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Is the UFC Making a Concerted Effort as of Late to Stack PPVs?

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has had quite the hard time fighting off its critics this year. One of the main reasons that many have taken to their pitchforks and torches is the perception that the UFC is not presenting the best fight cards possib…

However, the promotion has recently put together some events that should quell the words of their detractors. The UFC has a slate of upcoming events that will remind fans of the old “stacked” cards of lore.

Yes, the year 2014 has seen some less than desirable cards that featured mid-tier competitors in the main event contests. Names such as James Te Huna, Nate Marquardt, Tarec Saffiedine and Hyun Gyu Lim have taken headline spots that were usually held for titleholders or those on the cusp of shots at the belt. These are just a few examples of the cards that have garnered a lackluster response from fight fans. They are quite different from the cards that were put on when the promotion and the sport itself battled for mainstream recognition.

Mookie Alexander of Bloody Elbow has presented commentary pleading with the UFC to no longer present their fights as they have in the past.

“It is simply no longer enough to just say ‘the UFC is on, now watch it,’ you have to make the audience interested in your product and interested in your fighters, and they do neither,” he wrote.

One must also not forget about the injuries that have torn into shows. UFC 178 was one of the biggest planned events that the promotion would have put on in recent memory. Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier were set to meet in the main event until an injury forced Jones out of the fight.

However, the UFC was able to move Demetrious Johnson’s next title defense against Chris Cariaso into the main event slot. Still, the excitement level around that card is not the same, even though it still features 12 fighters who are currently ranked officially, per UFC.

Looking beyond UFC 178, it seems as if the UFC is making an effort to present better cards to the public. Lorenzo Fertitta has gone on record to state that pay-per-view events should feature a main event contest with a title belt on the line, per Fox Sports Live. Below those headliners, the organization plans to put together not only exciting fights, but also contests that have value within specific weight classes.

Bleacher Report lead writer Jeremy Botter recently wrote a piece on the improved cards the organization planned to give fight fans:

There is hope peeking over the horizon. If the slate of upcoming UFC pay-per-view events is any sign, the promotion has heard our cries. After a dismal season of PPV events (at least from a monetary perspective), the world’s largest MMA promotion is loading up for bear hunting season.

Take a look at UFC 181 set for December 6. Chris Weidman and Vitor Belfort will meet for the middleweight title. This fight will occur just after Anthony Pettis defends his lightweight title against Gilbert Melendez. These are two highly anticipated title defenses, and they will occur on the same night.

A month before this event, UFC 180 will feature Cain Velasquez against Fabricio Werdum. The undercard doesn’t have any other title bouts, but still includes fights such as Diego Sanchez versus Norman Parke, Dennis Bermudez versus Ricardo Lamas and the continued emergence of Kelvin Gastelum. All of these examples are key fights within their respective weight classes that fans should enjoy on an excitement level as well.

As the UFC makes more of an effort to make itself a force within the worldwide fight game, fans will continue to complain about “weaker” cards that will house lesser-known and local talent. These events are being used correctly as a chance to build foreign talent in their home countries.

In North America, the UFC is working and presenting examples of cards that feature more well-known talent in an effort to rekindle the excitement that once accompanied every UFC PPV. Starting with UFC 178, the promotion is clearly headed in the right direction.

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UFC: Should Cain Velasquez Really Rank Above Demetrious Johnson in P4P Rankings?

According to the current official UFC rankings, the top-five pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC are Jon Jones, Jose Aldo, Cain Velasquez, Demetrious Johnson and Chris Weidman, in that order. Jones at No. 1 is all but indisputable, and Aldo at No. 2 is…

No. 3 is the heavyweight champion, Cain Velasquez. Cain is a two-time UFC heavyweight champion and has defended his title a total of two times. He is 13-1, with 11 finishes by (T)KO and only two decisions. His one loss was a 64-second knockout loss to Junior dos Santos to lose the title his first time.

Following the loss to dos Santos, Cain rattled off four straight wins en route to getting his belt back. The first fight was a TKO at 3:36 of the first round against Antonio Silva, which earned Cain another crack at the title, and a rematch against dos Santos.

