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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 Pulling out All the Stops to Ensure Success in Mexico City

The United States, Canada, Brazil, Sweden, Ireland, England, Japan, China, New Zealand, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Australia and now Mexico.
For the first time in 288 events, the UFC will finally make its way south of the …

The United States, Canada, Brazil, Sweden, Ireland, England, Japan, China, New Zealand, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Australia and now Mexico.

For the first time in 288 events, the UFC will finally make its way south of the border for UFC 180. Realizing what kind of a market awaits them, Dana White and friends are making sure to pull out all the stops to ensure they make their November trip a fruitful one.

White told the media in Mexico City:

It’s huge, obviously for us, but also for the people in Mexico, too. I keep saying this, but it’s true: the baddest dudes in the world, throughout the history of the world, have come from Mexico and Latin America. Your Salvador Sanchezs, your Julio Cesar Chavezs, and the list goes on and on. In the MMA world, all of those guys exist in [Mexico] right now and you’re going to see them popping up over the next six years. You’re going to see Mexico start to dominate, like it did in boxing.

Bringing the baddest dude on the planet, in Mexican-American UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, to fight against a formidable Spanish-speaking Brazilian opponent, in Fabricio Werdum, is a good start. Giving fans the opportunity to watch these two men compete as coaches on “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America” certainly doesn’t hurt either.

This season will likely lack the almost inherent dramatic quality that previous seasons have had, but the constant exposure (for those with “UFC Fight Pass” subscriptions, anyway) should give fans an opportunity to get to know these two typically humble men enough to reignite the classic Mexico vs. Brazil rivalry that soccer fans have come to enjoy.

Rather than leave the heavyweight title match to shoulder the load, the UFC is supplementing the rest of the pay-per-view card with some of the best Mexican-American talent the promotion has to offer.

Kelvin Gastelum, winner of the 17th iteration of “The Ultimate Fighter,” is set to square off against Jake Ellenberger in the co-main event in what could potentially lead to a huge climb up the ladder for the Hispanic fighter. He may not be the best Hispanic fighter on the UFC roster, but he’ll sure have his chance to prove it that night.

Diego Sanchez is scheduled to bring his mean mug and high-octane fighting style to entertain his secondary countrymen against Norman Parke. Even in a hypothetical losing effort, Sanchez’s preference to live and die by the sword should get this crowd on its feet.

Dennis Bermudez steps into Mexico City with his seven-fight winning streak intact before challenging former title contender Ricardo Lamas. A decisive win for either fighter likely wouldn’t lead to an immediate title shot in the ever-crowded featherweight division—it could lead to the beginnings of becoming a household name in the Hispanic market, though.

The UFC’s also bringing Erik “El Goyito” Perez and his green-white-and-red wrestling mask to UFC 180. Win, lose or draw, Perez is set to become one of the more popular fighters as he embraces the lucha libre-loving culture.

A solid outing from most of these fighters could lead to the Latin American expansion the promotion’s sought after for quite some time now. There’s no telling how often the UFC would be willing to return, especially if its champion continues to walk out to country-favorite Vicente Fernandez’s “Los Mandados“ before every one of his dominant performances inside the cage.

Kristian Ibarra is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. He also serves as the sports editor at San Diego State University’s student-run newspaper, The Daily Aztec. Follow him on Twitter at @Kristian_Ibarra for all things MMA.

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UFC 180: Cain Velasquez and the Quest for Greatness

Throughout the brief yet layered history of mixed martial arts, a handful of iconic figures have come along, but nothing casts a net of mystique quite like what we’ve seen out of the heavyweight division. There is something enigmatic about those who can dominate the largest collective across a chaotic landscape, and the greatest of those have reached a status of almost mythical proportions.

Fedor Emelianenko and Brock Lesnar evoked something their peers have never, and may never, duplicate. That said, both The Last Emperor and The Beast Incarnate would fizzle and fade when consistently faced with stiff competition.

Cain Velasquez may be a few steps away from taking his place as the greatest heavyweight fighter in the history of mixed martial arts, but rest assured he’s on track to do so if he can maintain his current level of dominance.

