i think you're talking about popularity. to be sure, mma is very hot right now, and it is making great strides in its public image. 60 minutes just did a piece on it. but ten years ago professional wrestling experienced a popularity boom. every kid at my school was wearing an austin 3:16 or nwo shirt. the popularity faded. of course there are many more mma gyms now. it's the cool thing to do. it's the cool thing to talk about. but that's what i'm saying is dangerous. with the boom in popularity comes the people who simply want to cash in, who just want to make a quick buck off of the new hip thing, and don't care to take the precautions necessary for the safety of the fighters. do you think if some drunk yahoo gets killed in a local toughman contest that the ufc will not be mentioned in the story? that dana white will not be forced to answer questions about it?

boxing has been part of the mainstream sports landscape for decades. ufc is a relatively recent phenomenon. how could boxing not be more accepted? you post a picture of randy couture, tito ortiz, chuck liddell, half this board has no idea who they are. these are mma's biggest stars in the united states. post a picture of oscar de la hoya, everyone will immediately recognize him. ufc is the hottest thing on ppv right now, but that just proves that ufc is doing the best job right now of convincing the people who watch to buy their shows.