On May 5, 2012 Jim Miller and Nate Diaz will clash at UFC on Fox 3. The bout has massive implications in the lightweight division. They are so severe that the winner may be awarded a title shot against the winner of this weekend’s battle between current champion, Frankie Edgar and challenger, Benson Henderson.
Regardless of whether or not a title shot is given, this fight will cement the winner’s place among the top five lightweights in the UFC. This fight should be highly competitive—two fiery combatants are facing off. It is almost a perfect fight. The only problem? It is the night’s main event.
The fight between Jim Miller and Nate Diaz is the wrong choice for a UFC on Fox main event. The fight will be great. It is an excellent match up against very like opponents. Both Miller and Diaz have won their fights by submission the majority of the time. Miller has submitted 12 of his opponents, winning 21 total; Diaz has submitted nine of his opponents, with 15 total victories. Combined, they have been finished by an opponent on one occasion (Diaz has been submitted).
So, it is highly probable this fight will go all five rounds. Also, both of these competitors constantly pressure their opponent, setting a fast pace and have impressive cardio. This fight could very well stay active, even into the fifth round. Still, this fight is underwhelming as Fox’s main event.
The “UFC on Fox” events are major events. There are only four every year. Rarity creates value. The events are also the only events presented on a big four network. The potential audience of a UFC on Fox event is greater than any other event. Also, having the event on a big four network allows new potential fans to view the fights easily, freely. Due to the rarity, accessibility and large platform, the UFC on Fox events are the most important events of the year. As such, they deserve the greatest main events.
The main event for the UFC on Fox should, at the very least, be on an equal level as a pay-per-view main event. For 2012 the pay-per-view main events have been and will be: Aldo/Mendes (a championship fight), Diaz/Condit (an interim championship fight), Edgar/Henderson (a championship fight), Jones/Evans (a championship fight). Overeem/Dos Santos (a championship fight), etc. Jim Miller versus Nick Diaz is not of this caliber and is certainly not a championship fight.
The future UFC on Fox 3 main event is comparable to past UFC on FX and Fuel main events. Last week’s UFC on Fuel event is a perfect example. Diego Sanchez fought Jake Ellenberger as two top ten welterweights fought in a title eliminator match. Miller and Diaz will also top ten in their division and are fighter in a title eliminator (not necessarily a number one contender bout). The comparisons continue as Sanchez and Diaz are both former The Ultimate Fighter champions. Miller versus Diaz is much more comparable to future fights on FX: Martin Kampman vs. Thiago Alves and Fuel: Alexander Gustafsson vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira than the previously listed main events of pay-per-views.
A similar fight to the Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller match is this weekend’s bout between Anthony Pettis and Joe Lauzon. The bouts are nearly identical. Both are title eliminators between top 10 lightweights. All four feature fan-friendly styles. They all push the pace of the fight. They all have similar levels of notoriety. Some may argue Diaz is the most famous, or infamous, due to his brother Nick and his winning stint on The Ultimate Fighter. However, Pettis is just as well known. He is the last WEC lightweight champion and became a viral sensation following his “showtime kick.” While the Miller/Diaz fight is slated for the main event of a Fox event, the identical Pettis/Lauzon fight will be just another main card bout on a pay-per-view. According to the UFC 144 poster, Rampage Jackson’s fight with Ryan Bader and Jake Shield’s fight with Yoshihiro Akiyama are more intriguing than the lightweight tilt. If the Diaz/Miller fight were to take place on a pay-per-view it would also not receive much promotion. How then can it be fit to headline a Fox card?
The UFC on Fox 3 main event should have been the light heavyweight title fight between bitter rivals: Jon Jones and Rashad Evans. That fight is taking place just two weeks prior. It would have been no problem at all to postpone it till the Fox event. That fight would have been perfect. It even would have offered continuity. Casual fans and prospective new fans would have seen Evans battle on the previous Fox card and been attracted to his name on the following one. There would have been an investment developed creating a desire for the next fight on Fox. Instead, this title fight was relegated to a pay-per-view and Fox was given a fight that would have merely been an also-ran on any pay-per-view.
This event deserves more. The fans deserve more. Even Fox deserves more. The UFC needs to treat UFC on Fox events like the biggest events of the year. Casual fans and prospective new fans will not tune in for just any main event. They will only be stirred away from their lives with a monumental fight worthy of their attention. That kind of event will have them wiping saliva from the corner of their lips and leave them yearning for more, willing to seek out more.
The fight between Jim Miller and Nate Diaz will be a great fight. It would be capable of winning the fight of the night award on any card. However, in relation to the event, this headliner…is underwhelming.
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