With an ambitious schedule on the slate for next year, the UFC will have ample opportunity to use their Spike TV time slots to showcase emerging talent and give fans quality events that cost nothing more than they already pay for cable.
Events like Saturday’s Ultimate Fighter Finale won’t cut it.
There is no shortage of recognizable names and marketable matchups available to the UFC, and those numbers will only grow larger once the new faces from the WEC have been introduced and accepted by the rabid UFC audience. Given that deep talent pool to draw from, shows that offer no truly compelling fights and just one highly-regarded fighter out of ten will not be enough to satisfy the fan’s desires.
Just as pay-per-view events like UFC 119 won’t draw dollars from inside tightly-guarded wallets and purses, free shows need to present a reason for fans to tune in, other than being free.
As Henderson Shines, Lindland Shows the End is Near
On a night where Team Quest co-founder Dan Henderson showed that he is still a contender in the light heavyweight division, Matt Lindland’s career took a turn closer to the end.
The former Olympic silver medalist was knocked out in just 50 seconds by Robbie Lawler, Lindland’s third loss in four fights. While he spoke of a victory putting him back into the upper echelon of the middleweight ranks, this loss, paired with his last three fights, should have Lindland thinking more about moving into the next phase of his career than climbing the ladder.
Dropping three-of-four and needing into the third round to close out the relatively inexperienced Kevin Casey highlights the fact that Lindland no longer possesses the ability to compete at the elite level. He’s never been a dangerous striker, and years of competition – and the evolution of the sport – have made his once-elite wrestling game less effective.
While guys like Henderson and fellow Team Quest co-founder Randy Couture have been able to maintain successful careers into their 40s, they are exceptions, rather than the rule. Lindland is not an exception, and as hard as it will be to come to that conclusion himself, that is the reality he faces heading into next year.
Story Emerges as a Welterweight Dark Horse
The most intriguing match-up on the Ultimate Fighter Finale – at least to me – was the welterweight clash between unbeaten Johny Hendricks and tough-as-nails Rick Story. Both entered the Octagon on four-fight winning streaks, ready to take the next step up the competitive ladder.
After a fifteen minute grind, Story came out victorious and becomes a name to watch next year in the 170-pound division. Since dropping his UFC debut to fellow welterweight young gun John Hathaway, Story has impressed with wins over Brian Foster, Nick Osipczak and Dustin Hazelett. Adding Hendricks to that list gives the Brave Legion fighter a bunch of momentum moving forward.
While he’s not yet ready to step in with the elite of the division, Story has the opportunity to take a similar path as the one taken by Jake Ellenberger in the last year-and-a-half. The Nebraska native, whom Story defeated in 2008, has quickly climbed the ladder with a pair of wins and a razor-thin loss to Carlos Condit since joining the UFC.
If given the same kind of challenging fights with some time on television, the coming year could be a breakthrough season for Story.
For All You Trivia Buffs Out There…
Pablo Garza went down in history as the winner of the first featherweight contest in UFC history, and he earned the victory in impressive fashion. The 6’1” fighter aptly named “The Scarecrow” scored his first UFC win with a Knockout of the Night-winning flying knee to the head of highly-touted jiu jitsu player Fredson Paixao.
After failing to make it into the Ultimate Fighter house earlier this year, and dropping his WEC debut in September, Garza finally gets to enjoy the sweet taste of victory under the UFC banner, and it comes with a $30,000 cherry on top.
How Do You Get Guillotined by Cody McKenzie?
In this day and age of the sport, I find it amusing and amazing that Cody McKenzie earned his 11th victory by way of guillotine choke at Aaron Wilkinson’s expense.
We’re supposed to be at a point where one-trick ponies don’t find success in the cage, and while McKenzie isn’t without additional skills, his lone method of victory to this point in his career has been the guillotine.
Somehow, he was able to sink in the choke once again Saturday night. I want to know how that happens.
The Alaskan gets all kinds of credit for diligently working for his patented put-away, but at the same time, you would think Wilkinson – and whoever faces McKenzie next – would do everything to avoid the hold. You look to avoid the takedown against grapplers or stay away from the power hand of a serious striker, so how do you not stay away from getting choked by the guy who has earned the right to be called “The Master of the Guillotine?”
McKenzie’s next fight is officially on my list of fights I’m really looking forward to in 2011, just to see if he can keep the submission streak going.