Unlike Emelianenko and Lesnar, the AKA staple hasn’t been dominated inside the cage—nowhere even close. Save for getting clipped by Brazilian powerhouse Junior dos Santos in a fight where he was dragging a suspect knee into the scrap, the 32-year-old heavyweight champion has been near flawless under the bright lights. That said, while Velasquez swallowed the jagged pill of his first professional loss at the right hand of Cigano, he returned the favor in force as he doled out a pair of brutal beatings to the former champion in their two rematches.

Nevertheless, with the Dos Santos trilogy behind him, and a lightning-fast snuffing of Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva under his belt as well, Velasquez is preparing to take the next big step of his decorated career. He’s been the focal point of the UFC’s push into the Mexican market, and all eyes in the realm of Latin American combat sports will be on him on November 15.

That’s when the UFC 180 touches down in Mexico City, where he will square off with No. 1 contender Fabricio Werdum to defend his heavyweight strap.

The Kings MMA representative is the first new opponent Velasquez will face since November 2011, and while new motivations are refreshing, those details ultimately do not matter to the champion. He knows Werdum earned this opportunity, and that is all the validation Velasquez needs to prepare.

“It’s definitely nice to prepare for someone new, but that doesn’t matter to me,” Velasquez told Bleacher Report. “Whoever earns a shot, earns the shot and that is who I’m going to fight. I don’t care if I have to fight the same guy over and over again, as long as he earned the shot to fight me, then I’m fine with it.”

While it is the biggest moment of his career from a marketing standpoint, the bout with Werdum will also serve as a crucial step toward his legacy as a dominant champion. Up to this point, Velasquez has crumpled Lesnar, battered Dos Santos and brutalized nearly every man who has stood across the cage from him.

Should his endless cardio and forward pressure prove to overwhelm a savvy veteran like Vai Cavalo, there will be no denying Velasquez’s place as the most dominant heavyweight of the current era, with the “greatest heavyweight of all time” label within striking distance. Yet, while these accolades are all within reach, Velasquez is cool and calm heading into the biggest moment of a career that has been filled with high-pressure turns.

He is focused on the immediate road ahead, and the only label that he’s concerned with his the one that comes with holding the UFC Heavyweight Championship.

“I’m definitely excited for this one,” Velasquez told Bleacher Report. “I’ve known it was going to happen for a while, and now we are getting closer. The support of the fans here has been great. We did the The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America show, and to finally have the fight here…everything is coming together.

“This is just the next step for me,” he added in regard to the biggest showcase of his career. “I want to keep doing this. I am going to keep winning and staying in this position. For me, the majority of the focus is on fighting here in Mexico City and fighting against Fabricio. He is a tough opponent. He’s a guy who already has so much experience, but he’s always getting better. He has great jiu-jitsu and good hands as well. It’s going to be a good fight.”

While the champion is fixed on the task at hand, there is no doubting the pressures hovering overhead. The UFC is experiencing an era shift where the stars who fueled the promotion’s rise and global expansion over the past decade have given way to the next generation of fighters. Velasquez is a key figure in the organization’s plans going forward, as his anchor role at UFC 180 has shown.

Per reports from the promotion, tickets for the event sold out in eight hours, which proves the appeal of the Mexican-American heavyweight champion. Yet, while he’s honored to headline the card and could potentially be steps away from certified greatness, the very thing that has propelled Velasquez forward throughout his career is the only thing on his mind right now.

“I’m always trying to improve and always trying to get better as far as learning new skills and techniques go,” Velasquez said. “I’m not looking to plateau. I’m always working to get better. That’s what my focus is on.”

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.

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Fabricio Werdum Fueled by Underdog Status Against Cain Velasquez at UFC 180

Fabricio Werdum is a man driven by being counted out.
Throughout his impressive career as a mixed martial artist, the savvy Brazilian grappling ace has found himself facing seemingly impossible odds—being counted out to such a degree many wondere…

Fabricio Werdum is a man driven by being counted out.

Throughout his impressive career as a mixed martial artist, the savvy Brazilian grappling ace has found himself facing seemingly impossible odds—being counted out to such a degree many wondered why he would bother showing up—but it just so happens “Vai Cavalo” is an athlete who shines under those circumstances.

