The Cause of Affliction's Demise

As the MMA world knows by now Affliction officially closed it's doors as a fight promotion this month. Many say it was due to the fact that Josh Barnett tested positive for steroids, which left him unable to compete in the Affliction "Trilogy" main event against Fedor Emelianenko.
When we look deeper into this was that really the reason? In their short time as an MMA organization, Affliction paid their fighters very well, yet failed to produce the desired results. This was all despite the fact that they had arguably the best pound for pound fighter in the world on their payroll.
The reason is folks, that like it or not the UFC is the premiere MMA organization thanks to Dana White. Love him or hate him, he has done wonders for the world of MMA and more notably for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He took a dying sport that was viewed by most as a barbaric street fight and turned it into the fastest growing sport in the world. This was not done by coincidence, nor was it done by luck. Dana White is a savvy businessman who was able to introduce mixed martial arts to the public and present it in a light that made common people want to watch.
Through the Ultimate Fighter, we were able to relate to the fighters. We were able to see what it takes to be a mixed martial artist. For once we saw that it was a legitimate sport and not an organized street fight.
I have watched every UFC event since Royce Gracie entered the octagon for the first time in 1993 and I will continue to watch as long as they continue to put on fights. Never has there been a more exciting time to be a fight fan!
Very few men could have accomplished what Dana White has accomplished. This is displayed every time a rival organization closes their doors. Affliction was not the first and will not be the last organization to tap out to Dana White and the UFC!