Immediately after the UFC announced their deal with FOX, the rumor mill began buzzing with possible match-ups for the main event on November 12th in Anaheim, California. Would Anderson Silva welcome Dan Henderson back to the organization in a rematch for the Middleweight title, maybe Brock Lesnar would make his long awaited return to the octagon, or maybe former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem would make his long-anticipated debut with the organization. When it was all said and done, though, it was announced that the Heavyweight title fight between Brazilian slugger, Junior Dos Santos, and current champion, Cain Velasquez, would get the spot. The fight itself has the potential to be very exciting as both men are known as finishers and are likely the two most talented heavyweights in the UFC right now, but with the need for major ratings to prove their worth to the network; did the UFC make the right call? Let’s explore both the good and the bad that could possibly come out of this.
THE GOOD:
Both guys are finishers: As I stated above, both men are known for their dominating performances in the cage. Dos Santos is 7-0 in the UFC and has finished the likes of Gabriel Gonzaga, Mirko Cro Cop, and Fabricio Werdum. Velasquez is also 7-0 in his UFC career and as only gone to a decision once in his pro career. Velasquez brutally knocked out Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira to earn a title shot against Brock Lesnar, who Velasquez easily finished in one round. Both fighters are extremely talented and well-rounded and rarely put on performances that don’t leave people impressed. Also, if either fighter can finish the fight and finish quickly, FOX will be able to show replays of the fight during the rest of the hour timeslot. By showing replays it will allow people to call friends and tell them to check out FOX for the fights (much like what happened during Bonnar/Griffin) and make these guys stars.
Exposure for potential stars: There is no question as to the talent of these two fighters. Dos Santos, arguably, has the best striking in MMA today and Velasquez is a fantastic wrestler who has developed into one of the most well-rounded fighters in the world. Yet, while both men enjoy talent and success in the cage, they are still relatively unknown to the casual fight fan. Giving these guys the main event on the first show on FOX gives them an excellent opportunity to showcase their talents to millions and really make a name for themselves.
It’s a Heavyweight Title fight: While Dos Santos and Velasquez do lack recognition amongst casual fans, the fight itself being a Heavyweight title fight lends itself to drawing in curious viewers. Despite the heavyweight division catching a lot of flack for a lack of depth over the past few years, a heavyweight title fight inherently has an aura about it that gives it that “big fight” feel. The hardcore fans know that the heavyweight division is lacking in talent and challengers, but the casual fan and old boxing followers will immediately be swayed by the thought of a heavyweight clash.
THE BAD:
It’s the only fight we’re guaranteed to see: Despite the timeslot on FOX being a full hour, the title fight is the only fight that is guaranteed to air. Dana White has already stated that some of the event’s prelim fights will air barring time restraints, but I’m having trouble making sense of scheduling an hour of time for a fight that will go a max of 25 minutes even with pre-show chatter and hype videos. This would’ve been a great opportunity to showcase a couple of up and coming fighters with exciting reputations (i.e. Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida) to lead into the title fight and get more fighters more exposure. I’m just having a nightmare scenario playing in my head where the title fight is mediocre at best and there’s a lot of hype videos and ads rather than focusing on other fights.
Dos Santos and Velasquez who?: Don’t get me wrong, I am a HUGE fan of both fighters, but neither one of these guys are all that well known by the casual fan as I’ve stated earlier. In fact, I’d imagine the decision to move this fight to FOX was heavily motivated by the fact that a PPV headlined by this fight would not have sold that well. Personally, I couldn’t be more excited for this fight and I’m even more excited to see this fight than I am Diaz/GSP, but unfortunately Dos Santos has only been involved in one main event (one of his few non-finishes) and Velasquez hasn’t fought since his title win over Lesnar back in October of 2010 (meaning it will have been over a year since he last stepped into the cage). With Velasquez being out for over a year, this just leaves the UFC with a champ that no one knows or simply doesn’t remember.