Cain absolutely dominated the fight, earning a unanimous decision with scores of 50-45, 50-44 and 50-43. He has defended his title twice in his current reign, first with another first-round TKO over Antonio Silva, and then with a fifth-round TKO over dos Santos in their third fight.

He is undoubtedly one of the top-five fighters in the UFC, but should Velasquez really be ranked above the flyweight champion, No. 4-ranked, Demetrious Johnson?

Johnson is undefeated since having dropped to flyweight. His first fight was a majority draw against Ian McCall, and his second was a unanimous decision over McCall in their rematch. Johnson’s next fight came against Joseph Benavidez for the inaugural flyweight title. Johnson won by split decision (48-47, 47-48, 49-46), and began his dominant title reign.

In his first defense, Johnson defeated The Ultimate Fighter 14 bantamweight winner, John Dodson by unanimous decision with scores of 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47. Dodson’s loss to Johnson is his only loss since 2010. In addition, their fight won Fight of the Night.

Johnson scored his first UFC finish in his next defense, as he earned Submission of the Night for his fifth-round armbar over John Moraga, in a fight that Johnson had dominated entirely.

For Johnson’s third title defense, he again faced off against Joseph Benavidez. This fight went very differently than the first, as Johnson scored a knockout with a huge right hand at just 2:08 of the first round.

Johnson’s most recent fight—his fourth title defense—came against Ali Bagautinov, who had been on an 11-fight win streak with seven finishes. Johnson won a unanimous decision with scores of 50-45 on all three scorecards. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, Bagautinov later failed a post-fight drug test for EPO. For those who may not know, EPO is a hormone that controls production of red-blood cells.

Johnson has defended his title a total of four times. In a division not known for finishes, Johnson has scored a finish in two of his defenses over top competitors. He has also earned wins over all of the top five fighters in the division.

Velasquez has only defended his title twice. He failed to defend the title his first time with the belt, and he lost it after being knocked out in just 64 seconds.

In addition, his last five fights have come against the same two opponents, and those are the only two opponents in the top 15 that he has beaten.

At the end of the day, Demetrious Johnson deserves to be the No. 3 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. With a win over Chris Cariaso at UFC 178, Johnson might even be able to make a case to be No. 2.

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Jon Jones Injures Leg, Fight With Daniel Cormier Moved to UFC 182 on January 3rd [FUUUUUUUUUUCK]

(Yeah, “postponed.” Like we don’t all know what that really means.)

Let’s be honest, the past 24 hours have been nothing short of miserable for us. And by “us” I mean, like, humanity. It has been a day that saw beloved actor/comedian Robin Williams pass and woman-beating piece of shit War Machine (see also: Oden, G) continue to sit somewhere inhaling air (Canada, maybe?). It was a day which all but confirmed that atheism is the right way to go. And now, this bullshit.

Thanks to an ill-timed “leg injury” (that is being reported as everything from a torn meniscus to a sprained ankle, or possibly both), Jon Jones has been forced out of his UFC 178 main event title fight with Daniel Cormier. As a result, the fight has been moved to UFC 182 at the MGM Grand on January 3rd.

Taking the place of Jones vs. Cormier in the main event of UFC 178 will be Demetrious Johnson‘s flyweight title fight against Chris Cariaso, which if you recall, was originally booked as the *co* main event of UFC 177. In one fell swoop, UFC 178’s estimated pay-per-view buys have gone from 1 million+ guaranteed to 250k if it’s lucky. But I can’t wait to see how the UFC tries to sell me this one as worthy of $60 (Hint: It rhymes with Conor McGregor. It’s Conor McGregor.)

No word yet if Jones’ injury is a delayed reaction from getting hit by Cormier’s *other* shoe as I speculate, but one thing’s for sure: Bones won’t be literally killing anyone anytime soon.

We’ll update you on this story as it develops.

–J. Jones

(Yeah, “postponed.” Like we don’t all know what that really means.)

Taking the place of Jones vs. Cormier in the main event of UFC 178 will be Demetrious Johnson‘s flyweight title fight against Chris Cariaso, which if you recall, was originally booked as the *co* main event of UFC 177. In one fell swoop, UFC 178′s estimated pay-per-view buys have gone from 1 million+ guaranteed to 250k if it’s lucky. But I can’t wait to see how the UFC tries to sell me this one as worthy of $60 (Hint: It rhymes with Conor McGregor. It’s Conor McGregor.)

