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.
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