WHEN THE UFC brass reflect on 2014 over the coming weeks and months, they are likely to do so with a degree of pride and satisfaction.
As the curtains draw on UFC Fight Night 58 in Brazil on 20 December, so too will they on a 12-month period which saw the promotion host a record-breaking 46 events, across 12 different countries, for an unprecedented global audience.
Yes, there have been difficulties, most notably a decline in pay-per-view numbers and their overall viewership, as well as an unnatural amount of injuries to marquee fighters at pivotal times. But, when the Fertitta brothers, Frank and Lorenzo, sit down with Dana White for the annual review, there’s likely to be smiles all round.
Outside of the incredible amount of revenue making its way to their respective bank accounts, the unexpected jolting of the featherweight division to the forefront of the sport, will also be of great satisfaction. Because, the truth is, it’s been a long time coming.
When the UFC merged with the WEC in 2010, having bought it four years earlier, it heralded the introduction of both the bantam and featherweight divisions — the flyweights would follow later. The WEC had long been lauded for showcasing the world’s best talent under 170lbs, and the transition was expected to be seamless. Somehow, it didn’t work out that way.
UFC stalwarts had traditionally been slow in embracing the lower weight classes and, initially, the trend continued. The quality was there, but possibly not the characters or engaging sub-plots, and it was duly reflected in the broadcast numbers.
The undoubted brilliance of Jose Aldo was universally applauded, but his utter domination at 145lbs, in tandem with his indifference to the media and fans outside of Brazil, made the featherweight division a difficult sell. At bantamweight, things were slightly more engaging, with the rivalry between then champion Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber, before the emergence of Renan Barao, who would be shockingly dethroned by TJ Dillashaw earlier this year.
So why, all of a sudden, has the featherweight division become the biggest talking point in mixed martial arts? In an ideal world, one could attribute it to the masses finally gaining a full appreciation for the level of competition within its ranks, but there’s more to it than that.
Firstly, without any patriotic leanings, the arrival of Conor McGregor has had a seismic impact. A real character was needed to give the status quo a shot in the arm, and boy, did he do just that. A charismatic, brash-often to the point of obnoxious-contender, with a fiercely loyal following behind him, was just what the doctor ordered. His four flawless performances inside the cage complete the package, while solidifying his credibility.
McGregor’s penchant for insulting his opponents-present, future or otherwise, on every conceivable platform, has had a surprising knock-on effect. Previously low-key fighters such as Cub Swanson, Dustin Poirier, Ricardo Lamas and even the generally muted Jose Aldo, have been compelled to retaliate. Suddenly there are beefs, feuds and threats of decapitation.
The problem is, as the UFC have sought to exploit this, they’ve possibly compromised the division’s integrity. By dangling title shots in front of fighters, namely McGregor and Swanson, anticipation, speculation and column inches have markedly increased, but where does it end?
When Conor McGregor was cage-side in Brazil for Jose Aldo’s second successful title defence against Chad Mendes, the consensus was that the Dubliner would be given the next title shot, but an announcement was not forthcoming. He was then matched with Denis Siver.
After the press event in Las Vegas on Monday, Dana White told Fox Sports that if successful against Frankie Edgar at UFC Fight Night 57 on Saturday night, Cub Swanson would get a title shot. Curiously, though, he didn’t specify if he would be next in line for a crack at Aldo — nothing concrete, with plenty of wiggle room.
In truth, if the UFC were truly a meritocracy, Swanson would have already got his chance, certainly before Mendes. He has won six straight bouts, finishing four, a majority of which against first rate competition. Mendes may have notched up five successive victories after his first loss to Aldo, but not one of those were ranked in the division’s top five. There was an opinion that Swanson was overlooked because Aldo had dispatched of him in just eight seconds when they fought under the WEC banner, but he put Mendes away within a round, too.
Dennis Bermudez, up until Saturday’s loss to Ricardo Lamas also deserved consideration, having amassed seven consecutive wins. Even after such a devastating victory, Lamas has withdrawn himself from any title discussion, given how recently he lost to Aldo.
What all this amounts to, certainly from the outside, is that the UFC are getting their ducks in a row, so they can ensure the next featherweight title fight is first and foremost profitable, as supposed to legitimate. The much-discussed Dublin stadium looks to be playing a major role in their thinking, which, of course, is their prerogative, but it still doesn’t sit right.
McGregor, as all his recent interviews suggest, is of the opinion that Swanson is sorely mistaken if he thinks that a title shot is in his near future. Is this because somebody has told him this or, that he’s making a wild assumption?
In reality, the UFC did McGregor no favours when they paired him with Siver. It’s a glaring lose-lose situation; beat him, and the feedback will be that he should have, given the German’s place in the rankings. Lose, and the naysayers regain a foothold in dismissing him as a hype-driven dollar sign, created by the promotion’s marketing machine.
If Cub Swanson betters Frankie Edgar in the wee hours of Sunday morning, the UFC owe it to the fighters, fans and, indeed, the entire sport, to announce him as the next No.1 contender.
McGregor’s time will come, just maybe not as soon as he hoped.
What do you think, UFC fans?