It has finally reached the boiling point for some UFC fighters as they have drawn the line with the UFC when it comes to what they control.

Already, the UFC does not allow non-exclusive contracts, meaning that when you sign a contract with the UFC, you can fight and compete with the UFC only, and not any other organization during your contract period. This stems beyond MMA as well, it goes for Judo, Wrestling, Boxing, etc...

But for some fighters, the control that the UFC has and the muscles it flexes have gone too far when they started asking fighters for their likeness for a UFC video game. Usually this wouldn't be a problem for anyone to give up their image, voice and so on for use in a video game based on what they do best. The UFC though made it much more complicated as they try to sweep the map in the MMA world; they want all of the fighters to sign likeness agreements, for life.

That means years from now, when all the fighters have moved on and someone goes to make an MMA video game; they will only be able to use those that are not signed under contract with the UFC.

Obviously this doesn't sit well with many fighters, and though most won't put up a fuss about it, the AKA (American Kickboxing Academy) isn't putting up with it, and did not want their fighters, such as Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck signing the agreement as it meant that they could never be featured in any other game that is produced unless it's through the UFC.

And while the UFC and Dana White are the big dogs in the MMA game, they simply told Fitch and Koscheck that they no longer had contracts with the UFC and were cut from the promotion.

Fitch and Koscheck, as well as the rest of the UFC fighters at AKA signed the dotted line, and are back in the UFC after that brief scare that they would be gone.

Is this really necessary for Dana White and the UFC to do though? Is it not going too far?

It's easy to see both sides of the story here.

The UFC is doing this so they can eliminate the competition before it even arrives. If anyone goes to make an MMA game in the next 10 to 15 years, it will be a complete dud as it will lack the necessary fighters to make the game worthwhile.

On the fighters' side, it's easy to see why they wouldn't want to sign a lifetime agreement to give away their likeness. No athlete would want to do that because simply, a lifetime agreement isn't going to bring income in down the road like it potentially could. For fighters like Fitch and Koscheck, the future is very bright in the UFC and they could bring in a big payday down the road for selling their likeness to another company.

In the end this whole situation is just a symbol of where the sport is right now. The UFC is the top company, and they will flex their financial and legal muscles whenever they feel like it to get what they want and it looks like it will be this way for a long, long time.