No word yet if Jones’ injury is a delayed reaction from getting hit by Cormier’s *other* shoe as I speculate, but one thing’s for sure: Bones won’t be literally killing anyone anytime soon.

We’ll update you on this story as it develops.

–J. Jones

Top 5 UFC Fighters Who Should Change Divisions Today

Changing weight classes has become a mainstay in today’s MMA culture. Much like the Hollywood reboot, changing divisions remains one of the most valuable cards any fighter holds in his or her back pocket when things get rough.
Far too often are fighter…

Far too often are fighters plagued by simple things beyond their control.

Frankie Edgar saw that he no longer had a place amongst the UFC’s elite lightweights after dropping two-straight losses to former lightweight champion Benson Henderson. A change in division afforded him an immediate title shot, and a sea of fighters who would no longer dwarf him inside the cage.

Even fighters who’ve had sustained success in their natural weight classes have their own personal reasons to drop down. Take Daniel Cormier, for example, who dropped 30 pounds to challenge for the light heavyweight crown while his training partner Cain Velasquez holds onto his heavyweight crown.

Whether it’s because of competitive reasons or friendships, some fighters just need to create some ripples. Read on to see the top five fighters who should change divisions today.

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UFC President Dana White Explains Chris Cariaso Title Fight at UFC 177

UFC 177 will provide the lighter weight classes with another chance to showcase their skills, as title fights in the bantamweight and flyweight divisions headline the evening’s main card. But the Aug. 30 event, to be held in Sacramento, California, is …

There’s at least some intrigue about UFC 177’s main event, a rematch between T.J. Dillashaw and Renan Barao, with fans wanting to see if Barao can respond to the shellacking he took at UFC 173.

The same cannot be said of the co-main event, where Demetrious Johnson defends his title against Chris Cariaso. It’s an odd selection that UFC President Dana White explained in the “Dana Download” on UFC.com. White said:

The problem is that there is no doubt the fight everybody wanted to see would be John Dodson, but he’s hurt. Ian McCall just fought, Johnson knocked out [Joseph] Benavidez, and he beat John Moraga. People are going to bitch about Demetrious Johnson no matter who we put him in there against. Eventually, he’ll just have to keep knocking people out left and right and then he’ll earn his respect.

It’s true that a rematch with Dodson is the fight to make for Mighty Mouse, but Dodson is on the shelf after suffering a knee injury. As White pointed out, there aren’t a lot of viable options for Johnson to face in his next title defense.

But there are a couple of options the UFC missed out on.

Zach Makovsky is set to square off against Jussier Formiga on Aug. 16 in a pivotal battle of top flyweight contenders. Either one of these fighters would’ve made for a better selection than Cariaso.

Makovsky, at No. 9, is ranked one slot below Cariaso, but Makovsky is also a former Bellator bantamweight champion and has a win over a well-known fighter in Scott Jorgensen. Formiga is sitting at No. 6 and actually owns a win over Cariaso.

While it’s true that Makovsky and Formiga are scheduled for a fight, so too was Cariaso before being bumped into a title fight. There are a number of issues that could’ve prevented Makovsky and Formiga from rescheduling to UFC 177 (maybe a wedding?) but just looking at the information that’s available now, it’s odd the UFC would choose Cariaso out of that trio to face Johnson.

Fans will point to Dillashaw‘s upset win at UFC 173 over Barao as evidence of guys who shouldn’t have been in title fights pulling off miracle upsets. But that’s a big thing to expect from Cariaso when the opponents he’s faced in the UFC’s flyweight division are just 1-8 in the promotion.

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CagePotato Ban: Saying You Don’t Care If Your Opponents Are Using PEDs

(Bagautinov’s doping wasn’t enough to earn him a victory — but that’s no reason to let him off the hook. / Photo via MMAJunkie)

Now that random drug testing is nailing MMA fighters on a regular basis, the truth is inescapable: PEDs have become the sport’s most urgent and embarrassing problem. But not every fighter is an anti-drug crusader like Tim Kennedy and Georges St. Pierre. Before his star-making beatdown of Diego Brandao at UFC Fight Night 46 on Saturday, Conor McGregor told MMAJunkie how he really feels about performance-enhancing drugs:

“I don’t really care about that stupid s–t,” McGregor said. “I’m just doing my thing. I’m just performing and getting better. I don’t care what anyone else does….Take whatever you want, I’m still going to whoop your ass.”

