On the Merge of Greatness: UFC and WEC make History

And then, there was one.

2010 has been a banner year for the sport of MMA, with continued expansion into domestic and international markets for the UFC, massive upsets, title fights that have literally changed the landscape over multiple weight classes, some of the best fights the sport has seen in years, and an Emperor dethroned.

And in spite of all that, this may very well be the biggest news of the year.

Come January 1st of 2011, WEC will officially merge with the UFC, absorbing the lightweight class and finally giving a massive national platform for the featherweight and bantamweight divisions.

Mark my words, nothing but good can come of this. In fact, I suspect this will dramatically improve UFC and the Zuffa organization. I have long been a proponent of the WEC owning the title of most entertaining MMA promotion. I rarely find myself bored with any of their cards, and they have turned out consistently fun action in the form of ultra-competitive fights. Maybe it has something to do with the lighter weight classes being more aggressive at that size, but if you have seen the product, you cannot deny how enjoyable the majority of cards are.

Rather than continue to gush ad nauseum, it's probably best if I structure my thoughts a little. With that said, here are ten reasons why the UFC-WEC merger will be of genuine benefit to mixed martial arts.

1. Exposure for the lighter weight classes. Guys like Jose Aldo, Urijah Faber, and Miguel Torres deserve a spotlight to bask in. These guys have put on some damn impressive performances, and it's a shame that only a handful of the WEC luminaries have had the chance to shine on pay-per-view as of this year. And unfortunately, for marketing purposes, that wasn't even with the WEC brand name. Now to have those names finally compete in the UFC, the gold standard for the sport of mixed martial arts... it honestly sends chills down my spine. I can't help but grin when I hear the term, "Jose Aldo, UFC featherweight champion." It rolls off the tongue so easily, and it feels oh, so right. Especially considering his status as a top pound-for-pound fighter. A guy like that deserves the same platform as his teammate, Anderson Silva. And you'd better believe that once he debuts, he will shine for a whole new audience. This segues into...

2. Improved UFC fight cards. Despite having the five main weight classes, there have been a lot of UFC events that have suffered from a lack of a top tier main event. Mir vs. Cro Cop was widely reviled as a stinker of a main event even before it aired. And before that, when it was Mir-Nogueira II, it still received a lukewarm reception. Adding in some top tier names from the lower weight classes will give these cards a boost of star power, add some exciting fights to the mix, and incorporate additional title matches to be held. What's not to like about that?

3. A richer lightweight division. Now that Frankie Edgar has bested BJ Penn twice, Penn is already moving up in weight to fight Matt Hughes. If he begins to flirt with 170 lbs. again, this is detrimental for the division, as BJ is a draw. Edgar is an undeniable talent, but unproven as a selling point. However, with the right amount of exposure, there are lots of lightweights from the WEC to help bolster the division. This is nothing new. Carlos Condit and Chael Sonnen have both put on great performances in the Octagon in recent months. Let us not forget Condit is the final WEC welterweight champion, and Sonnen should rightfully be the WEC middleweight champion after his second fight with the bizarre Paulo Filho. Dissolving those weight classes was the beginning, perhaps. But it has added some fresh blood to already stacked divisions. The lightweight division will probably experience a similar surge.

4. One division, one champion, one momentous occasion. Going hand-in-hand with the third bullet on this list is the announcement that the winner of the WEC lightweight championship match between Benson Henderson and Anthony Pettis will face the winner of the UFC lightweight championship match between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard. This is great for so many reasons. For one thing, it simplifies the entire weight class by proclaiming one champion to defend against all. Additionally, the thought of a unification bout of any sort has tremendous implications. The last time this sport saw two titles merged was when Dan Henderson put the Pride middleweight title on the line against Anderson Silva. Cliche as it may sound, events like this are truly historic, and add an extra layer of prestige to the victor's spoils.

5. New life into TUF. The Ultimate Fighter has had its ups and downs over the last few seasons. With the UFC-WEC merger, opening up the show's platform for lighter weight classes makes for some interesting scenarios. I read one commentator who thought that a season of bantamweights featuring Urijah Faber and Miguel Torres would be a good idea. I love this concept, and it makes a potential title contender fight between the too much more appealing, and a lot easier to sell with a season's worth of hype behind it for newcomers.

