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UFC Having More Events in 2012 Equals Weaker Main Events

The UFC is not equipped with an adequate enough roster to handle the amount of events they are going to put on in 2012. They are quickly outpacing the amount of talent they have under contract with the schedule they have.The new deal that the UFC made …

The new deal that the UFC made with FOX means that not only will the promotion see fights on network TV, but on cable channels such as FX and Fuel as well. That isn’t including all the pay-per-views that the UFC will put on or the Ultimate Fighter Finale cards.

The UFC is reaching a point where their brand is MMA and without any changes made to it, it is going to get stale fast. Part of that is the fact that only so many fighters can be popular in the organization at one time.

Fans can see only so many dominant fighters and exciting, but limited brawlers in one year. Injuries, layoffs and medical suspensions limit how many times a year they can fight. After those times have been exhausted, the UFC is going to put on some lackluster events.

It has happened a few times in the match where the card was less then exciting. A great example is UFC 122. Luckily, the card was free on Spike TV, but the main event was Yushin Okami versus Nate Marquardt. The match was an important one for the middleweight division just not an exciting one.

While there was supposed to be a decent fight between Alessio Sakara and Jorge Rivera, it got cancelled because Sakara got sick right before the match up.

The rest of the card underwhelmed and while part of it was a lack of names, the skill level of most of the participants just didn’t seem to rival that of basic cable cards in the past. The UFC had finally faced a new problem.

Having TV time while not having the talent to deliver the expectations became real.

Dana White can make all the claims he wants about fans not judging fights before they take place, but there is merit to this. Sometimes the fans are right and they should have a say and an impact in which fights get made. They pay to see certain fighters and few else.

When those fighters recover for a certain time, the UFC needs to keep putting on cards, but can’t do so without the help. They need marketable and exciting fighters that fans recognize if they want to sell the product effectively.

When cards like UFC 122 occur, that marketing strategy takes a hit.

The UFC may be making incredible strides and increasing their presence in today’s global sports culture, but they need to make sure they have fighters for the events they are going to be putting on.

Without the quality talent to make the events as entertaining as they have been in the past, the UFC will not only slow down their ascent to the top, but will also end up damaging themselves in the long run.

The UFC may want to move as fast as they can in solidifying their place at the top, but even they have to keep in mind that without the depth of talent, it won’t matter anyway.

Matthew Hemphill writes for the MMA and professional wrestling portion of Bleacher Report. He also hosts a blog elbaexiled.blogspot.com that focuses on books, music, comic books, video games, film and generally anything that could be related to the realms of nerdom.

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UFC 144: Main Card Preview and Predictions

Japan is a hotbed for martial arts. It’s home to fighting styles such as karate, jiu-jitsu and judo. It’s also the home of the famous Pride organization. The world’s biggest MMA organization, the UFC, will be making its long overdue return in a li…

Japan is a hotbed for martial arts. It’s home to fighting styles such as karate, jiu-jitsu and judo. It’s also the home of the famous Pride organization.

The world’s biggest MMA organization, the UFC, will be making its long overdue return in a little over a week at UFC 144. This will mark the first time a UFC event has been held in Japan since UFC 29 in 2000.

It’s scheduled to take place on Sun. Feb. 26 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. For you North American viewers, that’s Sat. Feb. 25, because of the time zone difference.

After a long 12-year wait, you can bet that the UFC wants to make this a memorable event. They have stacked the main card and included many Japanese fighters.

Read on to find out my predictions for each main card fight.

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Sean Loeffler Talks Devastating Injury and Future in the UFC

Before the biggest fight of his mixed martial arts career, Sean “The Destroyer” Loeffler (25-5) fell to the ground in pain.Loeffler’s ankle had given out.Just minutes later, Loeffler was scratched from what was scheduled to be his UFC debut against fel…

Before the biggest fight of his mixed martial arts career, Sean “The Destroyer” Loeffler (25-5) fell to the ground in pain.

Loeffler’s ankle had given out.

Just minutes later, Loeffler was scratched from what was scheduled to be his UFC debut against fellow middleweight Buddy Roberts (11-2).

Instead of walking out to the bright lights of Omaha, Loeffler found himself being lifted into an ambulance and headed towards the closest hospital.

In a recent interview, Loeffler told Bleacher Report of the unfortunate circumstances that prevented him from making his first Octagon appearance.

Garrett Derr: Sean, for those who don’t know what happened, explain how your injury occurred leading up to your bout with Buddy Roberts.

Sean Loeffler: “I was doing some squat jumps back stage where you tuck your knees and bring them up to your chest. My foot fell into a crack in the warm-up mat and I heard my ankle pop twice. Urijah Faber and everyone else in the locker room turned and they were in shock. Right away they all said it was terrible and my trainer Trevor told me it didn’t look good. I did some shadow boxing and sprints while my adrenaline was still pumping.”

“I told everyone this isn’t ballet, it’s fighting and that I was good to go. The doctor came to look at it and asked if it hurt. I said no but it was killing me man. I kept saying no and it hurt worse and worse. I did some jumps, runs and hopped on one leg. I said I don’t care, I’m not letting a foot stop me. I’ve fought 12 years for this so I went to warm-up and it rolled over again as I fell to the ground. My coaches ran over and said we got to call it. I started crying man.”

“That was only the second time it ever happened in the history of the UFC. It happened to Kevin Randleman at UFC 24 so Zuffa told me I was making history. Buddy came over and was shocked with how big my ankle was. Eventually the ambulance came and took me to hospital. They shot me with some morphine and put me on a stretcher and I was off.”

GD: How did Roberts respond to your injury?

