UFC 185 (3/14): Pettis vs. RDA, Esparza vs. Jed (Dallas)

[REDDzone]

Anthony Pettis vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Carla Esparza vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk
Johny Hendricks vs. Matt Brown
Roy Nelson vs. Alistair Overeem
Chris Cariaso vs. Henry Cejudo
Ross Pearson vs. Sam Stout
Elias Theodorou vs. Roger Narvaez
Daron Cruickshank vs. Beneil Dariush
Jared Rosholt vs. Josh Copeland
Sergio Pettis vs. Ryan Benoit
Jake Lindsey vs. Joseph Duffy
Larissa Pacheco vs. Germaine de Randamie

[Jasen777]

Reem/Big Country could be interesting. Only elite guys have beat Nelson in the UFC.

Wins: Ready to retire Big Nog, Kongo, Mitrione, Herman, Old Cro Cop, Struve.

Losses: Hunt, Cormier, Miocic, Werdun, Mir, JDS

Wonder if Reem will try to wrestle him. Kinda of ghoulish as well, how much does either guy have left?

Rampage is also strongly rumored to be on this card.

Sign Tito from Bellator and have that long awaited grudge match? Maybe Shogun 10th anniversary fight?

[CPT]

Does a Rashad vs. Rampage rematch interest anyone?

Rampage vs. Cormier? Phil Davis (did that happen already?)?

(I swear I'm not trying to think of as many black on black fights as possible, lol.)

Overeem vs. Nelson is a combination of two of the handful of HWs I will still watch, so that's acceptable. Not as a PPV main event though.

Pettis/RDA is kind of a weak main event, so this card will need more of a boost than that.

[REDDzone]

I have to think if they are willing to move forward with main events like Barao/Dillashaw and Mouse/Cariaso, that they would be willing to move forward with Pettis and RDA.

That said, HOPEFULLY they do what they did with that Mouse/Cariaso event and stack the deck.

[REDDzone]

Sergio will fight Ryan Benoit at flyweight on this card.

[Marcus]

i think Country floors Reem

[Bernman]

Shockingly, Hendricks-Brown was added to the card. That's probably the co-main, with Country-Reem as a mid main carder, and maybe they still add Rampage although I'm kind of a skeptic with the Bellator legal threat. Regardless, they kind of are stacking this one like CPT, although Showtime should have been all he needed.

I guess they really wanted to have a Texas angle here, because outside Hendricks, ironically UFC doesn't have much of a Lone Star State contingent worth noting. I guess almost all their physical, athletic talent goes into American football. Also, Hendricks must have really wanted to fight at home, given how quick of a turnaround this was, when he took plenty of damage last time out and had a brutal weight cut that had him flirting with retirement. So it's kind of surreal he's in a fight on this card.

Ideally, this would be the final main card:

Pettis/RDA
Hendricks/Brown
Rampage/Shogun or Lil' Nog
Reem/Country
Poirier/Bermudez

Outside of title fights, the 125 lb dwarfs should always be planned for the ppv prelims, never on a main card, unless it's a title fight, then it can get a co-main spot. I feel the same way about the ladies.

[CPT]

Shockingly, Hendricks-Brown was added to the card. That's probably the co-main, with Country-Reem as a mid main carder, and maybe they still add Rampage although I'm kind of a skeptic with the Bellator legal threat. Regardless, they kind of are stacking this one like CPT, although Showtime should have been all he needed.

I guess they really wanted to have a Texas angle here, because outside Hendricks, ironically UFC doesn't have much of a Lone Star State contingent worth noting. I guess almost all their physical, athletic talent goes into American football. Also, Hendricks must have really wanted to fight at home, given how quick of a turnaround this was, when he took plenty of damage last time out and had a brutal weight cut that had him flirting with retirement. So it's kind of surreal he's in a fight on this card.

Ideally, this would be the final main card:

Pettis/RDA
Hendricks/Brown
Rampage/Shogun or Lil' Nog
Reem/Country
Poirier/Bermudez

Outside of title fights, the 125 lb dwarfs should always be planned for the ppv prelims, never on a main card, unless it's a title fight, then it can get a co-main spot. I feel the same way about the ladies.

Yeah that's a recipe for success. More title fights with challengers a large chunk of the audience has never seen before.

