Author: Matthew Saccaro

UFC 130: Is Not Making Use of UFC 129’s Momentum Actually a Good Thing?

It was only nearly one month ago that the UFC held the largest event in the company’s history: UFC 129 at the Rogers Centre in Canada where over 55,000 fans were in attendance.Off of the back of such a stellar performance, one would suspect that the UF…

It was only nearly one month ago that the UFC held the largest event in the company’s history: UFC 129 at the Rogers Centre in Canada where over 55,000 fans were in attendance.

Off of the back of such a stellar performance, one would suspect that the UFC would be attempting to strike while the iron is hot and somehow make use the brand’s ever-growing popularity.

However, when one browses over the UFC 130 fight card—and specifically the main event—it can be seen that this is not the case. But, to be fair to the UFC, they did have a lightweight title fight between champion Frankie Edgar and challenger Gray Maynard booked for the event, but it was canceled due to injuries on both sides.

Instead of seeking a better main event, the co-main event of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Matt “The Hammer” Hamill was simply bumped up the card and everything else was left as is, making the event lackluster overall.

What else could the UFC have done? In truth, with the way events are planned, it can be very difficult to replace a main event of that caliber on such short notice. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that UFC 130 is a step down from UFC 129.

But is this a bad thing?

The answer may well be a surprising “No.”

First, to the casual fan, Rampage Jackson is still a large draw due to his legendary highlight reels on YouTube. The 130 fight card is thus worth it to them because it is a name that they recognize.

Second, following UFC 129 with a sub-par event gives Zuffa—the company that owns the UFC—a chance to gauge the strength of the brand. The 130 card is indisputably average; thus if it achieves an above-average buy rate the brand is stronger than any of the fights on the card.

It is for these reasons—the support of the casual fan, as well as the litmus test of the brand’s strength—that UFC 130 will be marked a success in history books, the canceled main event notwithstanding.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Chael Sonnen: Why Possible UFC Return May Be the Best Thing for UFC and MMA

Initially, it was reported that Chael Sonnen’s indefinite suspension at the hands of the California State Athletic Commission would continue—effectively retiring Sonnen from the sport of mixed martial arts forever since it is a common practice fo…

Initially, it was reported that Chael Sonnen’s indefinite suspension at the hands of the California State Athletic Commission would continue—effectively retiring Sonnen from the sport of mixed martial arts forever since it is a common practice for other athletic commissions to honor each other’s suspensions.

However, news has recently broken that the commission made a mistake in interpreting their suspension law. Sonnen does not have to wait for a year to seek a renewal of his license and instead can seek renewal on June 29th, 2011.

This is huge news not only for Sonnen, but for UFC President Dana White, for all of the middleweight fighters on the roster, and for all fans who follow MMA.

Love him or hate him, Chael Sonnen is one of the most controversial figures in the sport and is thus a massive draw. With that being said, there are three specific things that can happen if Dana White uses Sonnen and his finely tuned trash talk properly that could be of immense benefit to the UFC and therefore to the sport itself.

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MMA: Has Chael Sonnen Ultimately Been Positive or Negative for the UFC?

The name “Chael Sonnen” has become one of the most dubious in all of mixed martial arts. The former NCAA Division I All-American is one of the most hated men in MMA today.It is easy—and perhaps justified—to immediately dismiss Sonnen as a c…

The name “Chael Sonnen” has become one of the most dubious in all of mixed martial arts. The former NCAA Division I All-American is one of the most hated men in MMA today.

It is easy—and perhaps justified—to immediately dismiss Sonnen as a cheater and a criminal since, after all, he did get busted for highly elevated levels of testosterone and for money laundering.

Nevertheless, Sonnen has been in the sport—as well as under the Zuffa banner—for quite some time. He was even 1:50 away from being the UFC middleweight champion!

So, when it is all said and done, were the actions taken by Chael Sonnen in the UFC ultimately positive or negative in the long term? Read and find out.

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UFC 130 Fight Card: Is Rampage Jackson vs. Matt Hamill Main Event Worthy?

UFC 130 was to be event in which the next five rounds of the epic duel between lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and challenger Gray Maynard took place. In terms of fighting style, both men were tailor made for one another, and the second rematch was …

UFC 130 was to be event in which the next five rounds of the epic duel between lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and challenger Gray Maynard took place. In terms of fighting style, both men were tailor made for one another, and the second rematch was one of the most intriguing bouts of the year.

Unfortunately, this bout was canceled due to both fighters being injured at nearly the same time. Because of this strange and unfavorable coincidence, the event’s co-main event—Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Matt “The Hammer” Hamill—was bumped up to the main event slot.

Is this fight truly main event-worthy, though?

