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ROUNDTABLE: What attributed most to the success and entertainment value of UFC Fight Night 45 and 46?
Jul 22, 2014 - 2:30:49 PM
ROUNDTABLE: What attributed most to the success and entertainment value of UFC Fight Night 45 and 46?
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The UFC has had two entertaining and successful events in a row this past week, and it seems they're in for a third this weekend on Fox. What do you think has most attributed to the success of these two cards, and what can or should the UFC be trying to do to best make that the norm rather than an anomaly?


DAN MOORE, MMATORCH UK COLUMNIST

They haven't done anything specific, and as far as I am concerned it's all luck, but the UFC were certainly due some. In Dublin they could have set Moore vs. Hansen as the main event and it would've been a success (For the record I would have won by TKO quicker than Rousey beat Davis!).

This weekend should be another fun card especially with the main event of Lawler vs. Brown as it is. With multiple events every month, law of averages suggest some will inevitably be very good. Some will also be downright awful, there's no exact science to guarantee success, it's just how things go.


FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Years ago I jokingly coined the phrase "Hyden's Law", which states that the lighter the fighter, the more exciting the fight. UFC Fight Nights 45 and 46 both heavily featured lighter fighters. This isn't the only reason, of course, and it's actually only the secondary reason. The main reason is that both events featured fighters who came to fight. They didn't come to win a decision or lay and pray a guy, they came to finish a fight. There's a very good chance that this continues this weekend, though there are a few matchups on the main card that could derail things. The UFC needs to encourage guys to go for the finish instead of coasting to a decision. Fans like to see guys going for the win. Of course it's not possible to finish everyone, but if you're actively trying to do so, that's all that fans want.


KALE HAVERVOLD, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

I think a ton of credit has to go to Joe Silva and Sean Shelby, the matchmakers of the UFC. Both cards were full of great and competitive matchups for the most part, so that is what I believe to be the biggest reason for the success of the last few cards.


CASH NORMAN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Good matchmaking contributed to the success of Fight Night 45 with Cerrone vs Miller headlining, and it also featured rising stars and proven competent fighters on the main card. This card was entertaining from top to bottom because a majority of the fighters featured were of a higher caliber.

The main card for Fight Night 46 in Dublin, Ireland, featured very solid fighters in Norman Parke, Ian McCall, Brad Pickett, and Gunnar Nelson, with the main event being headlined by Conor McGregor vs Diego Brandao. However, if we compare the entire card of Fight Night 45 with 46, the previous card was far superior.

People are caught up in the excitement and enthusiasm the Irish fans had in hosting an event after five years, and the card being headlined by their native son, who is a superstar in his country. If you take a closer look at the fights on the entire card, it isn't close to being what Fight Night 45 was last Wednesday. The preliminary card was full of low level mixed martial arts. Yes, it had a lot of finishes, but more finishes are usually the result of lower quality fighters and/or mismatches.

Once again the excitement surrounding this weekend's event has more to do with who's headling than it does the card in its entirety. No one doubts that the match between Robbie Lawler and Matt Brown will be dynamic and explosive. The UFC headlines the card with two dynamic fighters so that it may overshadow any transgressions of the undercard.

Do you think the fight between Anthony Johnson and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira is evenly matched? I anticipate Lil' Nog getting starched by a guy that will be bigger, younger, faster, stronger and more athletic. That will be great, as the co main event should lead to a highlight reel KO for Johnson leading into the main event.

I look forward to seeing how Dennis Bermudez is able to handle Clay Guida, but Bermudez is one of those fighters where I look forward to his fights because of how he fights. Guida is still good enough to stall and make this a boring match. If Josh Thomson is coming into his matchup healthy, I believe he may steamroll Bobby Green. However, Green is the type of fighter that pushes forward and will engage with Josh Thomson even if it's to his detriment. While they may have similar records, the quality of opponents Green has faced pales in comparison to those of Thomson.

Outside of the main event, the other fight I look forward to is Daron Cruickshank vs Jorge Masvidal. Masvidal is a true mixed martial artist in that he's good everywhere, although I would like to see him have more finishes. Daron Cruickshank is just an exciting fighter with a fan friendly style of fighting.

Matchmaking plays a roll in all three cards. Some athletes have been given very favorable matchups because the UFC anticipates a certain style of fight. Since the UFC would like to feature great performances on the Fox outlet, fans have been treated to some great matchups.

Honestly, to consistently produce a great card one after another that fans find appealing may mean reducing the number of cards. Like I said, I don't believe the Dublin card in its entirety was great, the fans were great. The UFC has a roster full of guys they are trying to develop and right now the company is goimg through growing pains. Until they're able to weed out some of the guys on the roster that should not be there and develop genuine stars lacklister cards will continue to emerge.


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