IMPACT
Main Entry: 2im·pact
Pronunciation: ‘im-“pakt
Function: noun
2 : the force of impression of one thing on another : a significant or major effect
There have been a considerable amount of people that have had a huge impact on Ultimate Fighting Championship over the years. The Fertitta brothers, Dana White, and a long list of legendary fighters would certainly qualify as impact players that helped change the face of the company. However, Marc Ratner could have the biggest impact on UFC in the company’s history.
Marc Ratner, the widely respected executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission, resigned on Thursday to accept a lucrative three-year contract from UFC. Ratner has been with the commission since 1985, and was appointed full-time executive director in 1992. His last day with the athletic commission will be May 13th, and his first day with the UFC, as vice president, will be May 15th.
For those of you that may not be familiar with him, Marc Ratner played a large role in writing the rules the commission adopted that allowed the UFC to promote in Nevada beginning in 2001. He worked with the Association of Boxing Commissions to develop those rules, which helped create the UFC as we know it today. Ratner will now concentrate on regulatory issues and dealing with state athletic commissions across the country.
There are currently only 20 states where mixed martial arts is sanctioned; California being the most recent addition. Having Ratner on board could potentially open the doors to the rest of the 30 states. I don’t expect to see mixed martial arts in all 50 states anytime soon, but Marc Ratner will provide the UFC with some much needed legitimacy and respect.
The company is already experiencing the greatest popularity its ever seen, but having someone like Ratner in the company could help sway critics of mixed martial arts, exposing the opportunity for ever greater success. Ratner’s wealth of knowledge of the sport, and his incredible reputation, will hopefully help ease the minds of those who still think of UFC as the pre-Zuffa “no holds barred” combat sport.
Hiring Marc Ratner was an absolutely brilliant move. I don’t know how the Fertittas pulled this off, but kudos to them. While this is a significant deal for UFC, it does make you wonder how this will affect boxing. I’ll let my boxing counterparts, Trent and Rokk, touch more on that subject.
Mr. Ratner, I’m sure the Burt Sugar’s of the world are probably thumbing their noses at you right now, but we, the UFC fans, salute you.
