The reason I believe it is good for the sport that the UFC has bought Strikeforce is that they can control the sport's growth from within. Lets face it, the sport is not really going to be watched or better yet purchased on pay per view by your mom and dad unless they have some martial arts experience or if their little sonny boy is going to fight on the card. The sport's chance of success lays in its fan base usually the disenfranchised, disgruntled group of men that love watching people get their ass handed to them. I am not talking about the minority in the group, the college graduates who love the sport because of the competition and the passion the fighters have for the game. The fighters don't really make any money unless you are a huge star and can make money with endorsement deals. Can you imagine Nick Diaz smiling for the camera and saying something like- "Like a good neighbor state farm is there-" Like I was saying the few fans the sport has, tend to love Nick Diaz because he is all they want to be successful yet acting like he can't stand the success. I love the fact the Nick has given almost everyone the finger but he reminds me a lot of Eddie Vedder form Pearl Jam, this reluctant hero stance is awesome and everyone loves it but the bottom line is that you have to be successful, if Nick Diaz got his ass kicked most the time everyone would be like what a sore loser, case in point Josh Koschek. The UFC is here to exploit all of this. They have their reluctant hero Nick Diaz, surely on his way to being a legend in the sport. Funny how Diego Sanchez began tweeting almost immediately after the fight that he and Diaz should coach the next Ultimate Fighter, it would be good for the sport but mostly it would be good for Sanchez' career which is close to dissipating and everyday moves further away from legendary status. A rematch between the two would be a good fight, the first fight was an amazing display of rolling, Nick commented, I believe that they look like two lizards out there. Personally I don't think Diego has a realistic chance of beating Nick. Nick is on his way to joining other great fighters in the Hall of Fame.
Another fighter certainly to cement his name in the Hall of Fame is Jon Jones, I don't want to write too much about him since I dedicated a blog to him after he destroyed Shogun Rua, one of my favorite fighters of all time, actually my second favorite of all time. Jones may actually be the one that holds the elusive Light Heavyweight belt for a long time. Being that he has literally walked through everyone the UFC has thrown at him most were unimpressive fighters but Bader and Shogun were not intended to be a walk in the park for him and like the others he walked right through them, literally unchallenged.
I will not say much about Fedor either as I dedicated a blog to him as well. But I got a feeling the Dan Henderson is going to give Fedor the worst beating he has ever had. Fedor has done nothing but beat up a bunch of losers since he left Pride that as soon as he received real competition he got his ass handed to him. The fact the Brett Rogers lasted into the second round told me that there was something seriously wrong with his training.
Unlike Fedor, Shogun Rua has fought and beaten the best continuously there have not been sporadic years where he fought nobodies and then decides to take a step up in competition. That could be the major reason why his body is in the shape that it is. Knee surgery after knee surgery is going to take its toll. Hopefully he can still give us a few more great fights but I just don't see him beating Jones.
Peace-
