This day’s been coming a long time. Month after month after month, the UFC have been scrambling to find substitute fighters, often at very short notice, in order to keep fights and events alive.
Georges St Pierre, Jose Aldo, Dominick Cruz, Michael Bisping, Brian Stann, Vitor Belfort, Little Nog and Yoshihiro Akiyama are just some who have fallen victim to the ‘injury curse’ and withdrawn from fights in the last twelve months.
Add to that the drug suspensions of two of the promotion’s biggest draws in Nick Diaz and Alistair Overeem, and you’d have to imagine UFC matchmaker Joe Silva is just about ready to find a new line of work.
They’ve been getting away with it by the skin of their teeth until today.
While my immediate reaction, like many others I’d imagine, was to scream expletives at Jon Jones, the man whose refusal to fight Chael Sonnen led to the first cancelled UFC event in the Zuffa era, the reality is today’s events have exposed the lack of depth in the roster and the need for fewer cards.
Look I’m not saying that I haven’t been a happy fight fan enjoying every extra second of UFC action this year.
We’d become accustomed to monthly PPVs and the occasional Fight Night, but now we’re being dished up a healthy serving of our favourite sport almost weekly.
In addition to the regular PPVs, we’ve been given so many FOX, FX and Fuel TV cards that keeping up with this sport is becoming a full-time occupation
I mean, who would have thought a few years ago that Australia would have its own version of The Ultimate Fighter?
The unfortunate consequence of this onslaught of fighting is that PPV cards this year have been significantly weaker and fans have quietly revolted with the promotion experiencing some of its poorest PPV buy-rates ever.
UFC 150, featuring the lightweight title rematch between Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson, was the lowest PPV draw since 2005 at just 190,000 buys.
And 150 was not the only substandard event this year. Some might argue that with the exception of 144 in Japan and perhaps the all-Heavyweight 146, we haven’t seen a stacked PPV card at all in 2012.
UFC 151 relied on one headline fight – the rest was barely good enough for a FUEL card. One injury meant a failure, similar to UFC 145.
All year the UFC have been so reliant on a massive headline fight to get fans to open their wallets and buy PPVs that it was only a matter of time until one of these massive headline fighters got struck by the injury curse and someone declined a short notice replacement fight.
In years gone by the result of this would have been, ‘No worries! We’ve got a co-main event and three other great fights on the main card that fans will want to see’.
But in the 2012 edition of the UFC, with so much fighting on television, Jake Ellenberger v Jay Hieron is that co-main event. And fans just won’t accept that.
The UFC have essentially doubled the number of fights they are promoting this year without double the talent.
The FOX deal may be bringing new fans to the sport but long-time supporters are becoming increasingly frustrated and reluctant to dish up $45 for second-rate PPVs.
It is perhaps time the UFC cut the number of cards it promotes and gradually built them back up as new stars are established and the talent pool deepens.
So sure, call Jon Jones what you like. Call him a coward for ducking Chael. But he is not solely to blame for perhaps the darkest day in UFC history.
Jerry
Guest
True - but given it's been revealed that Henderson was injured 3 weeks ago, I sincerely doubt that Sonnen didn't know.
Jerry
Guest
Exactly - the macho posturing of Dana White accusing him of 'ducking' is just there to cover up the fact that he doesn't like it from a business perspective. It's in White's interests for every fighter to accept whatever he or Joe Silva puts in front of them, so of course he's gonna play it up.
B Davis
Guest
Jones didn't duck Rampage, Rashad, Shogun, Machida, Bader, or any of the top guys in his weight class but now he's ducking a 185 guy who's done nothing except run his mouth and quit in his last fight against Anderson Silva? Again wake-up
B Davis
Guest
Ok let me see, John Jones vs. Hendo was the main card at UFC 151. Now Hendo can't make the fight over a small tear that doesn't require surgery and pulls out of the fight, and now John Jones is the bad guy? What am I missing here? And to those of you who said he's ducking sonnen come on. Anderson just wiped Chael out in less than 2 rounds, the guy who beat him said I'll fight anybody except John Jones and Jones is ducking Chael? Wake up you are the moron
AIS
Guest
They don't currently train together. Hendo trains in Temecula, California. Sonnen trains in Portland, Oregon. It's one banner, but different factions.