His words were nearly identical to what former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson said about steroids last year, and also echoed those of UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson, who expressed similar sentiments on The MMA Hour recently, after it came out that his last opponent Ali Bagutinov was using EPO going into the fight:

“I don’t care if my opponents are cheating or not,” Johnson said. “I train my butt off to fight the man who is put in front of me whether he’s on steroids or not. I want to play on a level playing field, but if they knew about it beforehand and didn’t stop it, at the same time, I took care of business. No big deal.”

Except it is a big deal, and saying otherwise makes MMA look like a joke.

Look, I get it. Claiming that you don’t care if your opponents are doping scores you badass points, and it can endear you to the segment of the MMA fanbase that really doesn’t care about the ongoing scourge of PEDs. (“I like Conor because he doesn’t bitch about drug-testing like these other pussies. Let ’em take what they want!” — Darryl T. Justbleedguy)

(Bagautinov’s doping wasn’t enough to earn him a victory — but that’s no reason to let him off the hook. / Photo via MMAJunkie)

Except it is a big deal, and saying otherwise makes MMA look like a joke.

Look, I get it. Claiming that you don’t care if your opponents are doping scores you badass points, and it can endear you to the segment of the MMA fanbase that really doesn’t care about the ongoing scourge of PEDs. (“I like Conor because he doesn’t bitch about drug-testing like these other pussies. Let ‘em take what they want!” — Darryl T. Justbleedguy)

But that “Do what thou wilt” stance towards cheating — especially when it’s expressed by champions and top contenders — is exactly the kind of thing that will keep mixed martial arts ghettoized as a small-time sideshow. At a time when MMA’s drug problem is reaching the ears of mainstream sports fans, we don’t need the UFC’s most public faces to play devil’s advocate and argue that doping is acceptable behavior.

To paraphrase the 24th Thesis: Do you half-wits realize that athletes of other sports do not behave this way? Is Yasiel Puig doing interviews claiming that A-Rod should be able to take as many steroids as he wants? Have you ever heard Peyton Manning say, “yeah, the Chargers can grab our face masks all game, we’re still gonna whoop ‘em on Sunday.” Of course not, because why in God’s name would a professional athlete support cheating? Why wouldn’t you care that your opponents are competing with an unfair advantage, if you’re trying to win?

By the estimates of every MMA fighter who has dared to speak out about it, at least half of MMA fighters use performance enhancing drugs. Some fighters, like Matt Serra and Krzysztof Soszynski, have stated that only a small percentage of professional fighters don’t do some form of illegal doping. (“I don’t give a [expletive] if it’s happening in baseball,” Serra said. “But when a guy can kick your head off, someone can get hurt. There’s a chance for serious bodily harm.”) But if you make a stink about it, you’re a troublemaker, and if you pretend that PEDs aren’t really a big deal, you’re a superhero. I mean, after all, it’s a fist fight, y’know? Chemicals don’t give you technique or heart, and those steroids aren’t gonna help you when I touch your chin. Ugh.

Random question: If Demetrious Johnson lost to Ali Bagautinov, would he feel the same way about PEDs — that doping is “no big deal”? And if he tried to defend Bagautinov’s EPO-usage after that loss, how ridiculous would he sound?

MMA fighters are a different breed — for better or worse — and the tough-guy culture of the sport leads generally-rational fighters to say some boneheaded shit. While I’m sure that many MMA fans would be fine with the sport returning to its barely regulated Golden Age (PRIDE NEVA DIE…OR TEST FOR STEROIDS!), anybody who wants to see this sport become universally respected as a legitimate enterprise should be publicly against cheating in all of its forms. Especially the athletes themselves, who this issue actually affects directly.

So we hereby drop the CagePotato Ban on MMA fighters saying they don’t care if their opponents are doping. Steroids and other performance enhancing drugs have become a potential sport-killer, and honestly, you’re not helping.

– Ben Goldstein