Hyden's Take
HYDEN BLOG: Absorbing WEC; Plus Nick Diaz vs. Jason Miller
Oct 13, 2010 - 9:45:24 AM HYDEN BLOG: Absorbing WEC; Plus Nick Diaz vs. Jason Miller

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By: Frank Hyden, MMATorch contributor

One thing I always find odd is that the WEC generally puts on the best and most entertaining fight cards. I watch all the UFC and Strikeforce events, and what I've seen of the Bellator cards is very good as well, but I still find myself liking WEC more.

I think the biggest reason I like WEC so much is that they only feature the lighter weight classes. Generally, the size of the fighter is inversely proportional to the excitement he brings to a fight. More often than not, the larger fighters aren't as exciting as the smaller ones. There are exceptions, of course, but the average lightweight fight is probably going to be more exciting than the average heavyweight fight. To be clear, exciting to me is when both guys are trying hard and doing everything they can. The smaller fighters have better cardio and are able to maintain a quicker pace, whether it be on the ground or on the feet.

A good example of this slower pace by the larger fighters was The Ultimate Fighter 10. That was the heavyweights season with Rashad Evans and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson as the coaches. Even though half the fights ended in the first round they were slow and plodding affairs until the finish. Brendan Schaub was an exciting fighter on that show, but he's one of the exceptions.

I don't dislike heavier fighters, far from it, but I do have to alter my expectations in terms of what the bigger guys can and can't do in the cage. Perhaps it's the weight-cutting that allows the smaller fighters to have better cardio, so long as it's not an insane amount of weight-cutting. If you can't get out of the first round without blowing up completely, you've got cardio issues. Hell, I've seen guys get tired after the first minute of a fight, and in the highest levels of MMA that's just wrong.

My point is that WEC events are often a guaranteed must-watch. It's just a shame that they're not seen by more people with the shows being on Versus. If they could get onto Spike TV or another larger channel, they would do huge numbers. The UFC should seriously consider merging WEC into the UFC, or at least find a way to incorporate WEC matches into the Fight Night format. There has to be a way to capitalize on the excitement of WEC shows.

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Scott Coker says that if Nick Diaz and Jason "Mayhem" Miller want to fight, Strikeforce will get it set up. First off, this is Strikeforce so maybe, maybe not. Secondly, is this the right move? These are the guys who have caused CBS to cool on Strikeforce, after Nick and his brother Nate jumped Mayhem at Strikeforce: Nashville like a couple of punks.

The story last week is that they had to be separated backstage at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons 2 after exchanging words and Diaz throwing a water bottle at Miller. I personally don't have a major issue with this kind of stuff, other than it making Diaz look bad. However, the CBS deal was supposed to help Strikeforce propel itself to another level. Anything that endangers that is something that has to be eliminated.

A lot of MMA fans don't have a problem with this extracurricular stuff, but you can't mess with a major network deal. There's a time and place for this stuff, and it isn't now. A fight in the NFL or NBA is looked at as a black eye for the sport, but not a killer. The difference, however, is that those sports are well-entrenched in the mainstream while MMA is on the fringes. A black eye for the NFL is a broken back for MMA.

A fight between Nick and Mayhem would have good build-up. Making sure that they don't cross the line would be key. Strikeforce can't afford to squander the CBS deal. For the sake of all MMA fans, there needs to be a solid alternative to the UFC, as competition breeds a better product. Look at what's happened to the Madden video games without NFL 2k around. The MMA world won't end if Strikeforce stays where they're at, but it would be a much better place if Strikeforce got to that next level.