in the past year, the UFC is the centerpiece of the MMA world. For the UFC and MMA to grow even more in 2009, Dana White and others are going to have to keep up what they are doing, but there are some changes that need to happen for the UFC to grow even more.

Think back two years ago when the idea of MMA being featured on SportsCenter and having an MMA page on ESPN.com was absurd. MMA has grown so much in the public eye, and ESPN and others are catching on to this new scene.

I have been a hardcore UFC fan for five years now, and I have watched it grow so much since then. The reason the UFC has grown so much is because it has had the perfect balance of well-known veterans and new up-and-coming fighters.

It is time for a change when it comes to the usual PPV fight cards that the UFC puts out.

For the UFC to stay as popular as it is now, they need to focus more heavily on the up-and-coming superstars like Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Brock Lesnar, and Frank Mir.

Rashad Evans and Forrest Griffin have now both held the most coveted belt in all of MMA, the UFC light-heavyweight championship. No weight division is as deep, and none puts the big-name fights out on a consistent basis. Forrest and Rashad, of course, are former champions on The Ultimate Fighter, they have shown that these kids on the show can actually fight.

The Ultimate Fighter has brought in a new generation of MMA fans into the spotlight, and the UFC needs to keep these fans and transform them into loyal followers.

The way that the UFC is going to keep these fans and continue to gain more and more, is to keep developing these young fighters and putting them on the big scene for the public to become fully aware of them. As much as I, and every other UFC fan, love Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Randy Couture, and others it is time to stop putting all the focus on these veterans.

These guys are the reason that the UFC is still around; they are some of the greatest fighters of all time, but it is time to be real. Chuck Liddell is fading fast, Randy Couture just got beat by the young Brock Lesnar, and Tito Ortiz isn't even fighting for a company at all right now!

I have heard rumors about the upcoming event UFC 100, that every title will be on the line. I realize this would be a huge event and by far the most profitable, but the UFC needs to think of it all in the long run. If every title is on the line, then who in the heck is going to fight on UFC 101 and 102, and even 98 and 99?

You cannot sacrifice four major events for one colossal one. Of course, they are called rumors for a reason. I just felt the need to address the issue, because this, in my opinion, would be very bad for the UFC.

What the UFC needs to keep doing is the fights like B.J. Penn Vs. Georges St. Pierre and Rashad Evans Vs. Forrest Griffin. The Rashad and Forrest fight was incredible and the B.J.-Georges fight could be a fight for the ages.

The UFC needs to pit the top young guns against each other, because it has proven to be successful and it will be great for the UFC for many years to come, I know that I would pay for Forrest and Rashad to fight again, and again.

The UFC needs to have another 2008, but bigger and better! The perfect situation for the UFC to cash in on has happened.

You have the possibility of Rashad, Forrest, and Rampage trading the belt back and forth, with many other 205ers on the rise. The best-case scenario has also happened, Brock Lesnar is for real! No one beats Randy Couture for the belt unless they really are the Next Big Thing.

I look forward to the Mir and Lesnar showdown. It is time for the UFC to establish itself as an elite World Sport. They have the media's attention now; it's time to take advantage of it.