UFC 147 was plagued by card changes and was widely considered to be the worst pay-per-view offering of the last few years. MMAmania.com predicted that the event was “set for massive failure” and they were right. Only 175,000 viewers bought the irr…
UFC 147 was plagued by card changes and was widely considered to be the worst pay-per-view offering of the last few years. MMAmania.com predicted that the event was “set for massive failure” and they were right. Only 175,000 viewers bought the irrelevant event and who could blame them.
But what about UFC 150?
An early report from MMAmania.com indicates that the card headlined by a championship fight between popular stars Benson Henderson and Frankie Edgar would pull in only 190,000 buys.
Are the elite fighters of the lightweight division unable to pull in viewers? Jonathan Snowden seems to think so. His article on the poor buyrates generated by main events in lighter weight classes has a lot of interesting points, but it begs a question: If the little guys don’t draw, who does?
In the interest of optimism, here is a look at the top 10 PPV draws currently in the UFC.
All pay per view numbers in this article come to you via MMAPayout.com Blue Book.
Randy Couture has a knack for choosing underdogs in big fights, and the upcoming UFC light heavyweight title bout between Jon Jones and Dan Henderson is no different.The UFC Hall of Famer was recently a guest on “The MMA Show” with Mauro Ranallo, where…
Randy Couture has a knack for choosing underdogs in big fights, and the upcoming UFC light heavyweight title bout between Jon Jones and Dan Henderson is no different.
The UFC Hall of Famer was recently a guest on “The MMA Show” with Mauro Ranallo, where he was asked to give a prediction for the UFC 151 main event.
“I like Dan in this fight,” Couture said.
Against the 41-year-old Henderson, Jones will enter as the overwhelming favorite. He is coming off dominant wins over light heavyweight elites Rashad Evans, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Lyoto Machida.
There is no hotter superstar in the UFC than Jones right now. Along with youth and charisma, he boasts an incredibly long reach, a world-class wrestling pedigree and unorthodox striking.
Outside of his famous right hand, there are few things working in Henderson’s favor, but the odds being stacked isn’t foreign territory for the former Pride middleweight champ.
These are the times when Henderson digs deep and shows the world that sometimes heart weighs more than talent.
Couture continues:
“Obviously, Jones is a tall order with a 96-inch reach and as athletic and dynamic of an athlete that he is, but I think Dan has two things going for him. One is that right hand, but two, at the end of the day it’s going to be that wrestling mentality — closing the distance, wading through Jon, taking him out of that long-range dynamic striking reach he likes and forcing him to wrestle.
Dan was a two-time Olympic wrestler, and I think if he makes Jones wrestle and does it for five rounds he has a real good chance of winning that fight. You may see an ‘H-bomb’ hit Jon Jones in the head at any time with Danny, so I really like that fight for him.”
Couture and Henderson are good friends and former teammates. Some will likely believe that played a major role in Couture’s prediction.
It will certainly be an uphill battle for Henderson. Jones is one of the best talents MMA has ever seen.
Will lightning strike for “Hendo,” or will “Bones” continue his march toward all-time greatness?
When the main event for UFC 151 was announced, I literally laughed. Jon Jones, the man who destroyed Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida and “Suga” Rashad Evans, is set to face Dan Henderson.Really?Did any…
When the main event for UFC 151 was announced, I literally laughed.
Jon Jones, the man who destroyed Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida and “Suga” Rashad Evans, is set to face Dan Henderson.
Really?
Did anybody else find this ridiculous?
After I stopped laughing, though, a moment of thought befell me, and I gasped in horror.
There are ways Hendo can win.
Jones is not indestructible, and Hendo just might upset him!
(When all else fails, a hypogonadism burn is always a solid standby.)
Apparently Jon Jones is unaware that Chael Sonnen is a fight promoter first, troll second, and actual fighter third. Be that as it may, “Bones” must have really took to heart the relatively light bit of trash-talking Sonnen aimed in the champ’s direction when announcing his return to the light-heavyweight division on UFC Tonight, as he has already responded, then deleted, several scathing remarks aimed at the former middleweight title challenger via Twitter, because of course he did.
(When all else fails, a hypogonadism burn is always a solid standby.)
Apparently Jon Jones is unaware that Chael Sonnen is a fight promoter first, troll second, and actual fighter third. Be that as it may, “Bones” must have really took to heart the relatively light bit of trash-talking Sonnen aimed in the champ’s direction when announcing his return to the light-heavyweight division on UFC Tonight, as he has already responded, then deleted, several scathing remarks aimed at the former middleweight title challenger via Twitter, because of course he did.
True, Jon, but doing the same thing back to Sonnen on Twitter kind of blends into that whole hypocritical aura you seem to exude. Just sayin’.
Forget what I just said, that was kind of awesome. Chael, the floor is yours.
But you know what I hate about this the most? The fact that Jones is playing right into Chael’s game(see below), which can only mean one thing: an expedited, undeserved title shot for Chael Sonnen if Jones is able to dispatch Dan Henderson at UFC 151. Sure, the next shot has been promised to Lyoto Machida, but we all know how much better Sonnen vs. Jones (or Sonnen vs. anyone, for that matter) would do as far as pay-per-view sales go. Rivalries trump legitimate contenders 9 times out of 10, and the fact that Machida has already faced Jones and lost certainly won’t help those numbers. Sonnen undoubtedly knows this, the clever cow, and is leading Bones into his Jigsaw-esque trap like the pro that he is.
