KIDWCKED
03-05-2010, 12:54 AM
c\p from tsn by justin boone
After a series of lean fights cards, the UFC is ready to tip the scales in the next few months as all five of its champions are healthy again and ready to defend their titles in the octagon.
While there is something to be said for simplicity - five titleholders is awfully easy to keep track of - the UFC learned over the last year that events not headlined by a division champion are a much harder sell to the pay-per-view buying public.
Don't get me wrong, UFC 108: Evans vs. Silva, UFC 109: Relentless, and UFC 110: Nogueira vs. Velasquez were all successful cards in their own right, but there has been a letdown of sorts following the triumph that was UFC 100.
The Las Vegas-based fight league reached a new plateau with their centennial show, in part due to the fact two of their most famous faces, Brock Lesnar and Georges St-Pierre, defended their crowns.
The goal of every UFC fighter is to get to the top of their division and ultimately get their hands on a belt, but with the surging popularity of the sport and the growing number of events, there may not be enough gold hardware to go around, for the fighters or the fight cards.
So, should the UFC add more weight classes?
Some are quick to say "If it isn't broke, don't fix it", a statement that lends itself to a fight league that can count it's champions on one hand, but maybe there is an opportunity for improvement without having to let Shinya Aoki put a hammerlock submission on the UFC.
The WEC, which is currently playing the role of little brother to the UFC, has three weight classes (lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight) and has champions in each of them (Ben Henderson, Jose Aldo, Brian Bowles). They are on the verge of holding their first ever pay-per-view and are also in talks to hold their first event in Canada, with June 20 being eyed as the target date and Calgary the destination.
Not every fight card needs to have a title on the line to make it worthy. Having a championship element (ie: number one contender bout or former titlerholder) is enough to garner interest, but would it be such a bad thing to include the WEC champs under the UFC umbrella?
Then there is the other end of the spectrum, where Brock Lesnar leads a group of heavyweights that are pushing the limits at 265 pounds.
In the past, this was part of the allure of the UFC, watching smaller skilled fighters like Royce Gracie dismantle their hulk-sized opponents. However more recently, when Randy Couture stepped in the octagon against an emerging Lesnar, it was clear who the better fighter was (Couture), but it just as evident who was going to eventually win the bout (Lesnar). Couture tried every trick he had, but was unable to deal with his much bigger challenger.
There is a super heavyweight distinction of 265 and up, which already exists with the Nevada State Athletic Commission where the UFC holds the majority of its fight cards.
This would allow the heavyweight division to house fighters between 205 and 220 pounds, and would prevent fighters like Frank Mir from feeling the need to gain weight in order to have a shot at a title.
Now it's time for you to Weigh In. Is the UFC's current setup of five champions enough? Should they consider expanding the number of titles to include the WEC? Is it fair for Brock Lesnar to compete against much smaller heavyweights?
After a series of lean fights cards, the UFC is ready to tip the scales in the next few months as all five of its champions are healthy again and ready to defend their titles in the octagon.
While there is something to be said for simplicity - five titleholders is awfully easy to keep track of - the UFC learned over the last year that events not headlined by a division champion are a much harder sell to the pay-per-view buying public.
Don't get me wrong, UFC 108: Evans vs. Silva, UFC 109: Relentless, and UFC 110: Nogueira vs. Velasquez were all successful cards in their own right, but there has been a letdown of sorts following the triumph that was UFC 100.
The Las Vegas-based fight league reached a new plateau with their centennial show, in part due to the fact two of their most famous faces, Brock Lesnar and Georges St-Pierre, defended their crowns.
The goal of every UFC fighter is to get to the top of their division and ultimately get their hands on a belt, but with the surging popularity of the sport and the growing number of events, there may not be enough gold hardware to go around, for the fighters or the fight cards.
So, should the UFC add more weight classes?
Some are quick to say "If it isn't broke, don't fix it", a statement that lends itself to a fight league that can count it's champions on one hand, but maybe there is an opportunity for improvement without having to let Shinya Aoki put a hammerlock submission on the UFC.
The WEC, which is currently playing the role of little brother to the UFC, has three weight classes (lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight) and has champions in each of them (Ben Henderson, Jose Aldo, Brian Bowles). They are on the verge of holding their first ever pay-per-view and are also in talks to hold their first event in Canada, with June 20 being eyed as the target date and Calgary the destination.
Not every fight card needs to have a title on the line to make it worthy. Having a championship element (ie: number one contender bout or former titlerholder) is enough to garner interest, but would it be such a bad thing to include the WEC champs under the UFC umbrella?
Then there is the other end of the spectrum, where Brock Lesnar leads a group of heavyweights that are pushing the limits at 265 pounds.
In the past, this was part of the allure of the UFC, watching smaller skilled fighters like Royce Gracie dismantle their hulk-sized opponents. However more recently, when Randy Couture stepped in the octagon against an emerging Lesnar, it was clear who the better fighter was (Couture), but it just as evident who was going to eventually win the bout (Lesnar). Couture tried every trick he had, but was unable to deal with his much bigger challenger.
There is a super heavyweight distinction of 265 and up, which already exists with the Nevada State Athletic Commission where the UFC holds the majority of its fight cards.
This would allow the heavyweight division to house fighters between 205 and 220 pounds, and would prevent fighters like Frank Mir from feeling the need to gain weight in order to have a shot at a title.
Now it's time for you to Weigh In. Is the UFC's current setup of five champions enough? Should they consider expanding the number of titles to include the WEC? Is it fair for Brock Lesnar to compete against much smaller heavyweights?