If you think that a sports' growth has nothing to do with its professional image, then you probably think Backyard Fights 2 is a pretty cool DVD.
I hear talk all the time on here about getting more large corporate sponsors for the sport (I'm talking about real corporate sponsors, no Tapout doesn't count), and even getting into the Olympic Games eventually.
The champion of a sport publically professing his love for the trashiest porn star imaginable and admiring that she is rich and her "cunning" is not a good image for the sport.
Every other established sport from the NBA (no ganster rapper clothing), to the NFL to even Pride (pulled television contract because of possible Yakuza connections) realizes that professional image is important.
You can laugh all you want and say but "I'd fuck Jenna given the chance" but you will be laughing as the "sport" will always be associated with armband tattoos, steriods, clubbing, prostitutes (or strippers or porn stars), and about $2000 pay days for some of the "best" fighters in the world (no that is not a lot of money or what they should be making).
I'm sure this post will offend a lot of 14 year olds on the forum, or a lot of the clubbing crowd that never grew up. But if you want MMA to continue to be a "Mom and Pop" sport run by Dana, then this nonprofessional image is exactly how to do it.