UFC 71 Goes for the Knockout

This Saturday Chuck Liddell squares off with Quinton Jackson in the octagon of the UFC. The event could mark a turning point in the sport, as for the first time ever mainstream media is beginning to take notice. The Friday night weigh-in will be airing live on ESPN, with streaming video also available on Yahoo! Sports and NBC Sports.

Since taking over as President of the UFC, Dana White has made steps to turn the once struggling entity into a marketing juggernaut, but the emergence of Liddell as a marketable star has helped to further expose the sport to the public. Chuck, known as "The Ice Man," appears on the cover of this month's ESPN the Magazine, and recently made an appearance on the popular HBO show, Entourage.

Taking a page from NASCAR, fighters from the UFC are more accessible than stars of the NBA,MLB and the NFL. Through the UFC reality show series on Spike TV, "The Ultimate Fighter," and the personal webpages where many fighters will correspond with fans, the stars of the UFC have helped to position mixed martial arts as the fastest rising sport in America.