Team Rampage Vs Team Forrest biggest fight is keeping our attention, after so many years of TUF.So did you watch the Ultimate fighter last night like I did? Where you as bored as I was? Where you unimpressed as I was? Do you think the Heavyweight and Middleweight divisions of the UFC are its weakest? Where you upset that Frank Mir and Big Nog are going to be out of action and are going to hold up the heavyweight championship fight until TUF 8 is over? Well if all or most of your answers to these questions where yes then I have a solution that will solve the internet message boards anger of waiting almost a year between HW title defenses. Key board warriors rejoice I have thought of a solution to our gripes about three issues and a way to solve them.
Confusing Middleweight and Heavyweight title pictures ahead.
First things first the UFC Middleweight division is perceived as being a bit thin as far as challengers to current Champion Anderson Silva. Rich Franklin (2 times), Chris Leben, Nate Marquardt, Travis Lutter and Dan Henderson have all lost to Silva. While fighters like Patrick Cote, Demian Maia, Ricardo Almeida, Yushin Okami, Jorge Santiago, Martin Kampmann and Thales Leites are all coming off of wins. All of these fighters are coming off of wins yet (with Okami and Cote being the exceptions) are not viewed as close to title shots any time soon. Now lets go to the Heavyweight division Frank Mir is now the number 1 contender. Randy Couture is still holding out and in litigation with the UFC to get out of his contract. Mirko Cro Cop is in Japan and expected to come back to the UFC in 2009. Andrei Arlovski is not re-signed. Tim Sylvia is going to fight Fedor at Affliction Banned and was released with one fight left on his deal. So what do now with the once stacked now confusing title picture in the heavyweight division? There still is alot of talent there just no one title ready either. Fabricio Werdum is 1-1 and was unimpressive against Arlovski. Brandon Vera (fighting Werdum at UFC 85: Bedlam) is coming off of a loss to
Tim Sylvia. Heath Herring is an interesting HW but has been an underachiever losing to Jake O'Brien in one of the most boring fights I have ever seen. Also add the fact that Herring is 0-3 against Big Nog and let him stand while still seeing stars from a head kick at UFC 73: Stacked. The one thing keeping Herring's name in title interest is he recently beat Cheick Kongo who is 4-2 in the UFC and was coming off a win over Mirko Cro Cop. Brock Lesnar still needs a UFC win to even be considered a HW fighter. Gabriel Gonzaga is coming off of back to back losses to Randy Couture and Fabricio Werdum. In addition to the title picture being a big fuzzy, Frank Mir and Nogueira the interim Heavyweight Champion (the real one in fan's heart) on Monday night announced as the coaches for the next Ultimate Fighter (8).
The Ultimate fighter ratings are not the only thing going, down my interest is also.
Alright TUF has been the UFC's catalyst into the main stream spot light after years of the dark ages. While the UFC has tried to keep its TUF 1 interest and ratings by changing the format. Making all 16 fighters win on their first days just to get into the house this season. Bringing in current light Heavyweight champion Rampage Jackson and TUF alum Forrest Griffin to boost humor antics and ratings was a good move on paper. Yet Forrest doesn't seem to be playing games and seems serious about winning the tournament and has been mentally focused on his fighters and their training. Rampage has not been as funny as predicited and instead seems to be trying so hard to spew one liners that it has made him unfunny. I love Ramage but it seems what makes him funny is his impromptu humor. Like pretending to be a dog and urinating on a female interviewer, in a old interview in Pride's back stages. The fighters on the other hand look less then polished and many have gassed by the second round of the fights or coming in one dimensional as the case was with last night's show and relying on only one skill. I don't think it is the UFC recruiting process that has hurt it, its the amount of organizations taking quality prospects in the last 2 years who dont want to get their exposure drowned out in stacked UFC divisions. 7-0, 8-1, 4-0 doesn't matter if you are fighting guys who are janitors by day MMA fighters by night. EliteXC, Dream, Strike Force and the IFL are recruiting heavily and getting good prospects who do not want to be drowned out in the UFC's deep divisions.
The Solution.
One word we have been all been dieing to see one happen since the dark days in the states. TOURNAMENT!
Take 8 middle weights, 8 heavyweights all currently in the UFC. Let them fight on TUF 8 for a title shot at the winner of Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira Vs Frank Mir in the Heavyweight bracket. Take the winner of the 8 middleweights and let them get a title shot at Anderson Silva. Let both winners fight for #1 contender on the TUF finale. This will ensure the man who gets the next title shot has to really earn it against quality competition. Exclude the fighters who are going to fight in during the taping times of TUF. We have been starving for a UFC tournament for years and Strike Force got one approved by the CSAC recently. This would be a clever way to give the old fans what they want a tournament. Sure it is not a single day tourney but it is a good compromise. Dream is doing the same thing in Japan with its Middleweights and Lightweights and with the exception of the opening rounds, the quality of fights are now raising the bar. Hell boy Hanson and Eddie Alvarez showed how bad they wanted to advance in this tournament and win the Japanese fan's hearts and notoriety as top lightweights. Can you imagine Patrick Cote or Heath Herring guys who have had quality opponents beating 8 other guys in a show down with Anderson Silva or Big Nog on the line.
This would really help the UFC market some of its lesser known fighters instead of just the coaches only like the current TUF. By the way did anyone even notice Cale Yarborough or see him on camera before today? Why is so much of the attention going to Rampage and Forrest? TUF 1 was great because of how interesting and hungry its fighters were.
Alberto "The Narcisist" Martinez
URDirt.blogspot.com
**I do not think these divisions are lacking contenders I believe that there are so many fighters in the UFC right now that it has clouded the perceptions of which ones deserve title shots right now. This is just the perception by MMA fans right now and I am echoing it for the article.***
1 comment:
Very well-thought analysis here - I agree on almost all points. But the one problem with this idea is you are assuming these UFC vets would be willing to put their lives on hold for eight weeks, and that's a huge assumption.
These are not 21-year-old kids, they are adults, many of whom have serious teaching, coaching, endorsement and family commitments outside of the sport. Yes, they might gain some exposure, but they would stand to lose a lot more than they might gain.
The comeback season featured guys who hadn't fought in a while, and I think that's the closest we'll ever see to professional-level competition on TUF.
As others have mentioned, I think the one area the show might consider exploring is bringing in fighters from other countries. Wouldn't you love to see Nog coach a posse of Brazilian fighters?
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