6. This is better for the fighters. A fighters' life is a hard one. Your paychecks are determined by your fights, and with WEC only putting on seven or eight cards a year to the UFC's roughly twenty or so (between PPV's, fight nights and TUF finales), WEC's finest will now have more opportunities to earn steady pay. I like this, because it's such a motivator for hungry fighters. Especially guys who want the world to know who they are. It's a wonderful thing from both a financial and visibility perspective. Not only that, with the added benefit of PPV revenues, these same fighters are bound to receive bigger paydays, and that's a positive thing for them and the business.

7. New names for the casual fans to get excited about. MMA die hards are familiar with Jose Aldo and Urijah Faber. These are not new faces. However, to the casual fan who saunters over to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch a big-time fight like a Lesnar-Velasquez or Silva-Sonnen, odds are there's a healthy percentage of people who don't know those two names. Why? Because unless they happen to catch a random card or "WrekCage" on Versus, they've probably never seen or heard of WEC. There was a lot of fear over WEC's future this year when Versus was struggling to maintain its network distribution. With no shortage of talented fighters, there are now more opportunities to convert casual fans into devoted ones. This is good for the longevity of the business.

8. The competition officially needs to step it up. Strikeforce has done a fairly lackluster job of competing with the UFC, despite having some incredibly talented fighters on its roster. However, to be successful in the MMA game when there's a name that big really requires you to put your best foot forward every single time. While there have been some good showings by Strikeforce, there have been some monstrous duds, too. Now with more excitement buzzing around the Zuffa fighting family, the heat is on for Strikeforce, Bellator and other promotions to do more than just "get by." Additionally, this may also increase the allure for non-Zuffa contracted fighters to do what Jake Shields did: make the switch. Sure, Fedor will probably never convert. But Allstair Overeem, Jacare Souza, possibly even Dan Henderson may raise an eyebrow with this news and reconsider their options.

9. A bigger bargaining chip for the lighter weight classes. Now being the premier sports organization for the featherweight and bantamweight divisions, UFC and Zuffa have more stroke than ever to go after some of the hottest talent overseas in those weight classes. If you view Sherdog.com's divisional rankings, you'll notice a lot of unfamiliar names to American audiences in these classes. But now with more money being poured into each division, the probability for further international talent acquisitions--and thus, more exciting fights--just grew tenfold.

10. MMA is now even further from boxing's greatest pitfall. In boxing, the oft-referenced "alphabet soup" of titles has become less comical and more tragic as the years have gone on. There are simply too many names and too many weight classes to truly understand or appreciate the talent of the respective champions. Title mergers hardly mean anything at this point, as no one really cares much. And that is what the sport has done to itself by allowing multiple sanctioning bodies to have such control over the flow of the sport. Dana White has been dead set against co-promotion with anyone, M1 Global or otherwise. While it may be a little monopolistic of him, it also preserves the integrity of the sports titles and prevents the sweet science's downfall from ever happening to MMA. By assimilating all Zuffa promotions under one roof, this merger has pushed the sport one step away from going the route of boxing. There's a reason WAMMA never worked out, and why Fedor Emelianenko never trotted that belt out much after Affliction died an ugly, agonizing death. Dana White has long argued that until names like Fedor compete in the Octagon and make it there, they can never be considered the best. Well, guess what? That's no longer opinion, it's fact. UFC as a promotion now lays claim to the absolute best in every weight class except flyweight. And I wouldn't put it past them to expand even further into that division as well. The long and short of it is, there will never be any confusion from January 1st forward as to who the best names in MMA are. Because they'll be under one roof, far from the taints of co-promoters and sanctioned-yet-unauthorized bodies.

This is one of the most significant days the sport has seen since Griffin vs. Bonnar, and the ramifications will be felt far and wide. It's a great day for the sport, and as a fan, you can't help but be excited for what's to come next.

Brock and a Hard Place: Evaluating Lesnar After UFC 121

At the end of the monumental UFC 116, following Brock Lesnar’s shocking second round comeback victory, a shot of Cain Velasquez sitting in the audience was shown. True to form, his stoic face revealed little emotion or reaction to the fight that had just occurred. He looked more to be taking it all in. After watching his performance this past Saturday night, I tend to think he was formulating his game plan.

A game plan that played off of the gaping holes in Brock Lesnar’s game.

Despite his near-mythic status courtesy of the UFC hype machine (as is Dana White’s job, so we can’t hold it against him), Lesnar’s last two title defenses have exposed some massive weaknesses. Cain Velasquez just happened to be the first guy to formulate a plan of attack that exploited them.

