At the close of 2013, it was clear that the year ahead would mark the beginning of a new era in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
In mid-December, long reigning welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre announced he was going on an indefinite hiatus. Two weeks later, Anderson Silva was laying on the canvas, clutching his fractured leg — the man with the longest winning streak in UFC history was suddenly on a two-fight losing streak and staring at a lengthy road to recovery, if he could come back at all.
We knew that as December gave way to January and the onslaught of events began, there would be new names atop the marquee at every level and that 2014 was going to be a transitional year.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Watch UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs Khabilov Saturday on Sportsnet 360 with prelims starting at 8 p.m. EST and the main card at 10 p.m. EST
As June begins, it’s pretty clear that many fight fans still don’t want to accept that new reality.
Many of the burgeoning stars that have ascended to championship heights and established themselves as title contenders and main event competitors continue to be dismissed.
More fight cards are met with complaints about the headlining fighters than are cheered for giving new talent the opportunity to bask in the spotlight of a main event bout.
Social media and comment sections are flooded with calls for the UFC to establish new stars, but then athletes on the brink of breaking through or ones that already have the credentials to be considered amongst the elite in the sport are scoffed at when put forward as worthy headlining acts.
They’re not the fighters fans want to back.
The problem is that there are only a select few athletes fans seem willing to accept as main event competitors, failing to understand that the next wave of main event fighters is coming whether they’re ready to get on board with them or not.
St-Pierre seems like a man content to never compete in the UFC again every time he’s interviewed; Ronda Rousey and Jon Jones can’t alternate main event duty every other month; Chuck Liddell isn’t walking back into the Octagon.
There are new fighters — worthy fighters — that have risen to the ranks of being headlining acts on the various UFC platforms, leaving fans with two options: start embracing some of these new stars or forever be disappointed.
That’s not an ultimatum, but it is an accurate account of the current situation.
MMA fans were spoiled during the Ultimate Fighter Boom. There were tons of major names competing in the UFC and main event options were plentiful. Paired with a less hectic schedule, it meant there were more established superstars available to headline events and everyone (for the most part) was happy.
But those days are gone and fans haven’t moved their support to the new crop of talent that has stepped up to replace their departed favourites.
Renan Barao and T.J. Dillashaw were declared unsuitable to headline a pay-per-view event heading into UFC 173, but that bout turned out to be one of the most entertaining and thrilling performances of the year.
Demetrious Johnson is facing the same criticism heading into his first main event assignment behind a pay wall, but after three successful title defences on FOX “Mighty Mouse” has earned the right to be the final fighter into the Octagon on PPV just like the rest of his championship colleagues.
Even if some fans believe Johnson should be a permanent fixture on FOX (or Fight Night events), the UFC has to move him to PPV, especially when there are a handful of other champions sidelined with injuries or other commitments.
The UFC’s expanded schedule means there are more main event slots to be filled. As a result, new names have been elevated to main event status. While some people will argue otherwise, there really haven’t been many events this year that featured suspect final pairings.
For the most part, the main events have been in sync with the event platform — outside of squandering an Alexander Gustafsson fight on UFC Fight Pass that is — and more often than naught, these bouts have delivered.
It’s not like the UFC is trying to pass off unranked talents as main event options on PPV or televised fight cards.
A championship bout has headlined each of the last 12 PPV shows and 28 of the last 31 PPV events since January 2012. In the three instances where non-title fights entered the cage last (UFC 161, UFC 153 and UFC 147), only once (UFC 147) has it been planned that way from the outset.
After five straight shows with championship headliners, FOX events have become a landing spot for title eliminator-type bouts, with televised events featuring ranked fighters on the verge of title contention facing off in the show’s closing contest.
Just as champions like Johnson and now former champion Barao were deserving of main event status on PPV, fighters like Rustam Khabilov and Cub Swanson have done enough to merit the headlining opportunities they’re receiving this month. Both have put in their time and put together solid winning streaks. They’re a step or two behind the top contenders in their respective divisions and regardless of their level of popularity, they’re in a place where they need to be headlining televised shows in order to take that next step in the progression as potential contenders and draws. They can’t just keep rolling out the same small collection of names most fans have fully embraced at this time.
The only way for new fighters to emerge and replace some of the headlining acts that have departed the scene of late is for the UFC to invest in that next generation and that takes time.
Whether fans want to accept it or not, we’re in the midst of that process now and there are only two options going forward: start getting behind some of these new main event talents or continue to long for days gone by.