Fans to blame for 'poor' UFC events
By Nate Lawson, Inside Fights
The UFC has always been known for putting together some of the most consistently appealing and hyped cards in mixed martial arts. Yet out of a pile of great lineups, one is sure to find a few that just don’t seem to be as intriguing as the rest.
On Saturday, the UFC will put on its second event of the year with UFC 109 in Las Vegas.
After dismal pay-per-view sales from UFC 108, the UFC is no doubt hoping for a change in numbers with Saturday’s event.
However, while the event features several fights that potentially will determine top contenders in a handful of divisions, the card has come under fire for the main event between aging light heavyweights Randy Couture and Mark Coleman.
A fight that was supposed to happen a decade ago is now seen as a long overdue match up between two men considered over the hill.
Yet with a name like Randy Couture, the UFC has elected to put the event on pay-per-view, as opposed to a time slot on cable. This is despite the fact the company has a big pay-per-view in two weeks.
While the card is certainly a draw for the hard-core fans, there are those who constantly complain about the pay-per-view that cost almost $50. But the most amusing part of the scenario is that even though fans will complain about a card not being worth their hard-earned cash, they will still shell out the money Saturday for an event they claim is not worth it.
With UFC 108’s injury-riddled card, rumors and opinions swirled that the event should be made a free one. The event managed to break 200,000 pay-per-view sales, which is one of the worst turnouts the promotion has had in years. Yet just one month later, with a card some consider to be less than promising, the UFC has placed “Couture vs. Coleman” on pay-per-view.
And why shouldn’t it?
The same people that constantly criticize the promotion for placing what they consider poor cards on pay-per-view are the ones who still bust out their credit cards on fight night. And why shouldn’t they?
Some of the most unappealing cards have turned out to be some of the better events the UFC has ever put on.
For instance, UFC 108 limped in on Jan. 2 and delivered a night of very exciting fights that included Paul Daley’s brutal knockout and a main event that almost saw Thiago Silva pull off a come-from-behind knockout over Rashad Evans.
And the first event of 2010 is not the only example of this. The UFC has put on countless cards that, though deemed unfitting for pay-per-view by many, delivered excellent pay-per-view sales and stellar fights for the fans.
So while many will bash a main event between two men who may look as though they will be filing for Social Security in the near future, the fans will still pay for the pay-per-view come Saturday.
If the fans of the sport wish for the UFC to stop putting pay-per-views together for cards they find less-than-thrilling, those fans should just pocket their money and wait for one they feel is worthy of their support.
However, through all the complaints, we have yet to see a card (aside from the injury-plagued UFC 108, which was doomed from the start) that bombed at the pay-per-view box office. Until unhappy fans start putting their money where their mouths are, and not into pay-per-views they find unworthy, the UFC will continue right along with its pay-per-view plans.