MMA Squared Ep 18: STOP booking stacked cards

Stacked cards like UFC 225 seem great, but it there‘s a downside for the fans and fighters. Hello, this is Chris and welcome to another MMA Squared. Today we’re brought to you by the Combat Wombat shirt. An expression of marsupial violence…

Stacked cards like UFC 225 seem great, but it there‘s a downside for the fans and fighters.

Hello, this is Chris and welcome to another MMA Squared. Today we’re brought to you by the Combat Wombat shirt. An expression of marsupial violence known… somewhere

Combat Wombat is the meta sponsor for MMA Squared, published by BloodyElbow.com . Combat Wombat gives the artist Chris Rini no money, and in return Combat Wombat does not manufacture any products to sell you. If you are a fan of Mixed Martial Arts, this t-shirt is a must-have.

Because this is an artistic MMA column, we are going to present an avant-garde suggestion regarding the future of UFC fight cards:

Bear with me (the animal?) Bare with me (naked…?) Just hear me out.

Consider how much media coverage and recognition has been given to these three UFC 225 prelim fights:

Claudia Gadelha and Carla Esparza had a back-and-forth Fight of the Night worthy battle.


You know Rose Namajunas paused her Chopin and took note of this fight.

Charles Oliveira tied Royce Gracie’s UFC record for submission wins.

A record that has stood since the 20th century has been largely ignored.

And Curtis Blaydes pulled Alistair Overeem out of the barn and dragged him to the woodshed for a blood soaked TKO and POTN bonus.

Spirits were high at the Hay Bar, where Curtis Blaydes’ fan club “Horses for Curtis Blaydes” gathered to watch the fight.

These fighters will receive a fraction of the recognition and media coverage they deserve because the UFC has been booking their cards in a feast of famine pattern.

Whittaker vs Romero 2 was bound to eat up everything above the fold, but there was plenty of room on the last three anemic cards.

With that in mind, consider the new reality: ESPN is going to carry 42 events in 2019.

this is a literary joke about oversaturation

Do you want to sit through six-hour fight cards featuring mostly unknown and unranked fighters, knowing that a month or two down the line there’s an event with a half dozen fights you actually care about?

In the words of my father, this is Ridiculous and Disgusting.


If this is the new reality we’re living in, please UFC, spread out the stars. The fans need a reason to tune in and the fighters need an opportunity to shine.

These thoughts were sponsored by Combat Wombat. Do yourself a favor and get the t-shirt.


That’s about it. Take care of yourself and I’ll talk to you next week.

Hey all, Chris here. You can reach me on twitter or go to chrisrini.com to see more artwork that isn’t quite a silly. These post-it note drawings are also for sale.