In terms of immediate gains, Spike TV has to represent a big step up from MTV2. Even at their best, Bellator’s first run on MTV2 never saw them get anywhere close to a million viewers. On Spike TV, an episode of “The Ultimate Fighter” could get 1.2 million views and people would act like it was the end of the world. Spike TV comes included in just about all major “basic cable” packages, and despite its shortcomings, it’s a network that clearly has its own unique audience that is very receptive to Mixed Martial Arts.

Here’s an interesting question: would Bellator be a suitable replacement to the UFC? Let’s be honest, fans and friends: no, it wouldn’t. Nothing can really replace the UFC, because the UFC is the best and largest MMA promotion on the planet right now. If the UFC left Spike TV, it would create a huge hole in that network, one that Bellator simply isn’t big enough to fill. In a way, Spike would be starting over from scratch. Even with a successful run on MTV2 under their belts, Bellator is still a widely-unknown promotion. It’ll take years of hard marketing and quality shows for Bellator to even approach Strikeforce’s level, let alone the UFC.

But can it be done? I most certainly think it can. With one season on a relatively obscure network, I went from barely knowing anything about Bellator to being a huge fan of Bellator. Bellator is the kind of promotion any fan could and should be a fan of: they’ve got good production values for where they’re at, they’ve got mostly good fighters and several great fighters, they’ve got a fantastic commentating team that have quickly become two of my favorite commentators in the business, and most importantly, they average good-to-great shows even while putting on live events on a weekly basis, which practically no one else does.

My appreciation of Bellator grew significantly during the “Spring Slump”, when the UFC only offered up Pay-Per-View events and Strikeforce took an entire month off. And then there was Bellator, coming back week in and week out with a new, live show featuring big fights and good fighters. I even called one of their shows a possible “sleeper hit of the year” contender.

In short: Bellator needs to grow, it deserves a chance to grow, and I think it will grow. I believe that everyone wants it to succeed, I believe that Bjorn Rebney possesses the same type of vision that UFC President Dana White has: win or lose, he’s going down fighting and won’t rest until Bellator is one of the biggest promotions in the world. Whether that’s courage or insanity is anyone’s guess, but you’ve got to respect that type of drive.

So, how will I feel if Bellator replaces the UFC on Spike TV? To tell you the truth… I’d be happy. The UFC is so big right now that it’ll find a new television home no matter what, even if it means buying their own network. With the level of success they’ve had in recent years, there’s practically no stopping the UFC. Bellator, on the other hand, could use a big network like Spike TV to grow their business a lot bigger and a lot sooner than if they remain on a network like MTV2. So while it may be just a rumor right now, I think if anything deserves to replace the UFC on Spike TV, it’s Bellator FC.

First up is a report from MMA Fighting that states that the UFC has shown interest in purchasing a controlling share in the G4 cable channel. According to the report, G4 has a little over half the potential viewership of Spike TV, so it would require a whole lot of work on the part of the UFC to turn a stagnating channel into a viable property. Then again, with complete control of the network comes the ability to do pretty much anything and take the network in any direction they so choose, a freedom not afforded them on Spike TV.

We then head right back to MMA Fighting for a further update on the situation. White recently addressed the rampant rumors concerning the possible G4 sale by saying the following: “I told you guys the last time we all talked, we’re talking to everybody right now. It actually blew my mind that huge media sources would go out and announce that when there is no deal… I told you guys last time, we’re in negotiations, and negotiations are never fun… It’s stupid for me to talk about this while we’re in negotiations.”

And so the plot thickens. I have some very conflicting ideas on the UFC basically creating its own network and/or absorbing the G4 channel. So I’ll take it from the top and go from there.

First up: I remember watching the G4 channel early into its lifespan and really liking it. It was a total nerd channel, built around a very small niche and marketed exclusively to that niche. It was a great channel for me to watch as a video game nerd, which I always was and always will be. But apparently that small niche was just too small.

Right now, G4 is a network dominated by repeats and one or two original programs. It doesn’t surprise me at all that the network is in shambles. What does surprise me is that the UFC wants to buy it and rebuild it from the ground up. That’s an incredibly ambitious move, and even if the UFC is riding an incredible wave of success, I don’t know if they can take a property like G4 and breathe new life into it solely on the basis of the UFC name.

