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Interesting story. Its all over various forums, I never know which MMA sites are credible so i just chose a random one to post:

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2010/10/19/1 ... ny-florian

Don't sleep on Hominick. That's the better fight.

KenFlo would outbox Aldo IMO.

I just thought it was interesting. Wonder why he would refuse?

I'd like to see Aldo in the UFC. He was talking a few weeks ago how he's the best in the world p4p (along with Silva?).

Prove it, yo.

Bottom line is $$$$$$$$, smart move by Aldo stay a big fish in a small pond, and set up a super fight with the winner of Maynard /Edgar. I doubt he makes anymore $ for fighting KenFlo than he would Hominick. As a matter of fact Varner was 2-1 in the UFC and was offered a cash bonus to go down to the WEC after Zuffa bought it. I think its not that Aldo scared its about $.

He'll prob stay in WEC till he absolutely has nothing more to prove or to beat in that division or till the media starts pushing a fight with him and a LW from UFC (ala GSP vs Silva superfight).

Depends on how confident he feels at 155 - I don't like the idea of fighters moving up just because they clean out a division (which Aldo hasnt quite done yet) or "Lack of competition", weights are there for a reason, and a good few fighters may well not be comfortable with an extra 10lb.

If he feels like he can comfortably fight at 155, maybe even when he's older (still quite young no?) then that would be great, as, until UFC takes 145 and 135, WEC just doesnt pay their big names enough or get enough exposure right now (not their fault), where as in the UFC these guys become instant super stars and thrown right into p4p rankings and mainstream.

I'd be surprised if Zuffa would really want to loot him from the WEC. He's really valuable and beginning to get attention.

Maybe their thought was that a fight in the UFC would actually increase his name value for a return to the WEC.

As for the fight itself, I'd love to see it, but I also understand why it's not happening. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense for either fighter, or the company, IMO...but sometimes it's nice to see something come together just because it would be a great fight/matchup, as opposed to being part of a grand plan.

I mean, if Aldo won, it would make him seem even more like a man among boys at 145 in the WEC. Wouldn't he kind of have to continue to work toward a UFC LW title fight? It's not like Kenny Florian is a James Irvin at 205 level guy. He would be getting thrown right in with the big dogs to sink or swim. If he loses, then it makes the WEC look even more bush league than it already does.

From Florian's perspective, what does a win do for him? I suppose it would look good on his resume, but does beating a 145 pounder, even the best one in the world get him any closer to the title than a win over, say, Sean Sherk or Tyson Griffin? And if he lost, he'd look like a chump.

This fight would be great to see in a couple years, if/when Aldo is ready for a permanent move to 155, but for now, I'd like to see him continue to clean out the division. I don't think there's any shortage of challengers for him either. Hominick and Grispi look to be next two in line, in some order. By that time, hopefully Chad Mendes has built up enough momentum to be a worthy challenger, because I'd like to see how Aldo handles an elite wrestler. If he really wants to try out 155 (I don't know if there's any indication that he actually does), why not start with some of the WEC guys, to mix it up a bit. I'd love to see him fight any of Bendo, Cerrone, or Varner.

cowboyronnie wrote:I'd be surprised if Zuffa would really want to loot him from the WEC. He's really valuable and beginning to get attention.

I really hope that if WEC is going to try and stay as its own promotion that it does keep all its big names and they dont move up weight.

However I do think that WEC going to the UFC would not be the worst thing in the world, another 2 champions, means more title fight cards and contender fights a year, and its not like the quality is worse, we are talking about Aldo possibly being one of the planets best fighters!

But for the next while I'd like to see him, and all the other WEC'ers stay where they are, and see if it can make 135/145 bigger on its own merit, which I think it can, especially with a champ like Aldo (exciting, young etc..)

That last WEC card makes me want WEC to stay just the way it is.

Shaazzam wrote:That last WEC card makes me want WEC to stay just the way it is.

+1 WEC is the most exciting promotion going, dont change a thing.

El Hardee wrote:

Shaazzam wrote:That last WEC card makes me want WEC to stay just the way it is.

+1 WEC is the most exciting promotion going, dont change a thing.