Werdum isn’t here to be another addition to a legendary resume; he’s here to solidify a legacy of his own.

While his “shock the world” moment against Fedor Emelianenko—a fighter largely recognized as the greatest heavyweight of all time—back in 2010 certainly got the attention of the MMA community, it wasn’t where the story ended for the 37-year-old Kings MMA representative.

There is no doubting his submission victory over “The Last Emperor” that night in San Jose will go down as one of his greatest achievements, but Werdum has his sights set on other goals still resting on the horizon.

For the better part of a decade, Werdum has dreamed of becoming the UFC heavyweight champion, and his time since defeating Emelianenko has reflected that ambition. In the four years that have followed, the Rafael Cordeiro-trained fighter has won four of his five outings, with his four most recent victories coming in consecutive fashion under the UFC banner.

A run that consisted of wins over Roy Nelson, Mike Russow and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira put Werdum on the verge of title contention, but it was his victory over Travis Browne at UFC on Fox 11 back in April that certified him as the No. 1 contender to the crown. While he wasn’t facing Fedor-esque odds going into the bout with “Hapa,” there weren’t many in the MMA community who were willing to give Werdum much of a chance.

He was coming off a lengthy stint on the sidelines heading into Orlando and facing an opponent in Browne who had been destroying top-ranked opposition inside the Octagon. In that matchup, Werdum appeared to be the final stepping stone to Browne’s ascension to title challenger, but when the chips are stacked against him, that’s when Werdum is at his best.

Not only did he defeat Browne at UFC on Fox 11, but he did so on the feet where the Hawaiian is at his strongest. From the opening bell until the last, Werdum put on a striking clinic as he battered the Jackson/Winkeljohn-trained fighter for the entirety of the 25-minute affair. The end result was one of the most impressive showings of his career and a shot at the reigning heavyweight king Cain Velasquez.

In facing the AKA staple, Werdum will once again be facing ominous odds and stepping in against a man who has looked nearly invincible when the cage door closes. Yet, these are the moments he covets, and Werdum is determined to shock the world once again.

“I have been waiting for this moment for so long, and I want this so much,” Werdum told Bleacher Report. “I want to show the world I am ready for this challenge. This fight right now is the best thing that could ever happen to me. Maybe before I wasn’t ready, but I am going to show the people just like I have shown them before. I showed them with Fedor. I showed them with Travis Browne. Now, I’m going to show them with Cain Velasquez.”

In addition to his upcoming collision with Velasquez at UFC 180 on November 15 in Mexico City, the two heavyweight juggernauts also served as coaches for the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America. For Werdum, it was his second stint as a coach on the reality-based fighting program and another chance for him to serve as a representative of a sport that has gone global in its 20 years of existence. And those are the things that matter to him at this point in his career.

After a loss to a then-unknown Junior dos Santos lost him his place on the UFC roster back in 2008, Werdum has been on a mission of progress. He can fully embrace the fact there was a time where he wasn’t ready to be the best heavyweight in the world, but all the work he’s put in over the past six years has been about getting to the place he now stands and ready to take the final step to achieve his ultimate goal.

Granted, there is a monster of an opponent in Velasquez standing in his path, but Werdum wouldn’t have it any other way.

“This means a lot to me because I wasn’t ready to be the champion back in those days when they took me out of the UFC,” Werdum said. “Now, becoming the champion is something I really want for my career and my family. I want to show everyone I’ve learned a lot sine then and I am very mature in my career right now.

“I love challenges. It motivates me so much when people think I’m not going to win. I want to show them they are wrong.”

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.