But if they do? We could be in for an amazing few years. Just think about it: the UFC gets complete creative freedom and control, they can put on what they like whenever they like and change everything and anything. We could see so much more than the typical Spike TV fair, which boils down to pre-fight hype specials, live events, “The Ultimate Fighter”, and repeat/highlight shows. With primary control over an entire television network, the UFC could craft an entirely new experience for its fans.

In the end, I suppose it’s too early to tell. I think the UFC has undergone some massive changes in the last few years, but I don’t think most of it compares to possibly leaving the television network that saved the UFC from impending doom and brought them fully back into the mainstream. With Strikeforce being acquired by the UFC, with the UFC leaving Spike TV, with Spike TV rumored to being picking up Bellator to replace the UFC… it looks like 2012 will be a real game-changer for MMA as a whole.

According to a report from MMA Fighting, the UFC’s current TV deal will come due at the end of 2011, after the landmark fourteenth season in the long-running UFC/Spike TV reality TV series “The Ultimate Fighter”. And with the UFC having banner years for the last several years, some fans and insiders are beginning to wonder if the UFC has gotten too big for Spike TV.

UFC President Dana White had some interesting comments on the situation, and in an unusually cryptic series of statements, he basically said that nothing is confirmed and anything is possible. Here are some highlights: “Our preference is to stay with [Spike TV]. Obviously we’ve been with them forever… We’re talking to everybody, and when I say we’re talking to everybody, we’re talking to everybody. That’s what you do when your deal is up… Anything is possible. Nothing is impossible.”

One of the more-popular rumors, one that was in fact stated in the MMA Fighting article, is that the Versus network is the top competitor against Spike TV. According to some reports floating around the internet, Versus is about to undergo a series of drastic overhauls and will be molded into NBC’s version of Fox Sports Net, or similarly-themed cable channels. Of course, making the network the official home of the UFC also opens up the possibility of nationally-broadcast UFC shows on NBC, in much the same way that Strikeforce was able to put together events on CBS after signing with Showtime.

I think the UFC is headed towards an interesting date with destiny once 2011 is officially over and done with. For the first time in a long while, the cynics saying that “The Ultimate Fighter” has gotten stale now have some solid evidence to back up their claims. Much has been made of TUF 13’s sagging ratings, and UFC President Dana White has openly criticized Spike TV for changing the show’s normal start time to an hour ahead. There’s even some rumors of Spike TV executives attending Bellator events just in case the UFC leaves its longtime home.

I feel very conflicted about this news. Loyalty is a very hard thing to find in this day and age, and Spike TV has remained loyal to the UFC through thick and thin. It’s common knowledge that there would be no UFC without “The Ultimate Fighter”, but if we think about it, that just means that there would be no UFC without Spike TV.

But that was then and this is now. And honestly? Fans and friends, name me one show besides the UFC that Spike TV can boast as a major asset. I honestly can’t think of one. Spike TV may have its own very unique brand identity, but it’s also a channel filled with repeats, programs that appeal to the lowest common denominator, or both.

Back when the UFC needed them, Spike TV was there. That’s a debt of gratitude that I would consider repaid by now, given how many monster ratings the UFC has given Spike TV throughout their long relationship. And now the UFC is selling out arenas nationwide, doing stadium shows in Canada with 55,000 people in attendance, and holding events around the world. The UFC may have finally outgrown Spike TV.

Jones, just 23-years-old, has turned the mixed martial arts world on it’s head with some of his in-the-cage moves that have never been maneuvered before. Jon makes low percentage moves effective, and hit’s them almost every time he enters the cage, whether it’s his lateral drops that he has put many a fighter down with, including season one finalist of “The Ultimate Fighter”, Stephan Bonnar.

Now that he will be challenging Mauricio “Shogun” Rua this weekend for the promotion’s light heavyweight title, the UFC has adopted a new show that will be surrounding Jon in his moments leading up to the fight entitled “UFC Presents Jon Jones: In the Moment”.

MMAJunkie.com spoke to officials regarding the special, who state that the show will surround Jones and his final preparation’s heading into this weekend’s title match with the PRIDE legend in Rua.

It will take an in depth look both at his training camp in Albuquerque, New Mexico with Greg Jackson’s camp as well as Jones’ family which extends all the way to the other side of the country, in New York where Jones grew up as a youth.

