20-Year Prospect
The future of mixed martial arts is something of a mixed bag. Ultimate fighting is one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S. (source).
It burst out of relative obscurity in the '80s and '90s to become a pop-culture and sports box office phenomenon, with major endorsement deals, multi-million dollar events in some of the biggest arenas in the world, and plenty of opportunity to move into newer and bigger markets in the future. It looks like nothing will stop this martial arts juggernaut from taking over the sports world.
Except, of course, for everyone trying to stop this juggernaut.
Madison Square Garden is arguably the biggest sports venue in arguably the biggest sports city in the entire world—and if New York City and state officials have their way, you'll never fight in that arena. While the UFC continues to fight, New York is still the one state that has banned the sport (source).
Will other states follow New York's lead, or will they decide that the dollars that come from hosting these events is worth the extra licensing work?
Probably so, but hey, you never know.