GrecoRoman
Roar Guru
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yDA3QSgFwU
Sevenaqi
Guest
People who say Sonnen should not get a shot should be slapped. As a fight fan you would want to tune in and watch a good fight you've already booked a date for, and if you tell me Jones vs Sonnen wouldn't be a good fight, then you are nuts! Regardless of who deserves a title shot, the show must go on, and don't you dare forget how Jones got his shot in the first place, he was an injury replacement to Rashad and if you remember Rua did not duck him even though he was 5-1 underdog! You are a fighter, you fight when you are asked to, not pretend to be a business man and duck behind your Manager! I am disgusted by this and absolutely gutted that I am missing on the verbal barrage Sonnen would have given us leading to the fight! Which by the way I am sure Jones would dominate easily!
Joey
Guest
The whole fiasco is ridiculous. I understand that there will always be up-and-comers, but from the start this card had no insurance. No back up plan or anything. I can see why some 205'ers would turn this fight down. Shogun, though young, seems to be nearing the end of his career and if he loses who's to say when he'll get another chance or if he even will. Although the way Dana White runs business, you never know. I wouldn't be surprised if he asked a camera man to step in and fight.
Gk
Guest
I think people should keep in mind that Sonnen was not the first guy they called and asked him to step in. Fighters such as Machida(who has now also pulled out of the 152 card), Shogan and others were offered the chance and they all said no. Fighters in the division below like Sonnen were willing to step up and fight him as they want to be champion, and understand that the show must go on! Now Belfort is putting up his hand to fight Jones at UFC 152. If you want to blame people blame Jon Jones and the rest of the 205 division. Not the UFC or the guys who are willing to step up on short notice!
Joel Smith
Roar Rookie
Who knows anymore. Jon Jones may look like the bad guy out of this but Dana White's business practices surely must come into question too. Quickly becoming a farce.
Mattwa
Guest
Don't tell me they didn't check with Machida? How can this happen? Seriously, has Dana White lost all control?
Joel Smith
Roar Rookie
Now Machida doesn't want to fight Jones in September. Vitor Belfort in, this just keeps getting crazier
Mattwa
Guest
Point taken, it would have to be a one in a million punch. My meaning is, things go wrong and upsets happen. Jones may make a tactical error and the biggest loudmouth in world sport becomes a titleholder without first fighting his way to the top of the division.
Jerry
Guest
"One lucky punch and he gives Sonnen a title belt…" To be fair, it'd be extremely lucky - Sonnen's not exactly a knockout artist.
Mattwa
Guest
I think the UFC is 99% to balme for this fiasco. UFC puts up a sub-standard card with a killer Main Event. What's their fallback? Then they ask Sonnen if he'll fight before asking Jones if he would fight Sonnen. Just stupid. Of course Sonned will fight, he has nothing to lose, and it fits in quite nicely with the little twitter war he's had going with Jones. When he loses he has the excuse of no preparation and basically books himself a rematch in 6 months. Jones, who has long categorised himself as a student of the game, who performs highly detailed analysis of all his opponents, has every right not to take the fight. One lucky punch and he gives Sonnen a title belt... UFC could have gone ahead and risked taking a towelling on the PPV, showing some faith in their fighters, but no. They cancel the whole shebang, and Dana has to find someone to blame, and that person is Jon Jones, already not so popular with the fans.
Tom
Guest
Totally Agree Jerry! And can't blame Jones at all for the cancelation... That is Dana's call! The UFC has such weakened cards now that the whole thing is turning into an "S" show
Jerry
Guest
Jones vs Sonnen would have been a joke main event anyway. A guy who just scraped in as #1 contender, lost convincingly and then switches divisions gets an immediate title shot cause he is entertaining on the mic? Even as an injury replacement it doesn't sit right. The cynic in me wonders if Sonnen, who trains with Henderson, started his twitter war on Jones knowing that Henderson was likely to have to withdraw.