2007: The Year To Watch?

After the egg-nog, turkey and wrapping paper died down, the year-end shows of MMA popped up and produced excitement the likes of which the martial arts community has never seen before.

PRIDE and UFC produced two of the best shows in recent history, and although this may be PRIDE's last Shockwave event, at least they ended what could be their final full year with a bang.

The MMA explosion is sure to continue into the New Year, with some promising shows appearing on the horizon; recent events also contribute to the likelihood of 2007 being the best year ever for the sport of fighting.

UFC looks sure to score with the in-ring debuts of Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Mirko Crocop taking on Marvin Eastman and Eddie Sanchez; although it is easy to look past these fights and look towards more challenging fights, perhaps with the champions of each weight class.

With Randy Couture coming out of retirement to face Tim Sylvia in March, the heavyweight division of the world's foremost MMA company has never looked so strong. Looking at this match logically, the outcome is perhaps not as obvious as many UFC fans are predicting. Although Randy Couture is heavily talented, and is certainly considered a contender, there is still a large possibility that the much taller champion will utilize his reach advantage to knock out the former 2 time UFC champion.

The introduction of a new (well, somewhat) challenger to the division is a great idea, though. There will be a period of time between the introduction of Mirko Crocop, and his popularity rising enough to be thought of as a contender. In the meantime, the distraction of Couture could be enough to keep the Heavyweight division mobile.

PRIDE has ensured that their respective division will not suffer another loss within their respective division by tying down Fedor Emelianenko to a contract extension, meaning that the number one heavyweight in the world is still going to fight for Japan's most popular organization.

PRIDE have also had a large win within the USA, after the California State Athletic Commission have approved the use of a ring for MMA; meaning that they can now run shows in their native format (well, almost) whilst still breaking into the lucrative USA market which the UFC have somewhat cornered.

This is a vital move for PRIDE. Their financial situation is as shaky as ever, and although Shockwave was a good show, good shows don't necessarily mean financial stability; ROH is a great example.

The cornering of the USA market has been further illustrated in the past few days as NBCSports.com have added the UFC to their sports coverage, making the site the first major sports reporting service to recognize MMA as a true sport.

The shows coming up in the next few months look promising, and the combination of the strengthening of divisions along with political changes means that MMA is looking at it's most unique and strong year in its short history.

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