Both the UFC and Junior Dos Santos came out as clear victors in the wake of the first ever UFC on FOX, so why aren't MMA fans satisfied with the results? (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)
The UFC made its triumphant and long awaited debut on network TV Saturday with a single fight to offer FOX viewers a taste of what the organization has to offer prior to the launch of their long term broadcasting deal beginning next year. The UFC put its most prestigious title on the line between two of its most dominant and exciting fighters as “Cigano” Junior Dos Santos (14-1) took on Cain Velasquez (9-1) for the UFC Heavyweight Championship of the World and in just 64 short seconds the bout was over. UFC President Dana White had said before the event that this was the greatest moment in MMA history and he was very correct in calling it that, a moment. JDS landed a brutal right hook behind the ear of the now former champion and pounced, finishing the undefeated heavyweight in short order with a stunning first-round KO. Despite FOX Sports CEO David Hill reporting that “It delivered everything I hoped it would”, the fight, or to be more accurate, its brevity, has drawn mixed responses from the MMA community as a whole. The ratings fell short of what fans had expected and despite managing to pull 5.7 million viewers, more than any previous UFC bout, losing out in the 18-49 year old ratings war only to a major NCAA football game between top ten ranked teams Stanford and Oregon, it left many fans complaining that it was the wrong bout to introduce the UFC to the massive casual fan base hidden within the tens of millions that watch sports on FOX every week. While it certainly is easy to give critique through the rose colored lenses of 20/20 hindsight, the fact of the matter is that the resounding success of the event has been totally eclipsed by the “what ifs” “how wills” and “Should’ve could’ve would’ves” of the perennially pessimistic MMA fan base. Continue reading »