The special will appear on Spike TV this Thursday at 11pm EST, and will serve as a lead in for this weekends title bout, and should the show produce strong ratings, it could be around sometime in the foreseeable future.

Jon Jones and Mauricio Rua will fight this Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey for the 205-pound title and the right to be called the best fighter in the world.

So, MMA peeps, how do you feel about Jones getting his own television special? I wonder if Rashad Evans would have gotten the same treatment if he would have remained in his bout with Rua–probably not. Sound off in the comment section below.

We head to the always-informative MMA Weekly to get the scoop on Spike TV’s schedule of UFC “Prelims Live” specials. According to the report, Spike TV recently announced that twelve total broadcasts of “Prelims Live” will be seen on Spike TV in 2011, with UFC 126 “Silva vs. Belfort” kicking everything off. The stellar Super Bowl Weekend super-card features a major Middleweight showdown as UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva faces feared striker Vitor Belfort. The UFC 126 “Prelims Live” special is expected to feature the following match-ups: Chad Mendes will take on Michihiro Omigawa, while former WEC star Donald Cerrone will make his UFC debut in a bout with Paul Kelly. UFC 126 “Prelims Live” will air live on Spike TV on February 5, with a start time of 9 PM ET.

I think both the UFC and Spike TV have made a pretty smart move in continuing these specials. I think this is a novel concept that literally makes something out of nothing: being preliminary fights, most of the time they simply aren’t shown at all. And that’s a bit of a shame, since I think the fight quality of these “Prelims Live” specials have gone up a noticeable amount since the series’ inception. The recent four-fight “Fight for the Troops 2” Facebook stream was honestly one of the biggest highlights of the entire show.

So I’m definitely glad that more prelim fights will be shown, and I hope that ratings not only hold steady, but continue to improve. It seems as if everyone benefits from this excursion: Spike TV gets ratings, the UFC gets more eyes on their product and more potential PPV buys, the fans get more free MMA on TV, and the stars competing in the prelims gain the kind of notoriety that only TV can bring. It’s a win-win for all involved, so I hope this series stays alive well into the future.

And speaking of looking into the future, I’m particularly excited for UFC 126’s “Prelims Live” special. I think Chad Mendes is a very enjoyable fighter to watch, while Michihiro Omigawa is very tough and pretty entertaining too. And I’m especially looking forward to the UFC debut of high-profile WEC star Donald Cerrone. I think Cerrone is a fantastic fighter, and I look forward to seeing him battle it out in great wars with some of the UFC’s best.

There’s a lot to look forward to for the UFC in 2011, and I’m pretty happy that the continued presence of “Prelims Live” specials on Spike TV is one of those things. But what about you, fans and friends? What do you make of this interesting bit of news?

We head first to the one and only Sherdog, which brings us an interesting report that details how the world’s largest MMA promotion is heading to the world’s largest social networking site. According to the report, the UFC will stream two free preliminary bouts from their upcoming “Fight for the Troops 2” event live from their Facebook page starting at 8 PM ET and 5 PM PT. The main card is currently scheduled to air live on Spike TV on January 22 starting at 9 PM ET and 6 PM PT. The two fights showcased on the Facebook stream will be Cody McKenzie vs. Yves Edwards and Michael Guymon vs. DaMarques Johnson.

Another report has surfaced indicating the future for “Prelims Live” on Spike TV, where the specials first started. According to MMA Junkie, “Prelims Live” returns to Spike TV for UFC 126, currently scheduled for February 5. The UFC’s Super Bowl Weekend super-show features Anderson Silva defending his UFC Middleweight Championship against former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor Belfort. The fights currently expected to air on the “Prelims Live” broadcast are Donald Cerrone vs. Paul Kelly and Chad Mendes vs. Michihiro Omigawa.

I’m glad that “Prelims Live” shows no signs of stopping and in fact seems to be breaking new ground for the UFC, because I think this is exactly the kind of free MMA we need on TV. It’s MMA we wouldn’t get to see otherwise, but it’s also MMA that encourages us to buy the main show and help support the promotion we’re watching. While some specials have been hit-or-miss, I feel like the quality of the last several “Prelims Live” specials have been especially high, and really showcased several good fights that are well worth watching.

