At the risk of ripping off the irreverent Jim Rome, here are a few things I'm burning on from the world of mixed martial arts.
KANG-DOM FOR A DAY?
Next week we'll get to see the long overdue debut of superstar Denis Kang in the UFC. But I can't say I'm thrilled with the circumstances.
Don't get me wrong, I'm jacked about getting to see the 31-year-old, who had an opportunity to be in the UFC many years ago, finally compete in the big show after taking the long route.
The Korean/French/Canadian a made for himself overseas, a decision he said he doesn't regret. But after fighting some of the top competition the world has to offer, he's going to begin his "ultimate" test against… Alan Belcher? C'mon. Belcher is a pedestrian 4-3 in the elite organization and that's the best test Joe Silva came up with to throw at the talented Kang?
I suppose the UFC brass want to ease him in to their fold. But they're matching him against the very same guy they put up against Jason Day in the fellow Canadian's debut. Nothing against Day (he's a great fighter), but Kang is more experienced and certainly more accomplished. And Day demolished Belcher in Montreal, making the wobbly American look like he didn't even belong inside a cage.
I just don't see the upside to this matchup for Kang. If he wins, he was supposed to. And if, heaven forbid, he loses, what does that say about Kang? He's already been upset a couple of times in the past 16 months. All I gotta say is he better put this puppy to bed within the early minutes of the first round. Because if he doesn't dominate, there will be some serious questions.
And what's with having Kang make his first Octagon appearance over in Dublin. Canadians have waited this long and then it's not even in a location that's reasonably accessible? If you're thinking about his already established fan base, I don't think many Japanese and Koreans make regular sojourns over to Ireland. I'm not saying they should have put him off until the UFC's next show in Montreal. But a Super Bowl weekend appearance would have been more appropriate.
UFC VS. HABS
Speaking of Montreal, why is the UFC so intent on having the annual Canadian card in April of all months? I know they love consistency over there. The first weekend in March card in Columbus, Ohio, has now become a staple, just as has the Super Bowl blockbuster show.
But making April your date in La Belle Province doesn't seem like the most logical. They know it's cold up there, right? But the other reason is it's NHL playoff time, and with Canadiens playing well of late, you can bet they'll be around for the post-season. Scheduling at the Bell Centre was one of the problems in the past and while they may have called shotgun on the joint, why would you want to compete with the mighty Habs?
A late summer date would be much better. Yes, I know I'm hard to please (and I'm sure they know their business better than I) but considering we Canadians support the sport so well, shouldn't we deserve to be spoiled? You can bet this second event north of the border will sell tickets at another record pace just like the first.
RECKONING SHORTFALL:
One event whose tickets aren't exactly flying off the proverbial shelves is Affliction's second show, titled Day of Reckoning. For their first last July they ended up having to give away loads of stubs just to fill the arena. And their second in the fall had to be cancelled (sorry, rescheduled) because of poor ticket sales. It appears Affliction may have to comp (read: beg people to take tickets for free) again for this one.
With no shortage of "big-name" sponsors (Golden Boy, Trump, HDNet Fights, Showtime, M-1 Global) you'd think they'd have better luck producing a sell-out this time. Not even a main event featuring Fedor Emelianenko vs. Andrei Arlovski has this looking likely. Not a good sign for the second major promotion looking to take a piece out of the UFC's overwhelming market share.
FLY OPENING FOR WEC
Onto another organization, it appears the WEC is contemplating adding a flyweight divison. Seeing as they've already axed the light-heavy and middleweights, why not go a step further and get rid of the welter and lightweights, eliminating any overlap with the UFC.
Okay, so that would leave them with just three divisions (fly, bantam, feather). Ah, but there are other opportunities. For example, Gina Carano is out there like an shining pot of gold. With the WEC's exposure getting smaller and smaller, it would create quite a splash to sign her while opening up a women's division.
Dana White has already said it's something they might consider. And then they could also go ahead and add a 160-pound division -- call it super-lightweight -- similar to what EliteXC called its lightweight division. (Not that I'm suggesting Zuffa should take anything from that failed attempt at competition.) But this would open a door for fighters who are slightly too big to fight comfortably at lightweight but not enough to compete at welterweight, such as Nick Diaz. (I'm talking size, not ego.)
How cool would it be for the organization's top division to be called "super"? Adding those two would bring the total number to five -- the exact same amount the UFC has. And what a fantastic complement to the UFC, with star power in each class (Carano, Cejudo, Torres, Faber and Diaz). That would inject some real life into the overshadowed organization. Zuffa, get it done.
WEIGHT ON THE FLIP-FLOP
I’m sure most know by now that there’s more riding on next week’s Rich Franklin-Dan Henderson duel in Dublin than just pride. The winner gets the privilege of representing the good ol' USA for the next edition of The Ultimate Fighter, going up against Team UK led by Michael Bisping.
Of course, that will also be followed by a matchup with The Count himself. But, wait a minute, didn’t Bisping move down to 185 pounds, his more natural weight, while Franklin and Henderson both moved back up to 205 (where they’ve fought before) after hitting a wall at middleweight? So at what weight would this fight against Bisping be?
The natural answer would be back at 185, but that’s not a good move for either Franklin or Henderson. Franklin has been embarrassed by current middleweight champ Anderson Silva and a third one won’t be in the cards. So there isn’t much incentive to fighting Bisping. And Henderson, who also lost his belt to The Spider, is also better off staying at the higher weight (less cut).
I’m okay with fighters moving up or down divisions at different points in their careers. But I’m not a big fan of the flip-flopping. Stay in one division and focus on climbing one ladder at a time.
Unless you're The Spider or The Prodigy and have already conquered one.
RAMPAGE REPENTANCE
It was good to see Rampage Jackson taking responsibility for his actions (if by his attorney reading that statement does suggest in fact that's what he's doing). I've said before I'm not a big fan of him or his antics. Those extra shots he took on Wanderlei's melon , even as referee Yves Lavigne was physically moving him off the "Axe Murderer" who lay motionless on the mat, appeared borderline suspendable to me. (Though nothing was made of it -- the UFC doesn't want more bad publicity surrounding the howler.)
But if he can clean up his act, pay restitution and do that community service, then good on him. I just thank God that the man who has a tattoo that says GOD'S STREET SOLDIER didn't seriously hurt or kill anyone during that episode. (I pray for the woman who may have suffered a miscarriage as a result of trying to get out of the way of his reckless driving.)
And with that, I am out. (With more apologies to Rome.)
"Big Game" James Brydon is a web writer/editor for Sportsnet.ca and blogs on MMA regularly with his own irreverent style.
