This just popped into my head.
Discuss.
IMO
LOL!
The UFC proves there is a market for MMA but would other events ever rise to the UFC's status or would MMA become a smaller sport again?
Probably would lose most of its momentum. Bellator sure as hell could not do what ufc is doing right now.
Lobo8 - Probably would lose most of its momentum. Bellator sure as hell could not do what ufc is doing right now.
So when you look at it, only someone with a lot of money could replace the UFC? Or would smaller shows start to get bigger?
The existence of the UFC enables the smaller promotions to do what they are doing.
Without the exposure the UFC provides, MMA might regress significantly.
Look what happened in Japan after Pride folded, MMA died off severely.
Chimonos Revenge - The existence of the UFC enables the smaller promotions to do what they are doing.
Without the exposure the UFC provides, MMA might regress significantly.
Look what happened in Japan after Pride folded, MMA died off severely.
This.
I doubt you'd see a smaller org step up and take its place. UFC is the face of MMA. If the UFC folded, it would speak to a decline in interest of the sport. If the interest isn't there, no one else is going to grow. 
AndersonSilvasMoney -Chimonos Revenge - The existence of the UFC enables the smaller promotions to do what they are doing.
Without the exposure the UFC provides, MMA might regress significantly.
Look what happened in Japan after Pride folded, MMA died off severely.This.
I doubt you'd see a smaller org step up and take its place. UFC is the face of MMA. If the UFC folded, it would speak to a decline in interest of the sport. If the interest isn't there, no one else is going to grow.
True, I think the fate of Pride shows us what would happen. I think that the sport would still exist but smaller and less people doing it. The UFC went millions in the hole setting this up so you know that you'd have to have bank and connections to step up to that level.
Nature abhors a vacuum
Is it similar to the NHL, NBA, NFL?
Also, if the UFC is the dominant league now, how far off would a players union be or is it even feasible due to the sport structure?
I mean, if Jones has started the ball going by refusing a fight, are we at the tipping edge? By that I mean, will it go full ahead to league status with unionization or fall apart?
A few Pride nuthuggers would get some schadenfreude out of it, but the UFC folding would be catastrophic for the sport of MMA. Enjoy your pipe dream though.
It would fall back to the "dark days" of MMA but with a slightly larger hardcore fanbase. There would still be smaller shows but it would be fragmented.
Chromium - A few Pride nuthuggers would get some schadenfreude out of it, but the UFC folding would be catastrophic for the sport of MMA. Enjoy your pipe dream though.
Is the UFC "too big to fail?"
Bear in mind I don't want it to, but should there be contingency plans in place?
If the UFC did fold, there would be a wealth of talent available for other orgs, mainly Belator. With what they have going know, if they had the money to sign a bunch of big name guys and add a monthly PPV to the star building shows they have now, they could be a player IMO.
Bellator would suddenly get a huge influx of talent.
Would Bellator become top dog?
I guess that would depend if Strikeforce went down with Zuffa.