SL: “You know, Buddy is a great guy. He understood and he knows that I wanted to be out there fighting. At the end of the day, this is a business and we both respect each other. I believe he’ll be back in the Octagon fighting again soon. I apologized to him, but he understood there was nothing I could do. I wish him the best of luck because I know he’ll be fighting soon.”

GD: So, how did Dana White and Joe Silva respond to your injury? How did they react to everything that unfolded?

SL: “Dana talked to my coaches for about 15 minutes and said I would definitely be back fighting in the UFC. He put it on Facebook and Twitter that I’d be back. Joe Silva and I talked a few times. He told me at the hotel that I’m no sissy. He said he had a lot of respect for me and that I was 25-5 for a reason. They were really generous and I am thankful for everything they’ve done for me.They were really amazing to me.”

GD: Following your injury came word that you may need surgery? Is there any truth behind this?

SL: “I won’t know until I get an MRI actually. It was so swollen that the doctors said they’ve never seen something get so big in just an hour. The MRI wouldn’t show up through all the fluid. They told me that the good thing is that I have some bone fragment chips and they aren’t a big deal. He also said that he didn’t think anything was fractured.”

“Chances are it’s a third-degree strain of the ligament. He won’t be able to say if I’ll need pins or not until after the MRI. He told me that I need to take this injury seriously and that’s what I’m going to do. I need to let this heal because it could play a role in the rest of my career. This is the root to the tree.”

GD: So, how did your sponsors react to your injury?

SL: “You know man, my sponsors are all great and I appreciate every single one of them. Some of them understood because there was nothing I could really do. I did everything in my power to fight. I appreciate Dana giving me TV time to show off my sponsors.”

“However, some were a little disappointed with the injury as they invested their time and money into my career. I want to thank Booster Fight Shorts, Ground and Pound Fight Gear, Pain Theory Clothing, Luxery Sports Limousine, Lexani Wheels and Headrush. I hope they continue to believe in what I’m all about and I want them to know how thankful I am for all they do.”

GD: Great. I wish you the best of luck Sean and hope for a speedy recovery.

SL: “Thank you very much. I’m looking forward to getting back at it in four to six months. Thanks to all those who’ve stuck with me through this. I will be back.”

For additional information, follow Garrett Derr on Twitter.

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Ian McCall Wants To Become The First UFC Flyweight Champion

Former Tachi Palace Fights flyweight champion, and current UFC fighter, Ian ‘Uncle Creepy’ McCall (11-2) is set to face former UFC bantamweight contender Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson on March 3, 2012 on the main card of the UFC on FX: Alves vs. Kampmann event. The winner between McCall vs. Johnson will move on to face either Joseph Benavidez or Yasuhiro Urushitani, who compete against one another on the same card.

McCall tells MMAinterviews why he feels he feels he’ll be the one to walk away victorious next month, describing the power in his own hands versus Johnson’s, as well as the other bout between Benavidez vs. Urushitani.

Click here to view the embedded video.

UFC 144 Fight Card: Rampage Jackson Ready to Revive MMA in Japan

When he steps into the Octagon on Feb. 26 for his UFC 144 fight with Ryan Bader, it will have been exactly six years to the day that Quinton “Rampage” Jackson last fought in Japan. One of the most popular fighters in Pride history, Jackson …

Sean “The Destroyer” Loeffler Plans To Come Back And Better Than Ever

SEAN LOEFFLER: “I WILL BE BACK, BETTER THAN EVER, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.” Press Release – February 16, 2012 – Los Angeles, CA (USA): Last night, Sean “The Destroyer” Loeffler was supposed to make his long-awaited Octagon debut against Buddy Roberts at “UFC on Fuel TV 1.” Unfortunately, Loeffler suffered an ankle injury while warming […]

SEAN LOEFFLER: “I WILL BE BACK, BETTER THAN EVER, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.”

Press Release – February 16, 2012 – Los Angeles, CA (USA): Last night, Sean “The Destroyer” Loeffler was supposed to make his long-awaited Octagon debut against Buddy Roberts at “UFC on Fuel TV 1.” Unfortunately, Loeffler suffered an ankle injury while warming up and the doctor would not clear him to compete in the fight.

So, what exactly happened? “I was doing ‘tuck jumps’ backstage,” says Loeffler. “My foot got caught in a crack in the warm-up mat, and it rolled over and snapped in half. Trevor Wittman and Urijah Faber were there…the whole locker room heard it pop.

“Fortunately, the ankle’s not broken. It’s a 3rd degree fibula/tibia strain. There’s about a 50/50 chance I’ll have surgery, but we won’t know until after I get an MRI. I don’t know how long I’ll be out, but Joe Silva has told me that I am 100% a UFC fighter, and that I’ll be back with them.”

As was reported by multiple media outlets last night, Loeffler was paid his “show” money by the UFC. “Yes, it’s true,” he says. “I very much appreciate that. I’d like to thank Dana White, Joe Silva, and the rest of the UFC for standing by me through this. They paid me my show money even though I got injured. I appreciate that so much, and I won’t forget it. And to the fans, I will be back, better than ever, as soon as possible. I’m in the UFC to stay, and even though the ankle injury sucked, it shows that everything I do will always be memorable…ha.”

As far as what’s next, no one can know for sure. Will Loeffler fight Buddy Roberts when he gets back? “As far as I know, Buddy is healthy, so I doubt they’re going to make him wait for me. I have no idea who the UFC wants for me next, but regardless, I need to get healthy and then we’ll deal with it. I was ready for Buddy, so if he’s next, I will be ready for him again.”