But this denial of a proving ground could have the exact opposite effect for the welterweights and lightweights, which overlaps in both organizations. It’s inevitable that the WEC will become the Bush League for the UFC in these divisions and anyone wanting fame and fortune will have to get through the WEC first before realizing their octagon dreams. Fighters who prove themselves in the WEC will be brought up to the show and equally dispatched when they’re not performing. Why? Because the UFC will always be pay-per-view while the WEC will remain free TV. Do you really think Dana White is going to risk his best fighters for a show that only makes around $200K in advertising revenue when he could use them on pay-per-view and make $4 million? If you answered yes, then you have never taken Business 101.

White knows how to make money and putting GSP on free TV won’t do it. In the immediate future (the next two years), we could see some very exciting events, such as Carlos Condit making a run toward GSP’s belt and Jamie Varner, Rob McCullough, and Donald Cerrone shaking things up against KenFlo, Roger Huerta, Sean Sherk, and BJ Penn. Likewise we could easily see Josh Koscheck, Diego Sanchez, Thiago Alves, or even Jon Fitch get sent down to the WEC if they experience a losing streak.
In a few years the divisions will stabilize and become an upper and lower league, but until then the fights could be spectacular. For these weight classes, the merger opens doors for the talented while slamming them shut for the mediocre and non-performing.

It’s an exciting time to be an MMA fan. The future looks bright, the sky’s the limit, and nothing can stop us. I’m sure those words were never uttered in a Wall Street boardroom a year ago.

I’m just sayin.

Kelly Crigger is a freelance MMA writer and author of the book "Title Shot: Into the Shark Tank of Mixed Martial Arts" which you can purchase by clicking here. Contact him through his website at IntoTheSharkTank.com