In regards to the UFC broadcasting live over Facebook, it’s a bit of a gamble, but again, this is the right kind of show to gamble with. If it doesn’t succeed, it’s only the preliminary fights, and if it does, then that’s a great basis to form a new strategy with. The UFC’s debut on ION Television didn’t seem to work out too well, based on the ratings figures that were released, but it’s not as if the UFC suffered a crushing defeat. Of course it’d be nice if millions of Facebook users used this chance to become UFC fans, but if that doesn’t happen, at least we’ll get some fun, free fights.

And what do you think, fans and friends? Is the UFC employing the right strategy with these “Prelims Live” specials, and what do you think the future holds for this series of shows?

“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 12 episode 1 scored a 1.3 household rating with an average of 1.6 million viewers, and was the top-ranked show on cable with males ages 18 to 49. This number is down from Season 11’s opener, which landed a 1.8 household rating and an average of 1.9 million viewers. Fight Night 22 was able to draw an average of 1.2 million viewers and peaked with 1.6 million for the main event.

I can understand how people will point at TUF 12’s opening number and predict a rough season ahead when it scored so poorly in comparison to Season 11 and especially the juggernaut that was Season 10, but I think a little understanding is called for. Season 10 and 11 featured can’t-miss television from the get-go. Season 10 had Kimbo Slice, an incredibly controversial fighter that many thought would never step foot in the UFC in a million years. Season 11 saw the next chapter in the Tito Ortiz/Chuck Liddell rivalry, a rivalry that will undoubtedly go down one day as one of the most bitter feuds in MMA history.

And Season 12? Season 12 has an all-Lightweight cast at a time when the lighter weights are still unfairly fighting off the stigma that less muscles equals less fighting ability. And the pairing of Josh Koscheck and Georges St. Pierre certainly doesn’t help: GSP is many things, including one of the best MMA fighters of all time, but he’s never been all that charismatic.

Ultimately, this is one of those seasons that has to grow on you. I didn’t expect this season to immediately come firing out of the gate, and I think that the ratings can be very deceiving when it comes to predicting how successful a show will be. Season 10 gave us some of the biggest ratings ever while also giving us the absolute worst fights in TUF history. If this season gains steam, which I think it can, the ratings should improve quite a bit. So I think it’s far too early to say that this season won’t be successful. It deserves a fighting chance, and I’m more than willing to give it one.

And one last thing: Spike TV and the UFC must be positively giddy that TUF 12 was the most-watched show between males ages 18 to 49. That’s their exact market! The UFC may not be a ratings powerhouse, Spike TV may not be the biggest cable channel, but both play to their strengths and both benefit because of it. It may be one giant sausage-fest every time a UFC event airs on Spike TV, but to the sides of those sausages are pockets, and those pockets have money, and that money is going into Spike and the UFC.

When you consider it that way, TUF 12 was actually a rather positive success, as was Fight Night 22. Both events saw some good fights, some entertaining action, and all the MMA goodness we’ve come to love and expect from the world’s biggest, most elite promotion. I personally can’t wait to see what’s in store for this season’s TUF, and while not the most exciting card of the year, I never once flipped the channel from Fight Night 22. It may not have been a gigantic ratings smackdown, but the UFC scored another victory Wednesday night.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think the ratings tell us about the first episode of TUF Season 12 and Fight Night 22?

1. Yes, Rousimar Palhares should know better.  Don’t stop fighting mid-round without referee assistance.  However, I still feel odd about Marquardt’s victory.  He did exactly what he should do and capitalize on his opponent’s mistake, but it just doesn’t feel right that Palhares felt genuinely “wronged,” albeit incorrectly, and consciously stopped fighting.  Marquardt was cleared of greasing and I am not saying he did anything wrong, but, in no way was Marquardt dominating and the fight was up for grabs.  Horrible mistake for Palhares and I don’t feel Marqaurdt is clearly the better fighter since this ended in such a clumsy, odd, bizarre, uncomfortable way.  Hopefully, Palhares gets back to winning ways and we see this fight again some day.

