Mixed martial arts is steadily entering the mainstream with each passing event.
Fighters are being interviewed on more talk shows, casual fans are recognizing more athletes, but there remains one last obstacle before MMA can be considered a legitimate, high profile sport.
More coverage on ESPN.
For a long time, the worldwide leader in sports gave little coverage, if any, to the UFC and no coverage at all to the other promotions. MMA was believed to be bloody and barbaric, relegated to a small section on the company’s website.
But the last two or three years has given way to a substantial increase in reporting for all the major MMA promotions by ESPN.
In 2008, ESPN started MMA Live as an internet show, mixing traditional analysts and commentators with fighters as a way to cover events. The show received so much positive feedback that the corporate brass decided to make the internet segment into a television program.
The show, regularly hosted by UFC personalities such as Kenny Florian, Rashad Evans and Stephan Bonnar, has gained a huge following by MMA and casual fans alike despite being aired late at night once a week.
ESPN has also featured some of the sport’s most amazing moments on SportsCenter’s Top Plays. Anthony Pettis’ “Showtime” kick and Anderson Silva‘s front kick knockout are just two great occurrences that appeared on the segment.
But if MMA, and especially the UFC, want to take the next step, then they will have to push for even more coverage by ESPN, specifically in the United States.
ESPN has shown an increased commitment to reporting on MMA, adding more money to their MMA budget recently and partnering with the UFC to televise events overseas.
However, inconsistent coverage on SportsCenter and the terrible time slot for the MMA Live show makes ESPN hesitant to fully embrace the sport just yet.
As the sport continues to grow and gain more and more fans, I have faith that ESPN will certainly start catering to MMA fans and, hopefully, elevate the sport to a higher profile status.
You can follow Matt on Twitter @MattJuulMMA.
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