Comparison #2: Average Joes Standing Out

Both poker and MMA also had faces that average fans could love and latch onto. Chris Moneymaker was the first online poker player to win a WSOP main event (2.5 million). He was just an average Joe that ended up making a huge amount of money and was the face of a sport for a few years. Kimbo Slice, like it or not, is one of the faces of MMA. Some may not know who Chuck Liddell is, but everyone knows about Kimbo Slice. Kimbo was a goofy-looking homeless man that beat up people on Youtube. He then moved to the cage and was a huge television hit. Again, Kimbo was an average Joe that turned one opportunity into a huge contract, huge fights, big money and lots of fame.

Comparison #3: The Television Tournament

Both sports also had tournaments that were watched by millions of people. The World Series of Poker was a staple in most households for 2003 and 2004. Nobody could get away from it. The Ultimate Fighter was huge in the rise of MMA simply because it is a reality show and people can watch it every week. Additionally, at the end of each season there is a free UFC event televised on Spike. UFC pay-per-views are 50 dollars, so a lot of people do not bother to buy them just because they can not afford them. Accessibility was huge for the UFC because with the rise of The Ultimate Fighter, one could watch MMA on a weekly basis for free.

So is MMA going to be as popular as people say? Or will it peak, much like poker did a few years after its boom? The facts seem to suggest that it will continue its meteoric rise. This is because:

1 Poker is mostly chance and MMA is mostly skill. People love watching the results of the hard work that mixed-martial-artists put into their careers. In poker, it is very possible to dominate without much hard work at all. 2-7 off-suited (the worst hand in Texas Hold'em poker) can technically beat a pair of aces. There is definitely a certain amount of luck in MMA (see St. Pierre-Serra), however the fans love it because they too often see lazy athletes with natural talent that do not put in the work that is needed. MMA represents the blue collar spirit of a hard work ethic.

2 MMA is fighting. From Gladiators to sword duels to boxing in the 1920s, humans love fighting. Fighting seems to be hardwired into our brains just as much as peace or love is. This is why war games and violent movies are so popular. With boxing dropping off of a cliff, MMA is taking its place.

3 The UFC is great at hyping fights. Right now, they are saying that UFC 100 is the biggest card of all-time. In a few weeks they will be saying that UFC 101 is. They somehow got fans hyped up for Ortiz-Shamrock 3. They had already fought twice! Every fight that Georges St. Pierre has from now on is going to be "the toughest test of his career" because that sells pay-per-views. Poker definitely lacks here. They have one big event all year and the other events...