Tell you what to do... instead of asking, try it out for yourself.
Take Tai Boxing with your Aikido.
[I started after 2+ years of Aikido into Thai Boxing],
I will say that people tend to box all situations into the same scenario.
i.e. - The "Dont taze me bro" guy on youtube.
Had one of the multiple security guards just jumped in and done a sankyo they could have controlled and walked him out without the need to gang up on him and taze him.
If your in a mma fight, you probably will be nailed. Why? There is a lack of 'live' training and true attacks to defend against.
At a certain point your aikido is going to plateau in certain aspects, primarily as a viable means of fighting. [didnt say its not a good self-defense, as it has the potential to teach one to not even get into situations they previously would have, so in this regards its preemptive self-defense... which arguably is the best.]
But as far as showing off to your buddies or winning some medal, you have to make it real to get that timing down and feel how the techniques can be made flexible... as I promise you that executing some of the more viable techniques still might not look as 'pretty' as it does during an Aikido demonstration.
Ill say this, I have been doing this for 2+ years, and for me Ive peaked in the current conditions with Aikido. From here on out, as far as how things are structured, I might as well pick up ballet. [which I actually wouldnt mind doing, the shape those people are in is quite amazing... that and some yoga.]
This peak was with my 3rd kyu test. [6kyus in this system.]
Belts to an extent are irrelevant, but do support one as far as milestones and personal achievements.
Again, each system and dojo is different, and each person has to try it out for themselves... but eventually you will probably run up what I, and many others have when it comes to the particular topic of using Aikido in the likes of MMA. [I believe it has its place, but many are not either wanting to go that route, which is totally fine, or deceive themselves into thinking they can magically whip out a technique without having some real movement to whats happening.]
This is kind of like beating a dead horse with a stick, and again, the point is that Aikido is quite flexible and it ultimately is what you make of it...
If your into this kind of thing, take BJJ and Tai Boxing with your Aikido. At the same time, Aikido has a more valuable lesson, it can teach you how not to even get in that fight.
From personal experience I have written before how I have mellowed out and realized the futility of trying to argue points.
Once this led to an attack on me by a bigger guy who did jui-jitsu and I smashed his face to get him to stop. [not that this was choice, but at the time I did not know Aikido. With the way it went down, had I known AIkido, I would have been able to pin him...just what I know of how this fight played out. - And its one reason I took Aikido was to learn alternative ways to stopping the fight, and the primary was that of just letting things go... if someone wants to be right, let them go for it, otherwise they will explode in your face. [bet a lot of fights start like that]
Keep us updated with how your Aikido goes.
From what I understand you have picked a good branch of Aikido to train in... I like that they get the foundations and pound it into you and have a system, so to speak. - but to each their own.
Peace
dAlen