A win is a win, right?

When making the decision whether or not to buy UFC 129 I thought long and hard about the pluses and minuses before I'd put up my hard earned money. While I was intrigued by the card, the history in the making etc it really came down to the main event. And, based on that main event, I didn't buy the PPV. Bottom line for me was it just didn't seem like an exciting fight on paper. I haven't been excited by any of GSP's recent title defenses and Jake Shields fights have never been really exciting. So, it begs the question is it more important to keep winning or to potentially lose in an exciting manner? If you ask Ben Askren winning by any means is most important. I Guess if you're the defending champ then winning is the only thing that matters. But like many of you I'd rather see guys just go out there and throw caution to the wind. I think in some respects as the skill of fighters in UFC continues to increase a lot more high level fights will become the strategic chess matches we've seen recently as opposed to the all out wars that continue to entertain on the under card. And in maybe the strangest coincidence of all the heavyweights to me continue to have some of the most entertaining fights and highest percentage of finishes. Go figure

All Hail Undisputed Heel, Brock Lesnar

Love it or hate it, Brock Lesnar is your UFC Heavyweight Champion. Upon winning in dominant fashion over Frank Mir, he then went on a tirade cutting a heel promo far better then anything he did when he was in the WWE. And, man, did it spark a firestorm. MMA purists hated it. Pro wrestling fans loved it. Dana nearly shit his pants when he dogged UFC's #1 sponsor, Bud Light. Me, I loved it. I am both a huge pro wrestling fan and a huge fan of the sport of MMA. I think MMA, UFC in particular, can learn a little from Vincent Kennedy McMahon and even Don King. MMA will remain a popular sport but will likely have growth potential without personalities to draw in the casual fan. Hero's and villains have always drawn in the casual fan. Look at a young Muhammad Ali or later year Mike Tyson. Hell the biggest drawing PPV of all time was people who wanted to see all time baby face Oscar De La Hoya beat all time big mouth Floyd Mayweather. Even in UFC, love him or hate him, Tito Ortiz drew as everyone wanted to see him get his ass kicked. The problem with UFC is other then the countdown specials and The Ultimate Fighter, there is no real forum to get over the fighters personalities, just simply their in ring personalities. I think Brock has gone out of his way in every after fight interview to get himself over as the heel. He doesn't hug or talk all nice nice about his opponent after talking shit about him for weeks (which seems to be an unwritten rule in MMA). He plays a role which is part character, part who he is.

The biggest issue with Brock Lesnar as champ will be his style as it is dominant but boring. It harkens back somewhat to the days of Mark Coleman and the ground and pound. UFC's real problem will be finding realistic opponents for him to fight that the public will pay to see and I don't think there is anyone under contract right now that fits that role. Could it be the hopes of UFC fans to see a dominant, obnoxious champion be defeated lie in the hands of a Russian and most dominant heavyweight ever, Fedor??

Ultimate Show

So, while I wasn't impressed with this season's T.U.F. I was totally blown away by the Ultimate Finale. The Nick Diaz/Joe Stevenson match was a joy for grappling/submission purists as there was very little stand up. Diaz never ceases to amaze me with his ability to escape even the tightest hold. Lytle/Burns was entertaining in a rock-em-sock-em sort of way. I love how Lytle has taken on the "gimmick" of going for one (or both) of the nightly bonuses every time he fights rather then looking for the win in a boring fight. And Sanchez/Guida? What can I say? I loved every minute of it. Diego looks back at the top of his game and Guida, well, seriously, it doesn't seem to matter if he wins or loses, he'll always have a spot in UFC, at least in free shows. This was the best top to bottom show I've seen in forever. Great job Dana White and company!!

Ultimate disappointment?

I have been a fan of UFC's The Ultimate Fighter from jump street. I found it fascinating as both a mixed martial arts fan but felt it also offered something unique to fans of reality TV (which I am not). At it's best it has introduced many people "on the fence" to the world of MMA and create several stars some of whom have become mega stars. I think it has become one of, if not the most important marketing tool Zuffa has. So, why am I left feeling flat this season? I guess for me, the early seasons introduced not just fighters but personalities. You loved or hated these guys depending on their personality. You got to see some great and some not so great fighters and when they debuted on a UFC show, everyone knew who they were. Fighters were picked based not just on fighting but on personality, etc. Recently, they have taken the path of better fighters, better fights. Well, I think there's a problem there. First, in this day and age, I think it's getting harder and harder to find that great untapped talent they were able to find several years ago as most "name" guys (think Div I wrestlers etc) are scooped up by some organization right away. Secondly, by the "win and you're in" concept you may (not always, but may) end up with better fighters but you also lose the potential of some real TV stars which is really what they want and need. Anderson Silva, even at his dominant best, can barely draw flies at the top of a card. Yet his fight with Forest Griffin will do huge numbers because Forest is a TV star. It's really just that simple.

Looking at the current season here's what I see; No breakthrough stars at all, Cameron Dollar being the closest thing wit all his anxiety and self doubt. The only strong personality is Demarques and he comes off more as a dick then anything. Jason Pierce is miserable but not entertaining miserable like Mac Danzig, just plain miserable. Dan Henderson comes off like a super nice guy but the show hasn't really made him into any more or less of a star. Maybe the one thing they have done well is make Mike Bisping a tremendous heel in the U.S. to counter his hero status overseas. He comes off as wayyyyyy more unlikable then he did when he was on the show itself. Unfortunately, there has been no underlying heat between him and Hollywood Hendo to create more buys. Then again, with the card they are fighting on, does UFC really need more buys?

In the end it's hard to quantify my feelings. I love MMA for the pure sports aspect. However, as a fan of pro wrestling and boxing, I know personality and promo ability sells fights. I think there's a happy medium somewhere. I am intrigued to see what next season with Kimbo on board will bring

Quick Hits

1) With all the stuff going on with UFC they really need a magazine show like the old Inside the UFC show to keep everyone in the loop. I've felt disconnected lately in between shows. It feels like the hype machine dies in between seasons of The Ultimate Fighter. I love Spike but don't always watch non-UFC shows (a back handed slap at TNA) so I often miss the commercials and general marketing of major shows

2) Randy Coture is a freak of nature. Period. It also makes me wonder if heavyweight isn't the weakest division in UFC (for now)

3) Lost in the shuffle with all the Benoit backlash is the run of bad luck with injuries in the WWE. Really HHH and Rey Mysterio couldn't be coming back at a better time. I also realize just how important Edge has become as a performer

4) I'm once again at a point where I am losing interest in pro wrestling my one true guilty pleasure in life. I still watch RAW religiously but have found the story lines just uninteresting. I record Smackdown but rarely rush to watch it. TNA...no comment. What was once a compelling alternative to WWE is now simply a rehash of WCW and that's NOT good. I love Ring of Honor but it's hard to keep up with it unless you buy each and every DVD

5) As usually happens, I simply don't have the time or interest to keep up with non-UFC MMA any more. I know there have been some great matches on Bodog Fight and the IFL but simply not enough hours in the day to watch what is, compared to UFC, minor league product

6) While I prefer UFC rules, I do miss the alternative and the spectacle that was Pride