Prediction: If Jones beats Hendo, he will suffer an injury significant enough that Machida will be forced to take another fight in his prolonged absence. Meanwhile, Jones and Sonnen will continue to hype their rivalry until Sonnen vs. Griffin is declared a #1 contenders match (hey, crazier things have happened). Sonnen will win, and Lyoto will be left in the dark, drinking homemade Mai Tai after Mai Tai as a means of consoling himself for not talking enough shit over Twitter to get a rematch with Bones.
I could be wrong, but I watched The Mentalist for eight straight hours yesterday, which leads me to believe that I am spot on.
[UPDATE – 4:30 p.m. EST]
Wait a minute…as I’m writing this, it seems Jones has used the Avatarian connection that all people with the same last name share to hack into my brain and respond to my worries before I could even publish them (same wording and everything), stating the following on Twitter:
For everyone who thinks I’m “falling into chaels game” I know exactly what I’m doing.. #AreYouNotEntertained
Touche, Jon. Now stay the fuck out of my head thank you very much.
Frankie Edgar remains the top lightweight in the world in the minds of some. However, after a split decision in the UFC 150 main event, the 155-pound title belt still hangs around Benson Henderson’s waist.As a result of his back-to-back losses against …
Frankie Edgar remains the top lightweight in the world in the minds of some. However, after a split decision in the UFC 150 main event, the 155-pound title belt still hangs around Benson Henderson’s waist.
As a result of his back-to-back losses against Henderson, Edgar may be forced to move to the featherweight division in hopes of regaining a UFC title.
Currently, Jose Aldo reigns over the featherweight division and is running short on serious threats. Aldo’s next opponent, Erik Koch, is coming off of an unimpressive decision victory over Jonathan Brookins.
Should Aldo dispose of Koch with ease, Edgar could be put on the fast-track toward what would be a blockbuster title fight against the Brazilian champion.
As the lightweight and featherweight divisions prepare for a potential landscape change, here is a look at how the UFC’s eight divisions stand from top to bottom.
Rankings Guidelines
The following rankings are computerized based primarily on comparing similar competition among fighters.
Fighters who have announced their retirement will be ineligible for ranking until they return to the Octagon.
Suspended fighters and competitors who have been inactive for more than one calender year will be listed as “not ranked.”
Fighters will be ranked in the division in which they last competed unless they are scheduled for a bout in a new division, in which case the fighter will be listed as “not ranked” in their new division until their scheduled bout occurs.
Not taking anything away from Dan Henderson, but let’s face it, Jon “Bones” Jones is nothing short of a phenom. Henderson and Jones are set to square off at UFC 151, and if Henderson beats Jones, it’s safe to say the world of Mixed Martial Arts wo…
Not taking anything away from Dan Henderson, but let’s face it, Jon “Bones” Jones is nothing short of a phenom.
Henderson and Jones are set to square off at UFC 151, and if Henderson beats Jones, it’s safe to say the world of Mixed Martial Arts would be in shock.
Henderson was able to defeat Fedor Emelianenko, who at one point was arguably the best non-UFC fighter. Nevertheless, Fedor lost to Antonio Silva and Fabricio Werdum prior to Henderson, proving he’s human after all.
On the other hand, the only loss on Jon Jones’ record came in the UFC Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale.
He was disqualified in the first round against Matt Hamill due to illegal elbows.
After Henderson, the most notable, and fresh, opponents for Jones are Phil Davis and Alexander Gustafsson, who are 9-1 and 14-1, respectively.
Considering Davis beat Gustafsson at UFC 112, and his most challenging fight will come in December at UFC on FOX 5 against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua; it will be some time before Gustafsson makes his way to a No. 1 contender spot.
After Davis’ fight with Rashad Evans, he could be well on his way in the Light Heavyweight division. However, his last was called a no-contest, and the Davis-Prado rematch will take place at UFC on FX 5 in early October.
Nevertheless, he still has some competition to face in the division, making Davis a long-term option as well.
Ryan Bader, who already lost to Jon Jones, recently lost to the “Dragon” Machida in the second round by punches.
It’s unlikely he’ll be seeing Jones again any time soon.
With Antonio Nogueira, Evans and Machida unscheduled for future fights, it will be interesting to see what happens after UFC 151 in the Light Heavyweight division.
“Rampage” Jackson is scheduled to fight Glover Teixeira at UFC 153, and as mentioned, “Shogun” Rua is scheduled to fight Alexander Gustafsson at UFC on FOX 5 in December.
If “Bones” Jones has his way with Henderson as he’s had with past fighters, it becomes very difficult to assess his future in the Light Heavyweight division.
There’s just nobody left.
It looks like the UFC might have to start looking into more Champion vs. Champion fights as they become increasingly dominant in their own divisions.
Now that Jones has signed an endorsement deal with Nike, he’s officially the real deal (via MMAFighting.com). Look for the swoosh on his trousers to support that, while he throws devastating knees and kicks in the direction of Henderson’s visage.
So, what’s left for Jones in the Light Heavyweight division?
We’ll leave that to UFC President Dana White to figure out.
Not taking anything away from Dan Henderson, but let’s face it, Jon “Bones” Jones is nothing short of a phenom. 