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LAS VEGAS – Moments after the conclusion of the UFC's first foray onto Chinese soil on Nov. 10, analysis of what it all means will commence.



The size of the crowd, its understanding of mixed martial arts, the media's interest and all the various possibilities will be intensely dissected shortly after Rich Franklin and Cung Le wrap up the main event of UFC on Fuel 6 in Macau.

The success, or the lack thereof, of that specific card will mean nothing when viewed against the long-term picture.

The UFC's interest in China and, indeed, the entire Asian market, is a long-term play. Good or bad, the results of the first card won't say much about what will occur in three, five or 10 years.

UFC president Dana White frequently talks of a day when MMA will surpass soccer as the world's most popular sport. He's often mocked for that stance, but it will never occur if Asia, generally, and China, specifically, don't fall in love with MMA.

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Despite the growth of the sport, it's going to take years to cultivate the market. Without question, Brazil is now the UFC's most fervent market. TV ratings are astronomical, and even fighters who are largely unknown in the American market are stars in Brazil.

Brazil, though, is hardly an overnight success story. UFC 21 was in Brazil and the promotion was founded in part by Brazilians. Yet, only now have years of work mining the Brazilian market begun to pay off.

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Expect a similar slow buildup in China. While China has a rich history with the traditional martial arts, it only recently has begun to look at mixed martial arts. There are few quality Chinese fighters, whereas with Brazil, there were and always have been elite Brazilians.

Mark Fischer, the managing director of the UFC's Asian operations, likens the company's position in China to a rocket ship that has yet to launch.

"The rise is happening; it's just not taking off like a rocket ship just yet," Fischer said. "But to use the same analogy, we're a rocket ship but we're very much in a compression mode where things are building. I think with the right combination of factors, you will see that explosion I would say over the next three to five years."

The key, clearly, to setting off the explosion is developing an elite Chinese fighter. Le, an American who was born in Vietnam, is already extraordinarily popular in China.

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