I agree and disagree at the same time. IMO the WEC needs to drop the 155 pound division and send the good ones to the UFC. Then they need to add a 125 pound division and a female division.

155 in the WEC is a few good guys and a bunch of average fighters. Lose the division and lets see more great 135 and 145 main card fights.

Then there is no division overlap with the UFC and they can be total seperate entities.

Cammo101 wrote:

El Hardee wrote:

Shaazzam wrote:That last WEC card makes me want WEC to stay just the way it is.

+1 WEC is the most exciting promotion going, dont change a thing.

I agree and disagree at the same time. IMO the WEC needs to drop the 155 pound division and send the good ones to the UFC. Then they need to add a 125 pound division and a female division.

155 in the WEC is a few good guys and a bunch of average fighters. Lose the division and lets see more great 135 and 145 main card fights.

Then there is no division overlap with the UFC and they can be total seperate entities.

Agreed. Should have gotten rid of all overlapping divisions at once. They could clean up with a female division too.

SDM wrote:Agreed. Should have gotten rid of all overlapping divisions at once. They could clean up with a female division too.

Especially considering the 155 pound division in the WEC has less than 5 guys who could compete in the UFC. Move Pettis, Bendo, Varner, and Cerrone to the UFC and cut the rest.

Sure, that makes sense from an ideal perspective. But it doesn't make the least bit of sense from a marketing or business view. They're not ready to stand on their own with only their 3 exclusive divisions. It would be silly to move those guys on, when - at best - 2 of them would ever regularly make UFC FNs.

cowboyronnie wrote:Sure, that makes sense from an ideal perspective. But it doesn't make the least bit of sense from a marketing or business view. They're not ready to stand on their own with only their 3 exclusive divisions. It would be silly to move those guys on, when - at best - 2 of them would ever regularly make UFC FNs.

You make it sound like the 155 pound division is what is keeping the WEC afloat, when that is hardly the case. Outside of Bendo and Cerrone, the 155 pound division is the weakest in the WEC.

IMO there would be little to no drop off if they ditched the 155 pounders in favor of 125 and women. The same way there was little to no drop off when they ditched 205, 185, and 170. The WEC is a niche with a loyal fanbase that would not stop watching if this switch was made.

Cammo101 wrote:

cowboyronnie wrote:Sure, that makes sense from an ideal perspective. But it doesn't make the least bit of sense from a marketing or business view. They're not ready to stand on their own with only their 3 exclusive divisions. It would be silly to move those guys on, when - at best - 2 of them would ever regularly make UFC FNs.

You make it sound like the 155 pound division is what is keeping the WEC afloat, when that is hardly the case. Outside of Bendo and Cerrone, the 155 pound division is the weakest in the WEC.

IMO there would be little to no drop off if they ditched the 155 pounders in favor of 125 and women. The same way there was little to no drop off when they ditched 205, 185, and 170. The WEC is a niche with a loyal fanbase that would not stop watching if this switch was made.

"They're not ready to stand on their own with only their 3 exclusive divisions." I don't see how I said "afloat". It would simply be a loss.

3 of their 6 biggest names are LWs. The gain for the UFC to take on those 3 is utterly negligible. So why do it? For integrity? Again, I admit that. But it's not sensible from a business perspective.

Also: most viewers either don't know or care that Zuffa owns the WEC and that there is a redundant 155 division. The lack of integrity, then, isn't even that visible.

The WEC is a niche. Exactly. And part of that niche audience is interested in their LW names, despite the fact they stand nowhere in the MMA-wide rankings. The niche protects them from that fact.

Couldn't you have made the same argument for Stann and Condit when the WEC got rid of their divisions? The WEC is popular to it's niche because it puts on great fights, not because of a few name fighters. Losing the LWs would not even dent the WEC IMO. The quality product will keep churing out it's own stars.

Cerrone is really the only LW with a rabid fanbase in the WEC, but you can be pretty sure that someone else will take his place if he were to leave.

Off topic I saw Bendo this weekend, he competed in our tourney. He just got his Brown belt and lost his division but won the open class. The guy is a class act from the way he carries himself to the fact that he is competing at a high level BJJ tourney and still goes and pays to compete. That shows love and respect for the game and his team. (The LAB) Hermes Franca and Bruno Bastos won the BB division.