The answer is twofold and complicated.

While Rampage has historically been a draw, he is getting up there in age and has not done anything to really “wow” MMA fans in quite some time—his recent controversial decision victory over Lyoto Machida notwithstanding.

As for Hamill, his five-fight win streak is great for marketing, but does not really hold up when scrutinized. One of those “wins” is a questionable disqualification victory over current light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

So, even if the DQ is ignored, that leaves four straight victories. That means Hamill is a contender, right?

Wrong.

Out of those four victories, two came over lackluster opponents who are no longer in the UFC, and one came over a Tito Ortiz long past his prime. The only really noteworthy victory is a head-kick knockout of Mark Muñoz at UFC 96 back in 2009.

The fight may be billed as a matchup between two perennial contenders for Jon Jones’ light heavyweight crown, but such a billing is very generous; both fighters have neither the skills nor the time (Rampage is 32 and Hamill is 34) to become a force in the division.

In that sense then, the fight is not main event-worthy. However, the UFC has grown to such a size that the main itself is not as important as the UFC brand itself.

The UFC has—arguably since UFC 72—been selling cards on brand name alone and will likely continue to do so.

Is this a sordid practice? Hardly, unless you are one who believes in “Zuffa zombies.”

The UFC usually puts on quality fights regardless of the name value of the fighters. Despite the fact that Rampage will likely never own a belt again, and Hamill will likely never own one to begin with, the card will still sell because of the brand name attached to it.

For better or for worse, any main event attached to a UFC card is main event-worthy by virtue of it being the main event of a UFC-caliber card.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 130 Fight Card: Is Rampage Jackson vs. Matt Hamill Main Event Worthy?

UFC 130 was to be event in which the next five rounds of the epic duel between lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and challenger Gray Maynard took place. In terms of fighting style, both men were tailor made for one another, and the second rematch was …

UFC 130 was to be event in which the next five rounds of the epic duel between lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and challenger Gray Maynard took place. In terms of fighting style, both men were tailor made for one another, and the second rematch was one of the most intriguing bouts of the year.

Unfortunately, this bout was canceled due to both fighters being injured at nearly the same time. Because of this strange and unfavorable coincidence, the event’s co-main event—Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Matt “The Hammer” Hamill—was bumped up to the main event slot.

Is this fight truly main event-worthy, though?

The answer is twofold and complicated.

While Rampage has historically been a draw, he is getting up there in age and has not done anything to really “wow” MMA fans in quite some time—his recent controversial decision victory over Lyoto Machida notwithstanding.

As for Hamill, his five-fight win streak is great for marketing, but does not really hold up when scrutinized. One of those “wins” is a questionable disqualification victory over current light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

So, even if the DQ is ignored, that leaves four straight victories. That means Hamill is a contender, right?

Wrong.

Out of those four victories, two came over lackluster opponents who are no longer in the UFC, and one came over a Tito Ortiz long past his prime. The only really noteworthy victory is a head-kick knockout of Mark Muñoz at UFC 96 back in 2009.

The fight may be billed as a matchup between two perennial contenders for Jon Jones’ light heavyweight crown, but such a billing is very generous; both fighters have neither the skills nor the time (Rampage is 32 and Hamill is 34) to become a force in the division.

In that sense then, the fight is not main event-worthy. However, the UFC has grown to such a size that the main itself is not as important as the UFC brand itself.

The UFC has—arguably since UFC 72—been selling cards on brand name alone and will likely continue to do so.

Is this a sordid practice? Hardly, unless you are one who believes in “Zuffa zombies.”

The UFC usually puts on quality fights regardless of the name value of the fighters. Despite the fact that Rampage will likely never own a belt again, and Hamill will likely never own one to begin with, the card will still sell because of the brand name attached to it.

For better or for worse, any main event attached to a UFC card is main event-worthy by virtue of it being the main event of a UFC-caliber card.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 131: Brock Lesnar and 5 Reasons MMA Fans Love to Hate Him

One only needs to mention the name Brock Lesnar and an array of emotions—mostly negative ones—will be stirred up in even the most calm of mixed martial arts fans.Lesnar, since his UFC debut in 2008 at UFC 81 against Frank Mir, has been not …

One only needs to mention the name Brock Lesnar and an array of emotions—mostly negative ones—will be stirred up in even the most calm of mixed martial arts fans.

Lesnar, since his UFC debut in 2008 at UFC 81 against Frank Mir, has been not a polarizing figure in MMA (because that would imply that approximately equal numbers love and hate him), but rather a figure that fans across the sport loath and bash at any opportunity.

There are many reasons for this hate directed towards Lesnar, but they all fall under the umbrella of five distinct reasons.

What are these reasons? Read and find out.

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