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UFC 180 in Mexico Adds Dennis Bermudez vs. Ricardo Lamas, Diego Sanchez vs. Norman Parke + More

(Sanchez racks up some serious “Octagon control” points at UFC Fight Night 42 in June. / Photo via Getty)

UFC 180: Velasquez vs. Werdum (November 15th, Mexico City) is steadily adding an impressive lineup of Hispanic talent. The latest bookings on the PPV card include…

– Dennis Bermudez vs. Ricardo Lamas: Bermudez has won seven straight fights since becoming a finalist on TUF 14 — the longest win streak in UFC featherweight history. Coming off Performance of the Night-earning victories against Jimy Hettes and Clay Guida this year, Bermudez could clinch a title shot with a victory against Lamas, the former title challenger who bounced back to the win column with a decision over Hacran Dias in June. (Hispanic credentials: Bermudez is Puerto Rican-American; Lamas is half-Cuban, half-Mexican.)

– Diego Sanchez vs. Norman Parke: You know Sanchez as the old-school warrior who won his last fight against Ross Pearson via judges’ robbery, and hasn’t finished a fight in over six years. He’s already #4 on the significant strikes absorbed leaderboard, and will look to improve his position against Parke, the TUF Smashes lightweight winner who has yet to lose a fight in the Octagon, and most recently TKO’d Naoyuki Kotani in Dublin last month. (Hispanic credentials: Sanchez is Mexican-American, Parke is a white dude from Northern Ireland.)

(Sanchez racks up some serious “Octagon control” points at UFC Fight Night 42 in June. / Photo via Getty)

UFC 180: Velasquez vs. Werdum (November 15th, Mexico City) is steadily adding an impressive lineup of Hispanic talent. The latest bookings on the PPV card include…

– Kelvin Gastelum vs. Jake Ellenberger: In a match that’s currently set as the evening’s co-main event, undefeated TUF 17 winner Kelvin Gastelum will face off against veteran welterweight Jake Ellenberger, who has lost his last two fights against Rory MacDonald and Robbie Lawler. It’s a big opportunity for Gastelum, and a possible must-win situation for the struggling “Juggernaut.” (Hispanic credentials: Gastelum is Mexican-American, Ellenberger is your basic white man from Nebraska.)

UFC 180 will also feature the TUF: Latin America featherweight and bantamweight finals, Mexican welterweight prospect Augusto Montano against an opponent to be named later, and Mexican bantamweight Erik “Goyito” Perez against American Dragon Ball Z fan Marcus Brimage.

Full Main Card for UFC 180 Announced, Perez, Sanchez, Gastelum Highlight Event

The UFC recently announced the full main card for Nov. 15’s UFC 180 in Mexico City, and several fighters on the card can expect a deafening roar of hometown support.
Headlining the event, Fabricio Werdum will battle Cain Velasquez for the UFC hea…

The UFC recently announced the full main card for Nov. 15’s UFC 180 in Mexico City, and several fighters on the card can expect a deafening roar of hometown support.

Headlining the event, Fabricio Werdum will battle Cain Velasquez for the UFC heavyweight title, capping off their season as opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America, which is currently airing on UFC Fight Pass.

According to a report from MMAFighting’s Dave Doyle, Kelvin Gastelum, Diego Sanchez, Erik Perez and Ricardo Lamas—all fighters with Mexican heritage—will also be featured on the main card.

Here’s how the full card looks right now:

While Mexico’s strong representation will undoubtedly please the crowd in attendance, arguably the best aspect of these matchups is that they all make sense, and they are all great fights on paper.

Perez (14-6) badly needs a victory after dropping two of his last three, and his opponent, Marcus Brimage (6-3), is coming off two straight losses, putting him in a similarly dire situation. Because of this, both fighters should come out with purpose and intensity, pushing the pace in search of the much needed “W.”

Meanwhile, Kelvin Gastelum (9-0) faces his toughest test yet, as he takes on Jake Ellenberger (29-8). Despite the fact that Gastelum is undefeated in his pro career and Ellenberger is coming off two straight losses, the level of competition each has faced has been dramatically different.

For perspective, Gastelum defeated Nicholas Musoke and Rick Story by decision in his last two fights, while Ellenberger lost to Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald.

Musoke and Story are unranked; Lawler and MacDonald are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the division, respectively. So, while Gastelum definitely has momentum on his side, this fight is far from a gimme for the young welterweight.

Who do you take in these matchups? Can Werdum pull off the upset or will the belt stay with Mr. Velasquez for the foreseeable future?

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