Let’s get Brock’s strengths out of the way.

1. He’s a monster. This guy is a physical specimen to be sure. His presence in the cage is doubtlessly imposing as there’s not a single heavyweight besides Shane Carwin whose mass matches his. Additionally, he has the power to match that physique, and having a wrestler’s work ethic works tremendously in his favor as far as his ability to maintain that strength. Between his fights at UFC 100 and UFC 116, he looked as if he lost no muscle mass despite his fight with diverticulitis and subsequent surgery.

2. He’s got a great shot. Lesnar has some of the most effective takedowns this side of GSP. And once he has you on the ground, it’s not exactly easy to move your hips beneath nearly 300 lbs. of Viking meat. Once he has you there, he can do whatever he wants. This normally consists of blunt force trauma to the skull in the form of straight shots and hammer fists.

We’ve all been aware of this since his first UFC bout against Frank Mir, however.

Much has been made of Lesnar’s progress in the sport. However, odds are much more will be made in the coming weeks and months of the areas he needs desperately to grow in if he wants to sit atop the heavyweight rankings once again.

1. He needs to work on his striking. Ever since his highlight reel punch that sent Heath Herring tumbling across the mat, Brock Lesnar has not had a single punch that has registered in the public consciousness. Sure, when he gets into the game of ground and pound, he’s a beast. But his stand-up is suspect at best. We’ve never seen him cleanly win a striking exchange.

2. His defense is lacking. Going hand in hand with good boxing is efficient head movement. Brock has been rocked hard in two consecutive fights now, and we’ve seen him crumble. Despite his mock punches to his own chin following his last successful defense, being able to take a punch doesn’t make him impervious. Nor does it mean he should allow himself to absorb punishment. Those tactics are only recommended if you have the scientifically proven concrete chin of a Diaz brother.

3. If he’s on his back, he’s lost. Brock recently boasted he should have his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by now. If that were the case, Cain Velasquez would not have been able to so swiftly pass his guard. With a simple push of the knees, Cain was able to pass and transition into a knee-on-belly position that accentuated the damage already inflicted. Granted, being against the cage didn’t help his cause. But being able to do nothing more than cover your face won’t always get you out of a jam.

4. Does he really know submissions? OK. He got an arm triangle on Carwin. But if you look closely, it was really more of an “arm rhombus.” The hold was not applied correctly (with the hand of the arm around the neck clasped to the biceps of the opposing arm, as is typical in BJJ or Sambo). Brock was able to get the submission by virtue of his huge arms and efficient use of position. But this submission is tailor-made for wrestlers who work well from top. Randy Couture illustrated that just one month later against James Toney. I sincerely doubt Brock would be able to get an armbar from that same mount.

What am I getting at?

I'm getting at the fact that has become crystal clear: Lesnar is not infallible in the Octagon. He is a fierce competitor and no question, tough to beat. But Cain Velasquez perfectly executed a game plan founded on technique over size and strength, even managing to beat Lesnar at his five-star wrestling game within that plan.

Lesnar is still new to the MMA game. There is no taking away from his ability, and how much he has grown. You don't beat guys like Randy Couture, Frank Mir or Shane Carwin on sheer luck. However, that being said, if Lesnar truly wants to sit atop the mountain with his Viking beard and golden axe to accompany the gold beld he so recently held, he will need to evaluate those four points listed above and work damn hard to make sure he corrects them.

One thing Cain Velasquez proved is a point that Brock himself has been driving home consistently: the heavyweight landscape is changing. Gone are the days where it was Fedor Emelianenko reigning supreme with everybody else falling short. Heavyweights are evolving at a rapid fire pace, becoming more than just brutish bruisers, but truly incorporating technique and finesse into their games. Velasquez may indeed be the archetype of the modern heavyweight, as his combination of precision striking and wrestling acumen make him dangerous. In all hoensty, I am looking forward to his bout with Junior dos Santos more than a Lesnar-dos Santos fight, just because of the potential for more varied combat.

Fedor has already been toppled by the modern heavyweight. Brock can somewhat be excused for his relative inexperience to both the Last Emperor and the newly crowned champion. If he wants to proclaim himself as the "toughest S.O.B. around," his best bet is to vary his training and expand upon his wrestling base. Otherwise, this won't be the last time we see him flailing beneath a torrent of fists.

But it might be the last time we see him in the reverse position as alpha male aggressor.