2. Charles Oliveira, 20, and Rory MacDonald, 21 …  two MMA stars that the UFC is going to hold on to with all they have.  Both are wildly talented and exciting.  Yes, MacDonald lost his last fight to Carlos Condit, but he looked great for two rounds at UFC 115.  As important as their skills and charisma, is their nationality and age.  Oliveira, Brazilian and MacDonald, Canadian.  The UFC is all about international expansion and these two studs can be counted on for years to come to produce wins, excitement, and box office/PPV returns.  The great MMA youth movement has begun!

3. Cole Miller looked great.  And, he added fuel to the anti-wrestling fire in MMA.  His post fight interview compared some wrestlers to NFL football teams running out the clock to protect a lead instead of going for a game ending score.  I can’t help but think the Nik Lentz win over Andre Winner at UFC 118 has sparked this growing discontent.  It fueled my editorial recently as well as the UFC’s Dan Hardy to rail against wrestlers for stalling and not engaging.

4. Jim Miller is rugged.  That word just kept coming to me as he was fighting.  No huge mistakes, forward pressure, durable, consistent, improving.  Sounds like another Jersey lightweight down the shore who now owns some pricey UFC hardware.

5. World Class MMA on Wednesday night for free is cash money.  I know Dana White makes more off the PPV shows, but getting the sport out there to all the fringe viewers and skeptics is what keeps this beast growing.  More Spike TV UFC events, please!

6. Does Chael Sonnen ever stopping running his mouth?  I have enjoyed his talk as much as anybody – but he seems always prepped with a quip to the point of annoyance now.  Spike TV camera’s showed him cage-side but never let him finish, as he seemed at the ready to launch into another rant.

7. When Spike TV shows a clearly taped interview from earlier in the day they should take down their “Live” bug on the upper left corner of the screen and have the host indicate, “earlier today we spoke with …”  Per the Mir and Cro Cop interviews.

8. Referee John Shorley must give a fighter five minutes to recover from a groin shot.  He was pushing Oliveira to start fighting when he was not ready after Escudero landed his low blow.

9. Ultimate Fighter nugget:  Andy Main won his fight to get in the house.  He is in the Jim Miller / AMA camp in Jersey.  Tough as nails from what I am told, and one to watch.

—

What were your big takeaways from the fights on Wednesday night?

Twitter: @john_moody

Granted, TUF 10 had Internet sensation Kimbo Slice (4-1) but TUF 11 has a crop of middleweight fighters that I feel is far superior to any season we have seen thus far on Spike TV.

According to Spike, 1.9 million viewers were watching “TUF 11″ which is an increase of nine percent over “TUF 9″

As I said earlier, I feel this season has a much better cast of prospects who seem to be more technical than those of previous seasons. However, maybe it is because I am a part of the mixed martial arts (MMA) media and at my very core a hardcore fan.

Many casual fans may not know some of the fighters appearing on the show and thus have no idea how good some of them truly are and how compelling their background stories will be once they receive air time.

One fighter in particular stands out when speaking of background stories. Court McGee (9-1) is a fighter that with the proper exposure could become an instant fan favorite. His story was something I ran across on Queen of the Cage. Court is a former drug addict who was actually declared dead from an overdose of black tar heroin. Since then he has found God and has been clean since Easter of 2006. Court hit the epitome of rock bottom and now is on his rise to the top where he hopes to talk to others about the dangers of drugs.

This story alone would be a very uplifting moment if given the time on the show and could be a positive story for MMA as a whole.

“The Ultimate Fighter 11″ on Spike TV features middleweights fighting it out for a six-figure contract with the UFC and the title of “The Ultimate Fighter”.

Coaches for this season are Fighters.com eighth-ranked and former UFC light heavyweight champion “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-7) and his nemesis, former UFC light heavyweight champion “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-7-1). Both men are coming off back to back losses inside the Octagon and are supposed to face off against one another after the season ends.

There are rumors that Tito suffered some sort of injury during the taping of the show and that his fight with Chuck may be put on the back burner but we will have to wait and see how this season unfolds before the facts actually come to light.

Stay tuned to MMA Gospel Radio each Wednesday from 8-10 PM EST/ 5-7 PT as we discuss the latest season of TUF and interview some of the top fighters in the business as well as the best new talent you may have not heard of yet. We can be found at www.blogtalkradio.com/mmagospel.

