Valid and Useful: Mixed Martial Arts Resources

After writing two posts on mixed martial arts I have determined that it is extremely difficult to find valid, useful information on the sport when browsing the Web. Therefore, in order to aid my readers I have compiled a list of essential meta-sites (found in the linkroll), all of which meet the Webby Awards and IMSA criteria, that allow my blog to not only serve as a repository, but also serve as a resource. The Ultimate Fighting Championship and Pride Fighting Championships sites (both are under the same ownership) present the reader with updates on recent events, outcomes of fights, and many informative stories from respected mixed martial arts writers. Although these sites are useful, they are a bit difficult to navigate through in comparison to the World Extreme Cagefighting site. The World Extreme Cagefighting site is similar in style and content to both sites, but is far easier to explore and more "user friendly". The Elite Xtreme Combat site appears to be simple and to the point, but having to scroll a good amount down the page to access the most recent stories can be frustrating. These four sites all share similarities regarding style, structure, and content, the only major difference being the fighters they write about, but the problem with all these sites is the bias they possess. All four fight companies have signed different fighters to contracts and naturally the sites promote their fighters in a positive way to help develop a fan base. The biases found in these sites make MMA News valuable because the fighters are evaluated on an even playing field which allows the reader to develop his or her own opinion, without the influence of any biases in favor of a particular company. Although MMA News is insightful and entertaining it is not nearly as professional and powerful as ESPN: Mixed Martial Arts. ESPN, with the help of Sherdog.com, has created a forum that gives the reader interesting fighter evaluations, updates on upcoming events, and informative stories without favoring a particular company. The problem ESPN faces is that, because it covers many companies and fighters, it is unable to focus its attention on the fighters that may not be as well known. Also included in the linkroll are several sites regarding sports management and mixed martial arts agents. Both BDAsports management and Sports-Management.com offer news and support for those interested in the field of sports management however, BDAsports management will be offering a blog and is much more visually appealing, using a unique background and professional font size and color, and possesses an impressive archive of previous articles. The Official MMA Agents Blogg deals more specifically with mixed martial arts agents and allows the reader to interact with highly regarded mixed martial arts agents like Ken Pavia (pictured above). Finally, I have included LAW.COM a site that offers legal news and information, but may be a bit complex for younger readers.