I agree that Showtime alone makes the card worth watching, but if I'm going to watch a 3 hour event (and possibly prelims), I hope to see some other good fights. This is more a case of RDA not really pulling his weight in the hype/draw department.

Card is looking good so far though.

[Bernman]

Yeah that's a recipe for success. More title fights with challengers a large chunk of the audience has never seen before.

Shouldn't more of a general audience see them if they are on the televised free prelims for the ppv? I thought that's part of the impetus for having free tv cards and portions.

On the whole, the way they are used, I strongly believe they are drains to the company. They are contributing to the diluted cards and reduction in popularity of the UFC. If it's me I'd just remove 125, keep the better fighters from that weight for 135, and expect that they gain some weight to compete like before. That would make bw a stronger division. It could use the talent infusion. Then as far as the women, start a subsidiary called WUFC, combining Invicta and the UFC women, put them here and there on fs1 and fs2, and keep Ronda on ppv or don't. I could go either way on the latter front. I understand they don't want to give up their cash COW, but if it's for the greater good maybe they should.

[CPT]

Yeah that's a recipe for success. More title fights with challengers a large chunk of the audience has never seen before.

Shouldn't more of a general audience see them if they are on the televised free prelims for the ppv? I thought that's part of the impetus for having free tv cards and portions.

On the whole, the way they are used, I strongly believe they are drains to the company. They are contributing to the diluted cards and reduction in popularity of the UFC. If it's me I'd just remove 125, keep the better fighters from that weight for 135, and expect that they gain some weight to compete like before. That would make bw a stronger division. It could use the talent infusion. Then as far as the women, start a subsidiary called WUFC, combining Invicta and the UFC women, put them here and there on fs1 and fs2, and keep Ronda on ppv or don't. I could go either way on the latter front. I understand they don't want to give up their cash COW, but if it's for the greater good maybe they should.

More people watch the PPV/main card of a FOX show than any kind of prelims FS card. I don't know what the numbers say, but I think that's a common sense point.

Being on a PPV main card indicates importance. Title eliminators, at least, should be on the main cards of PPVs/FOX shows.

I can't disagree with your point about FLW and the womens' divisions, though I personally don't mind them, but just like our cries for fewer cards will never be answered, I don't see them removing divisions with this much card space to fill.

[REDDzone]

So Hendricks isn't getting a title shot? Does this mean Hector/Rory is off?

[Bernman]

So Hendricks isn't getting a title shot? Does this mean Hector/Rory is off?

I think it's more likely to mean Lawler is taking a break, and they'll take best of Hendricks, Rory, or Lombard; with Rory-Lombard just having been announced. But I could be wrong and they'll be effing Lombard over again. lol

[REDDzone]

So Hendricks isn't getting a title shot? Does this mean Hector/Rory is off?

I think it's more likely to mean Lawler is taking a break, and they'll take best of Hendricks, Rory, or Lombard; with Rory-Lombard just having been announced. But I could be wrong and they'll be effing Lombard over again. lol

It could be. My personal guess? Rory/Lawler in Montreal in April.

[Jasen777]

It could be. My personal guess? Rory/Lawler in Montreal in April.

Maybe, but they're saying that Lawler didn't want to fight until "the summer." Unless this is just the UFC's way of backing out of the trilogy people weren't excited about.

[REDDzone]

Yea maybe you're right, I guess time will tell. Hendricks talked about wanting to be active to keep his weight down, and tbh IDK if Matt Brown is a huge threat as much as people love him.

Also, that dude was talking with Ariel yesterday and by how he speaks these days...well, lets just say IDK if he can afford a shot like Hendricks gave Kampmann/Fitch.

[REDDzone]

Now what would REALLY be cool is if GSP is on tap for Robbie.

[Jasen777]

Esparza / Jedrzejczyk and Stout / Pearson added. The strawweights have to be the co-main with how they do things right?

[CPT]

I'd lol if they put a title fight on the prelims.

[NZB2323]

Stacked card. LW title with Pettis fighting, women's straweight title, Hendricks fighting, and whatever complaints people may have about Nelson vs. Overeem, I'm not going to miss 1 second of that fight.

[Bernman]

I'd lol if they put a title fight on the prelims.

I'd celebrate. It should be the co-main.....of the prelims. MMA is one of the few situations where broads actually kill the mood.