Strap on your seat belts and get ready for an action-packed 2009 in mixed martial arts.
Mixed martial arts in 2008 was filled with a variety of stories that will pave the way for what looks to be an incredible 2009. From important match-ups to the overall business of MMA, it appears that the next year will foreshadow the evolution of the sport.
Right off the bat, January will see the UFC continue its attempt to bury any organization that thinks they can compete with the super power. While Affliction's next pay-per-view is scheduled for Jan. 24, the UFC has sandwiched this event by having two of its own pay-per-views one week before and one week after theirs. On Jan. 17, UFC 93 will be broadcast from Ireland, headlined by Dan Henderson and Rich Franklin. The winner of this bout is scheduled to be the opposing coach to Michael Bisping for season nine of The Ultimate Fighter.
One week after Affliction's event, the UFC 94 mega-fight between Georges St. Pierre and B.J. Penn will be broadcast from Vegas. This is the event the UFC is banking on to steal money from Affliction's pocket book. For those fans that only buy one pay-per-view a month, there is a strong argument that this is the event they will choose to order. What's worse for Affliction is that on the same day and same time as their pay-per-view, the UFC will be airing UFC 91: Lesnar vs. Couture on free TV.
Look for this trend to continue, as Dana White has made it crystal clear that if any organization chooses to go toe to toe with him, he will fight tooth and nail. Losing for him is not an option as he has stated before that he will go bankrupt to defend the business he "created."
2008 saw the fall of EliteXC, a UFC competitor that had it all when they got onto national cable television. Even the UFC could not (would not, really) score a deal on American national television and when EliteXC went belly up, it sent a strong message to the industry that it takes more than just money and a TV deal to succeed in the business. The sad part of EliteXC's demise is that many of its fighters are still in limbo, unable to get out of their current contract status so they can fight and make a living elsewhere. EliteXC appears to be using these contracts as its only viable asset for a potential sale of the company to a proposed buyer.
Last year, the UFC was still unable to secure the services of Fedor Emelianenko, the best heavyweight in the world. 2009 may write a different story as it looks as if Fedor's camp will have to seriously consider the UFC as an option for their pride and joy. Should Affliction falter and things continue to fall in the Japanese MMA scene, the Russian Emperor's best option may be to fight in the Octagon. Can it happen in 2009? My answer is yes, but it remains to be seen which side will begin to back down from their demands.
December's UFC 92 was yet another event where we saw a changing of the guard within the UFC. Throughout the year, the legends of MMA began to give way to the next generation of MMA stars. Pioneers like Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, Wanderlei Silva and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira gave way for the likes of Brock Lesnar, Rashad Evans, Rampage Jackson and Frank Mir. Not many believe Mir should be added to this list, but the past 12 months of 2008 have shown me that Mir now understands the importance of not only being a great fighter, but knowing how to promote a fight. His bout with Brock Lesnar will be a highly anticipated rematch and one which will garner a fair amount of mainstream attention.
Speaking of mainstream attention, 2009 is being projected as the year of GSP. With a victory over B.J. Penn, Georges St. Pierre's stock will rise to an all-time high. By defeating Penn, GSP will have defeated a fellow superstar who also happens to be in his prime. Winning this epic MMA dream fight will elevate his value as a pay-per-view commodity. A mandatory title defence against No. 1 contender Thiago Alves would follow suit, and should he win, it would be add more to the belief that he is the new face of the UFC. Take into consideration that if all the stars align, the ultimate super-fight against Anderson Silva would close off the year for GSP.
Should GSP win, he potentially could smash PPV records all on his own, but we can take into consideration the deal he signed with CAA in October 2008, we have an incredible situation here. GSP's face and likeness is expected to be plastered all over mainstream products. His appearance schedule will have him doing commercials, talk shows and movies. He will be at awards shows and be in the public eye far more than any other MMA fighter in the short history of the sport. By the end of 2009, we will be looking at Canada's favourite MMA son in a whole new light.
2009 will also answer a variety of questions other than what I have proposed above. Is this the end for Wanderlei Silva or will a move to middleweight rejuvenate his career? Will Anderson Silva still be considered the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet? Will the UFC's global expansion solidify itself in markets like Germany, Dubai, the Philippines and Japan? On the horizon is the legalization of the sport in New York. If this happens, it will be a record-setting year again for the organization as an event at Madison Square Garden will push forward major television stations to cover it in the biggest media market on the planet.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the UFC's push to have MMA sanctioned, regulated and legalized in Ontario. Will 2009 be the year that the Ontario Athletic Commission finally awakens from its slumber? Will a new regime be created so that one of the biggest media markets in North America can finally have some true MMA fights on a grass-roots level, as well as the Octagon at the Air Canada Centre? Or dare I say the UFC's first venture into a stadium like the Rogers Centre?
It's going to be a big year in '09. Strap on your seat belts and enjoy the ride.
