Everybody knows the real reason the UFC is running a free show on July 19th is to make sure Affliction gets no buzz among casual fight fans that weekend. Regardless of whether or not they are successful in their attempt to sink Affliction, there is also a secondary goal, which is to turn Anderson Silva into a major draw.
Spike TV has focused its advertisement for this show so far almost exclusively on Anderson Silva, calling him “the best fighter on the planet,” and hyping up his move to the top weight class. Further, the UFC put up Anderson Silva vs. Rich Franklin on its website for free, in an attempt to expose Anderson’s dominance to even more people. Spike TV is even doing a special preview show on the Thursday night before the fight, something that is usually only done for PPV shows.
Dave Meltzer reports in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that they are really putting the full promotional machine behind Anderson Silva in order to turn him into a top level draw. If after all this hype as the “best fighter on the planet,” he destroys James Irvin with a highlight reel knockout, millions will see him as a star. The plan is to have him fight twice more this year after the Irvin fight, as long as he keeps winning: First in Atlanta against Yushin Okami in September, and then again in November against Patrick Cote. If he emerges from these fights as the star they hope he can be, he will be ready for big time money matches against the likes of Chuck Liddell, Quinton Jackson, and Forrest Griffin in 2009.
The strategy is obviously a risk. He could lose to Irvin, and send these plans crashing down. However, it’s worth remembering that he is yet to draw a good buyrate. It’s not like they are taking a crazy risk with a top draw. They may also be pushing Anderson Silva to the top out of necessity. He was reportedly very upset that the UFC would not let him fight Roy Jones Jr., and if they want him to eventually re-sign and stay with the company, they need to make him a top priority, which they are.