(A typical WNBA game, or a preview of UFC 147?)
Wow.
We may have been forced to watch every UFC card planned for this summer slowly disintegrate into a vapid shell of what they once were, but even the precogs we keep chained up in the basement of CP headquarters could not see this coming. Due to the seemingly endless string of injuries that has threatened to consume UFC 147 in a fiery ball of mediocrity, the UFC is offering any fan who already purchased a ticket for said event a full refund.
It should be noted that this has never happened in the history of the UFC.
Although we imagine most fans who met that criteria likely took to Ebay after it was announced that Vitor Belfort had broken his hand, we still can’t believe that the UFC is essentially admitting defeat on a card that somehow still remains at pay-per-view status. Let us drop some knowledge on you: The last UFC PPV that failed to break the 200k buy mark was UFC 55: Fury, which topped off at a little over 125,000 buys. Featuring what was essentially a squash match heavyweight title fight between Andrei Arlovski and Paul Buentello (which was over before those in attendance could order a soft pretzel), as well as Forrest Griffin vs. Elvis freakin’ Sinosic as the co-main event and Chael Sonnen’s continuing struggle to defend a triangle choke, UFC 55′s pay-per-view numbers were simply an accurate reflection of the card’s weakness.
Needless to say, UFC 147 looks like it is primed to shatter that record by a good fifty or sixty thousand buys in the opposite direction. The fact that they are offering refunds to those who actually intended on seeing the event live doesn’t bode well for the live gate and attendance numbers either. We’d go as far as to predict that the end of the night bonuses will be somewhere in the realm of the average Super Fight League event.
But there is a catch for those of you who suddenly aren’t too happy with your tickets. According to UFC.com, fans seeking a refund best get on it immediamente, because the window of opportunity is rapidly closing:
With the change on the main card, fans who purchased tickets for the event will now officially have three (3) days to decide whether to seek a full refund.
In what has become almost a given at this point, UFC.com also broke the news that yet another TUF: Brazil competitor that was scheduled to fight at UFC 147 has caught the injury bug, and his bout against Renee Forte has been cancelled altogether:
Seven of the 11 bouts at UFC 147 will feature contestants from the first season of TUF Brazil. Due to the injury and the loss of his opponent, Renee Forte will be unable to fight and will make an appearance on a future UFC card. All bouts live and subject to change.
Does anyone else think we will be seeing an empty arena come UFC 147? And what about those who have purchased a ticket for UFC 149, which has seen even more opponents fall to injury than UFC 147?
“All bouts subject to change.” No shit.