EA Sports President Peter Moore suggests Boxing is the Past

In a report by IGN from EA's Sports' Season Opener event, EA's Peter Moore is asked about his desire to create an MMA title:

"We keep a very close eye on where things like Mixed Martial Arts are going. Obviously we've got Fight Night -- we're incredibly excited about Fight Night -- but boxing, for me, sadly feels like it's the past of fighting and Mixed Martial Arts feels like it's the future of fighting. So when we look at where people's attention is going, that's something we keep a very close eye on."

So in one fell swoop, an individual with very calculated knowledge about sports trends and the President of the largest sports video game publisher in the world, suggests that MMA is the future of combat sports and that EA is interested in creating an MMA title. One could perceive that this is a full confirmation, as Peter Moore is unlikely to be so publicly enthusiastic about MMA without a title in the development pipeline (considering he has a boxing title, Fight Night Round 4, in development).

Furthermore, IGN alludes to the possibility that EA could be making a play for the UFC license. This could be an indication that the terms of the UFC's agreement with THQ are less binding than previously suggested, or conjecture based on THQ's escalating financial woes. No matter, more news about EA's prospective MMA project should emerge by the time the Electronic Entertainment Expo rolls around on June 2nd.