For the last 21 years, EA Sports has dominated the sports video gaming world. Thanks mostly to the success of the Madden NFL series, Tiger Woods, and in the mid-90s – the explosion of the NHL series. They really could do no wrong when it came to making a sports video game. They have made games so much more realistic than any other company, and has basically holds a monopoly in that genre of video games. If it isn’t EA, sales typically don’t do as well.

One of the fastest rising sports in the world is Mixed Martial Arts. No one can deny the intrigue that surrounds it. At first, most people were turned off and looked at it as real professional wrestling without the fake storylines, or a form of human cockfighting. Some have even referred to it is as modern-day Roman Gladiator fighting. Even though I myself don’t follow it closely, I am of the opinion that it has supplanted heavyweight boxing in popularity.

However, EA Sports didn’t necessarily see it that way. In fact, they didn’t even see it as a sport. They informed UFC owner, Dana White, that MMA was not even a sport when he pitched the idea for a video game on their platform. White, never one to be discouraged by others doubts, turned to EA’s rival competitor, THQ and came to an agreement for a video game. Now that THQ has shipped over 2 million copies of the new “UFC Undisputed 2009,” EA Sports has announced intentions of launching its own MMA title. It is quite obvious that EA Sports is aware that they missed the boat on the game.

Dana White, always the controversial one, has informed fighters with aspirations of fighting in the UFC, that if they agree to participate in the EA Sports series, they would never fight in his company. A bold proclamation, as UFC pretty much is the NFL of MMA. White has pretty much told young fighters not to bite the hand that will eventually feed them. No matter how much money EA could offer an individual for the appearance in their video game, it would be peanuts as to what they could earn in a career as a top fighter in UFC.

Why EA Sports balked at first is not really clear. Most likely they were concerned of a possible image hit they would take, and did not really look at the money it could have profited them. They have already produced several boxing games over the years, and those that try to make out boxing as a more civil sport obviously have not sat down and tried to have a coherent conversation with Joe Frazier or Muhammad Ali. Bottom line is that money talks and the UFC is out drawn boxing in PPV buys, and has even put together marketing and ad deals with Anheuser-Busch and Harley Davidson.

White will do whatever it takes to make sure the EA Sports is unsuccessful at launching its own brand of MMA video game. However, with unlimited amount of revenue that EA receives from the other lines of games that it sells, it is unlikely to stop them from trying to get a share of the market for sometime. What it might come down to is a ridiculous amount of money that White could end up receiving from EA when they come crawling to him to get rights to using his companies fighters and likeness. Either way, the video game war will do nothing but increase the popularity of MMA even more, which will just continue to line White’s pockets.

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