Ratner works to expand UFC; Fertitta's work to buyWEC?

There's a lot more to the UFC than what happens inside the Octagon.

Indeed, the mixed martial arts organization has skyrocketed to the top of the sport in large part because of its hard work outside the cage.

Sure, the SpikeTV deal and the epic Griffin-Bonnar The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season one war may have helped the UFC get on the radar of hundreds of thousands of blood-thirsty males aged 18-39.

But when we look back years from now, an argument can also be made that the true turning point may be when Zuffa brass hired Marc Ratner away from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).

The former NSAC executive director, who is now the UFC vice president for regulatory affairs, is the man responsible for eventually getting the UFC sanctioned in goldmines like the New York market, as well as other hot spots across the globe.

Today, the New York Times ran a feature on the "well-connected" 61-year old. Here's a snip from Lorenzo Fertitta in the article:

"He's got to be with us, there's no question about it. If Marc Ratner believes that the future is mixed martial arts and UFC, I think, a guy that was so ingrained in boxing, it means a tremendous amount as far was where we're going."

According to GracieFighter.com, the UFC may also be closer to a cable television deal with HBO. But, we wouldn't be watching UFC fights ... it would be World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) – a potential future UFC brand and farm system.

Here's a snip:

By buying the WEC, the UFC will avoid contractual conflicts with Spike while at the same time ensuring that HBO would not be a future rival. In a sense they would own the competition and further corner the lucrative American TV market. Airing the UFC, TUF (Spike) and WEC (HBO) will make Zuffa the Rupert Murdoch of MMA programming.

Interesting stuff. Very interesting, indeed.