UFC 109 Prelim fights on Spike TV pulled in an average of 1.7 million viewers this past Saturday. This is an increase from all the previous Prelims shown on Spike which started at UFC 103. The average number of viewers for each event are as follows:

UFC 103: 1.4 million
UFC 104: 1.4 million
UFC 106: 1.3 million
UFC 108: 1.5 million
UFC 109: 1.7 million

The Prelims have been gaining steam and of course many viewers are those that already planned on purchasing the pay-per-view. The question is how many of the 1.7 million did not have plans to purchase the event and ended up doing so after watching the free fights on Spike?

Obviously the more exciting the Prelims are the more the casual viewer will be likely to purchase the main event pay-per-view. This leads me to my next question.

Why was this not done sooner? Many MMA fans have voiced their displeasure about buying the pay-per-event and not seeing the Prelim fights. It makes sense to show these for free. As the UFC is seeing , they will pay off in the long run.

I expect to see the numbers continue to rise a bit before leveling off. I also believe we will see these fights on Spike lead to higher buy rate numbers. For the time being we will just say congratulations to the UFC and Spike TV

Pride FC was a Japanese MMA organization that began in October of 1997 and ran until April of 2007 when Zuffa bought them out. There were some differences in rules from the UFC as well as the fights taking place in a ring rather than a cage. The difference in rules from the Unified Rules were significant.

Pride did not allow elbow strikes to the head of an opponent. Many think that this would have an effect on the numbers of fights that were finished in devastating fashion but that could not be further from the truth. They had a rule or two that led to some of the most devastating finishes in the sport. They allowed kicking and kneeing the head of a downed opponent. They also allowed what I call the Shogun Stomp to the head of an opponent. This move seemed to be perfected by Fighters.com third-ranked light heavyweight “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (18-4) who used it as a guard pass that just happened to be quite caustic.

Many Pride fans still debate which rules were better for the sport of MMA. They debate seems to revolve around fights ending due to cuts from elbows which can happen even if a fighter is winning the fight.

Fights in Pride seemed to never be dull and that may be due to the rule of inactivity. If fighters failed to engage they got a yellow card issued by the ref which took away ten percent of their fight purse.

Some of my fondest memories from Pride come from fights such as “Predator” Don Frye (20-8-1) versus Yoshiro Takayama (0-4) which was less of a technical fight and more of a raw and gritty battle that had me glued to the television in awe of what I was watching. These two men met in the middle of the ring at Pride 21: Demolition in what turned out to be more like a hockey fight than a mixed martial arts fight, none the less it was amazing.

There are many great fights that I remember from Pride and the for those that are unfamiliar with the now defunct organization I will list a few here:

“Shogun” Mauricio Rua versus “Minotoro” Antonio Nogueira at Pride: Critical Countdown 2005

Royce Gracie verus “The Gracie Hunter” Kazushi Sakauraba at Pride: Grand Prix 2000 Final Round

‘The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko versus”Minotauro” Antonio  Nogueria at both Pride 25: Body Blow and Pride: Shockwave 2004

Takanori Gomi versus Luiz Azeredo at Pride: Bushido 7

This is a small list and I could go on forever including men like Wanderlei Silva and Mirko Cro Cop but these are the ones that stand out to me. What fights stand out to you as the best Pride had to offer?

When you look back on an organization that hardcore MMA fans look upon as the holy grail in the sport what comes to mind first? The different rules, the crazy female announcer or the epic wars? No matter what Spike TV is bringing back those fond memories and I am eating it up.

You can join me and my co-host, Gary Friedman, on MMA Gospel Radio each Wednesday from 8-10 PM EST by going to www.blogtalkradio.com/mmagospel. Join in the live chat and tell us your favorite Pride memories or call in to the show by dialing 347-857-1337 and tell us on air what stand out in your mind.

According to IFHF president, Bill White, the UFC and Spike TV are admired for the recent efforts.

“We are profoundly grateful to the UFC and Spike TV for their extraordinary support of our nation’s Wounded Warriors,” stated White. “Their efforts have moved us that much closer to complete the traumatic brain injury center in Bethesda for the service members that are fighting for our freedom overseas.”

The IFHF provides assistance to American military personnel critically injured during service. The “Fight For The Troops” event on Spike TV raised money aimed at building a $65 million, 75,000 square foot treatment and rehabilitation center for soldiers with traumatic brain injuries (TBI).