Before writing this, I did some quick thinking about what the title would be. I guess lots of people are having fun with this whole DREAM thing so I thought I’d spare you a lame title and not beat around the bush. As most of us are now aware, DREAM’s inaugural show DREAM.1 had a less than spectacular draw from the Japanese audiences. Raking in a mere 8.9, I think lots of us are already fearing the worst by now. I was completely stunned when I read this number. I realistically didn’t think it was a huge draw but this was pretty low from what I expected considering Mirko Cro-Cop would be fighting. Mirko did manage to draw an lackluster 12.0, but it is still a lot lower than even the less than stacked K-1 Dynamite!! 2007. Thankfully, attendance wasn’t as low with a solid 19,000+.

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There’s always going to be a large movement of fans (not just of fighting, but of anything) who reject the conventional and the mainstream. Those guys are generally credited with being the first MMA fans; guys who turned their backs on professional boxing and wrestling in order to find something new, something different, something off-beat.

The problem is, now the UFC has become so mainstream, so cultured that the reason they started following it to begin with no longer carries any weight. Where do these fans go?

They can’t go to Pride, since it no longer exists. (many left for Pride after the first TUF season, but they’re now looking for somewhere else to go)

They can’t go to the IFL, because, let’s face it, the IFL has worked way to hard to pull itself into the mainstream.

They can’t go to the WEC, because it follows that same formula as the UFC, only with lighter weight classes. (And, on top of that, many refuse to support Zuffa entirely, because of some of its contractual issues with its fighters)

They can’t go Japan, because they know that those organization are unstable. (and the disillusionment has only furthered itself with Fedor’s free-agency)

They won’t go to Elite XC because, besides about 4 fighters, the whole thing is a gimmick show (these are the fans who have been following the sport long enough to know that Kimbo Slice is not legit).

These guys are stuck in limbo, wandering back and forth between organizations. They watch UFC events because their friends (most of whom they got into the sport) are really excited to watch Anderson Silva (who is not, as many have said, the Mike Tyson if MMA, since he doesn’t commit rape and he has all of his teeth) and Rampage.

I wish I could say that the solution was simple, or that an answer would present itself, but the fact is I don’t think that’s the case. I’ve been out looking for other, exciting organizations for a long time. I’ve watched alot of K-1 (very exciting, but I miss the grappler) and have turned to Cage Rage to get some of my fix. Whether an underground titan will emerge soon, I don’t know, but I hope that when it does, these fans will find it, so that the UFC doesn’t just squash it with it’s giant checkbook.

With year-end shows right and left, it is no surprise there is a plethora of Global MMA action for us to enjoy in these last days of 2007. The most apparent and most anticipated of these year-end shows are without a doubt UFC 79: Nemesis and Yarrenoka!! 2007. This month alone, 10 days, we’ve had a stellar close to the Cage Force Tournaments, the TUF Finale and Cage Rage 24, which on paper seemed to be great competitive and entertaining cards. Of course, we as MMA aficionados expect this month to be one of the busiest and most action packed of the year along with September.

With daily announcements on confirmed matches for Yarrenoka!! and the UFC hype machine working at full blast, our mouthes salivate and truly anticipate the end of this year expecting a great end to this wild, chaotic, and fun MMA year. We expect and anticipate most major MMA promoters to go all out and try to end the year in a great and productive way but FEG (Fighting and Entertainment Group) is drowning in the shallow end of a large MMA pool. Sadly, a usual delicacy in our yearly MMA diet, K-1’s Dynamite!! has proven this year to be spoiled left overs.

With the end of the highly anticipated and very disappointing K-1 World Grand Prix Finals just one day ago, FEG must hurry and scramble to try to secure a decent card in less than 20 days. Can they do it?

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