Is the UFC’s matchmaking becoming desperate as a result of too many shows? I make the case over at Heavy.com:
…Anderson Silva is supposedly fighting Vitor Belfort in the main event of the Ultimate 2009 in a fight that nobody seems to care about. Belfort scored a strange knockout of Rich Franklin at UFC 103, and Dana White leapt to schedule a fight between The Phenom and The Spider. The response from MMA fans was deafening silence, because nobody believes Belfort has a chance, and everyone knows this is being forced down our throats far too quickly. The reason? They have no other main event for their New Year’s show.
A lot of these problems were foreseeable months ago. I pointed out in June that the decision to put Rashad and Rampage on TUF would leave the Fall without any meaningful main events, and we all see how weak a number of the shows look as the year comes to a close.
It’s these desperation fights that seem to do the most damage. If Rashad Evans and Randy Couture both lose their next fights, the UFC better hope Lesnar wins or it could be a rough 2011.