There were some people who had an issue with the main event of UFC 87. Well they can't complain anymore.
There were some who took issue when it was announced that Brock Lesnar would take top billing in a fight against Mark Coleman in Minnesota in the main event of UFC 87.
They can't complain anymore.
Instead, the Aug. 9 show, dubbed Seek and Destroy, is now headlined by Georges St. Pierre. One of the most popular fighters in the UFC, GSP will make his first title defence since recapturing the belt in Montreal when he takes on Jon Fitch.
This apparently came about because Coleman injured his knee and wouldn't be able to compete. But really, it may have been a case of "seek and ye shall find."
Since Sunday when it was first learned that Lesnar vs. Coleman would be the main event of UFC 87, blogs and fan forums have been littered with comments and complaints from fans this fight was not worthy of its spot on the card.
While it is an intriguing fight -- Lesnar, a strong wrestler who had an impressive Octagon debut in a loss, is still a newcomer in MMA, while Coleman, a veteran and legend, is making a comeback of sorts – the common sentiment was that it isn't enough to make it a main event.
I tend to agree.
Many felt that every single UFC fight card should be headlined by a title fight. While that would be nice, it's not necessarily practical for each one, because you have to take into account fighters' schedules, injuries and getting the right matchups.
But they can definitely come close. From the beginning of the year until August, now the only event that won't be headlined by a championship fight is UFC 85, where Matt Hughes faces Thiago Alves in the main event.
We know why the UFC chose Lesnar to headline the Minneapolis show: it’s because Lesnar is a Minnesota native and somewhat of a hero in the state. He's also got the WWE star power. So even with Coleman out, Lesnar will stay on the card. (And it's being reported that he will face Heath Herring instead.)
But it just got even better.
I wonder if the UFC had planned to put St. Pierre vs. Fitch on the next show, but in response to fans' reactions they felt they needed to move it here. Or maybe with the Coleman injury, they simply had no choice.
While I am a little surprised that GSP's first defence is not in Las Vegas, the UFC is certainly giving the people more of what they want. And it's good for Canadians, because Minnesota is not too far away.
With this addition, the UFC has not only built some solid anticipation for the event, it can also likely expect tremendous Pay-Per-View buys as well as a great gate.
I would be surprised if it doesn't sell out.
It's the first ever show in Minnesota. While I don't know the Minneapolis sports culture, if it's anything like Columbus, Ohio, we can expect a big turnout. The first show in that city in March 2007 set the attendance record at the time, before it was surpassed by Montreal in its first event last month.
With the championship match between St. Pierre and Fitch, as well as Brock Lesnar in a featured match as well as a battle of top lightweight contenders in Kenny Florian and Roger Huerta, UFC 87 is now looking like it could be really good.
Perhaps even better than UFC 84.
