In a year where injuries have crippled fight cards and events have fallen flat with fans, Saturday’s pay-per-view offering from Las Vegas is a perfect mix of everything you could realistically ask for from the UFC.
I say realistically because there are people who will always criticize, complain and demand more, even when what is being offered is pretty strong and asking for more is irrational.
The composition of this card should – best case scenario – serve as the blueprint for all pay-per-view events going forward.
Each of the preliminary card fights featured on Fight Pass showcases a moderate prospect looking to build some momentum, as featherweight Alex White takes on Clay Collard and Sergio Pettis faces Matt Hobar. Both have fought higher up the fight card in previous appearances, with the younger Pettis holding down the “featured preliminary card fight” spot in each of his last two appearances.
As much as the UFC needs to ensure it gets up-and-coming talents time on television, neither Pettis nor White is at a point yet where they’re close to contention, so putting them on Fight Pass and giving fighters who are a little closer to contention or already have a little more name value better real estate this weekend makes perfect sense.
The televised prelims are well-built as well, and would have been even better had highly regarded newcomer Holly Holm not been bumped from making her debut opposite TUF alum Raquel Pennington. As it stands, Pennington welcomes Ashlee Evans-Smith to the UFC in a bout that should play out similarly to Pennington’s scrap with Jessica Andrade – it’ll be an entertaining scrap, although probably not the most technical affair on the card.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Watch UFC 181 prelims Saturday on Sportsnet 360 starting at 8 p.m. EST
In the middle of the four-fight prelim package, Eddie “Truck” Gordon and Corey Anderson make their first appearances since entering the fraternity of Ultimate Fighter winners back in July, taking on Josh Samman and late replacement Justin Jones respectively. Both are solid prospects and their time on TUF gives them a leg up in the recognition department, which is why they’re smart additions to the middle of this lineup, especially given who is closing out the preliminary card.
Listen, I understand the “how is Urijah Faber not on the pay-per-view?” questions, but positioning the popular “California Kid” in the final preliminary card bout (for a second consecutive fight) is a wise strategy for the UFC.
You need a marquee name or a buzz-worthy fight to bring viewers to the prelims and Faber fits the bill. He’s a known commodity who’s on the outside of the title picture in the bantamweight division for the time being, so using his name value to entice viewers to check out the prelims and maybe buy the main card is better than adding him to an already strong PPV lineup.
And then we come to the main card, which breaks down as such: emerging lightweights looking to break into the top-15, post-hype heavyweight prospect returning after two years on the sidelines, ranked heavyweights that have been in numerous high profile bouts over the years, lightweight title fight between Ultimate Fighter coaches, rematch of a Fight of the Year contender for the UFC welterweight title.
What’s not to like in that collection?
Tony Ferguson and Abel Trujillo is almost guaranteed to be entertaining (knocks on wood) as the former has been known to dive for leg locks and the latter has yet to be in a boring fight in the UFC. The winner moves forward in the deepest division in the company, so showcasing them on a card like this potentially provides them with a boost in recognition.
Todd Duffee has legitimate one-punch knockout power, as shown by his seven-second, one-punch knockout win over Tim Hague in his UFC debut. He’s a physical specimen once touted as the next big thing in the division and putting him in the Octagon before the more established heavyweights on the card gives fans a way to gauge where he fits in the division. (Yes, I’m assuming he beats Anthony Hamilton.)
Travis Browne and Brendan Schaub have been main card fixtures throughout their respective careers and are a perfect third-position pairing for an event like this. It’s an important bout for each and the division, but not so big that it’s deserving of main or co-main event billing. The big boys draw eyeballs and with two championship fights at the top of the marquee, this is the kind of matchup that puts this card over the top.
Positioning Anthony Pettis and Gilbert Melendez in the co-main event is the right call. As electric as Pettis can be in the cage, he hasn’t fought since winning the title at UFC 164 and counting on him to headline right away would have been a mistake. He’s unproven in that regard, and Melendez, while an established name and formidable challenger, isn’t a bankable PPV draw at this point either.
But Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler certainly are.
Their battle for the vacant welterweight title headlined UFC 171 and that show did a reported 300,000 buys with Carlos Condit and Tyron Woodley in the co-main event. When you factor in a second championship bout in the co-main event and the fact that their first encounter was one of the best fights of the year, this show should (hopefully) be able to top 400,000 buys.
Regardless of how many buys it generates, this should be the blueprint the UFC follows when crafting pay-per-view cards going forward.
The composition of the fight card is strong – all the fights are in the right place and the opportunities to showcase different fighters are being maximized. Prospects that aren’t yet ready for prime time aren’t being hustled into high profile opportunities and a popular, veteran fighter is positioned so as to make the most of his popularity, rather than sticking him on the main card based on tenure.
It’s impossible to plan for injuries and not every pay-per-view needs to feature dual championship fights, but outside of those few instances where a single title bout is big enough to carry a fight card (see: UFC 182), this weekend’s lineup should serve as the template for how the company crafts pay-per-view events going forward.