UFC Heavyweight Title Fights: Size Sells
Brock Lesnar- taking a sabbatical once again from the UFC as a result of his flare up from diverticulitis.
Shane Carwin- losing two consecutive high-profile fights.
Mirko Cro Cop - losing two consecutive fights. His MMA career has been questioned by critics. Perhaps he should consider retiring from active competition?
Matt Mitrione- has showed lots ofpotential in his young career. With only four pro fights, still has to prove himself against worthy contenders.
Frank Mir- currently fighting his way back into title contention after suffering big losses to Lesnar and Carwin.
As of late, the UFC Heavyweight division appears to be lacking in star power. With only 24 fighters on the roster (source: UFC.com)there is not much flexibility when a fighter is injured. Anytimesomeone is hurt it allows another fighter to step in and grasp the opportunity to showcase his talents. When the injured is the champion, however, that means there cannot be a title fight until the champion is all healed and ready for battle. Such is the case with Cain Velasquez, who has not fought since winning the title in Oct. 2010.
Velasquez has had surgery on his shoulder and is itching to return to the octagon. Perhaps the fans are even more eagerthan he is. There has not been a heavyweight title fight since Velasquez dispatched Lesnar at UFC 121. The MMA fans have been robbeddue to the fact thatthey have not been able to watch two larger-than-life gladiators go head-to-head in a championship bout. This is the very essence of competition in the heavyweight rankings, is it not?
Perhaps it will be clearerwith this question:
What do violence, sex, drama, and sizehave in common?
Thinking ---
Thinking ---
Still thinking ---
Give up? All these subjects have been usedfor ages in all walks of life because they sell. Yes, indeed. These things are valuable in society because they sell, they make money, and they getpeople to pay attention. Our main focus here is on size, of course. Size is valuable because it always sells. Size has been an important asset in professional wrestling, for example. Diehard wrestling fans tune in week after week to watch the giants, the hulks, and the warriors of the business do battle with their sworn enemies. What about movies? You have Godzilla, King Kong, and the IncredibleHulk (the one and ONLY Hulk). Without a shadow of a doubt, size sells.
Velasquez is now set to face number one contender Junior Dos Santos. JDS earned the number one contender slot by beating Carwin by unanimous decision at UFC 131. Carwin was replacing Lesnar as a result of Lesnar’s illness. People weren’t too disappointed by the change as Carwin came dangerously close to defeating Lesnar the last time he stepped into the octagon. So the fight was bound to be packed with plenty of action. Although JDS is known as a prolific striker, Carwin also can be placed into that same category.
The fight was primarily a slugfest with very little action taking place on the ground. JDS is particularly dangerous for his use of a wide stance, which he was able tomaintain throughout the majority of the fight. This requires tremendous leg strength, along with tons of training and discipline. Perhaps he inherited his wide fight stance from Lyoto Machida, who has had a hand in training him. He is quite adept with his hands, as he bloodied Carwin in the first round.
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The victory against Carwin solidified JDS as a striking powerhouse. He may be over reliant on his striking skills, as he was reluctant to take the fight to the ground until the final minute of the last round. This could work against him, as Cain wrestled in high school as well as college, and is comfortable with taking the fight to the ground. Thus far, JDS is undefeatedin the UFC, and holds an overallfight record of 13-1. This fight is bound to not disappoint . Like the Clash of the Titans, people will tune in to watch the larger-than-lifegladiators do battle for the sports most prized possession.
This championship fight is long overdue. No one will fault Cain for being sidelinedwith a shoulder injury. He earned the right to be called champion by defeating Lesnar in the first round. Butthe time to get back to business is upon us. Heavyweight title fights were the big money makers in boxing during the days of Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, George Foreman,and many others. The UFC no doubt wants this fight to take place. They must adhere to certain stipulations. This includes allowing enough time for both fighters to train and to promote the fight. Everything must fall perfectly into place.
Though the current HW division in the UFC is relatively thin, the company can only benefit from making this fight happen as soon as is possible. With all due respect to the other weight classes, the HW class traditionally has been the real bread and butter of athletic competition. People tune in to watch the big boys do battle. There is just something almost magical about it. Something that makes you want to text your friends so you all can get together at the local sports bar to watch it. Something that makes you want to debate about it at school or at work about who is going to win, rather than the work you’rereally supposed to do. What could it be?
Because,ladies and gentlemen: Size sells
By John DeAvila Jr
ProFighting-fans.com MMA Staff Writer