At UFC on Fox 8, UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson will fight John Moraga in defense of his belt. He will also be fighting for recognition, something that has so far eluded his tenure as champion.
His fight, on Fox, Saturday night will continue his run of being the only UFC champion to have never headlined a pay-per-view event. The flyweight champion currently occupies an unusual space, he has reached the pinnacle of his profession, winning a world title, but he is not yet a star. This is the gap that Johnson and the UFC are trying to bridge.
His omission from pay-per-view main events has little to nothing to do with his talent, as of right now he just simply does not have the star power to carry a pay-per-view on his own.
Instead he will defend his title for the second consecutive time on free television. Which, of course, has its benefits. Fighting on Fox garners much more exposure than fighting on a PPV would. Johnson's last title defense on Fox, for example, was watched by an average of 3.78 million according to TVbytheNumbers.com.
Johnson is a relatively new champion in a relatively new division, so it is understandable that the UFC are trying to build his profile before giving him a PPV main event slot. The 125 pound division was only introduced in March 2012 when a tournament consisting of four flyweights began at UFC on FX 2. Johnson went on to win the flyweight title in September 2012 at UFC 152 by beating Joseph Benavidez in the tournament final. His title reign and division are in their infancy. Maybe this is the sole reason why audiences haven't quite connected with Johnson, maybe they just haven't seen enough of him and the flyweights.
But maybe not.
Johnson's fighting style is one that does not translate well with casual fans. Whilst MMA purists may applaud his technique and athleticism, his style lacks the drama and brutality that fans on the periphery of MMA are attracted to. There is a core group of MMA fans who will pretty much watch any event that the UFC puts on, so viewing figures are really determined by how many casual fans decide to tune in. It is this group of people that Johnson needs to appeal to in order to become a star.
The issue is, as previously stated, that casual fans have not taken to his style. He has been consistently branded with the 'boring' moniker.
Johnson is 5-1-1 in the UFC and all five of those wins came by decision. Combining his UFC and WEC stints, Johnson has participated in ten fights. In only one of those has he managed to finish his opponent, a third round submission victory over Damacio Page at WEC 52. Furthermore, in his four fights at flyweight in the UFC so far, he has yet to truly dominate his opponent. Those four fights all ended in close decisions, including one draw and a split decision.
However, it must also be noted that since moving down to flyweight, in just four fights, he has won two fight of the night bonuses. This again showcases the polarizing nature of Demetrious Johnson. To some he is a technical wonder whose performances are impressive displays of skill. Whereas, others see a dull fight lacking in excitement and violence.
His position is similar to that of Benson Henderson, they are both the kings of their divisions but they seem to be just eeking by their opponents. They have not yet achieved that definitive career-defining win. Until that happens, they will continue to hover around the mid to low spots on the pound-for-pound rankings and be the uncelebrated champions.
Johnson is unquestionably the best flyweight in the world. He just has to encapsulate that into a single performance. Destroy the next best guy in the division. The king needs to unquestionably be the king. So far Johnson has beaten everyone he has needed to at flyweight, just never in spectacular fashion. This is why he is currently treading water as a champion who is not yet a star.
The UFC has finalized its schedule for the remainder of 2013 and, should the injury bug stay away, it promises to be an impressively prolific spell.
From now until the end of the year, all nine of the UFC's active champions will defend their belts. This remarkable period of MMA will begin at UFC on Fox 8 on July 27 with Demetrious Johnson vs. John Moraga and climax at UFC 168 on Dec. 28 when Anderson Silva rematches Chris Weidman. Two of the events in this time, UFC 165 and UFC 168, will even feature two title fights, the only other event in UFC history to do so was UFC 100 in 2009. During this time, there will also be some very fine UFC on Fox Sports 1 events. Examples being, Chael Sonnen vs. Shogun Rua, Carlos Condit vs. Martin Kampmann and Michael Bisping vs. Mark Munoz.
Interestingly, Johnson vs. Moraga will be the only title bout to not headline a pay-per-view event, it will instead be shown on Fox. Johnson holds the reluctant honour of being the only champion in the UFC to have never headlined a pay-per-view event. It is, however, an understandable decision, the flyweight division is still relatively unknown and Johnson has little name recognition. At this point in his career he would struggle to carry a pay-per-view, appearances on Fox, with more viewers, should help boost his celebrity.
It has occurred purely by coincidence but as the year moves closer towards its end, the events ascend in both size and star power. Like a good opera, this period of events in the UFC appears to form a rising crescendo until it hits a peak and finishes with a big finale.
Seven events from now until the end of the year will feature title fights. The first three of these will be headlined by title fights in three of the lighter weight classes, flyweight, featherweight and lightweight. First, it will be Demetrious Johnson vs. John Moraga at UFC on Fox 8 on July 27. Then, José Aldo vs. Jung Chan-Sung at UFC 163 on Aug. 3 and Benson Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis at UFC 164 on Aug. 31.
The concluding four events will be headlined by light-heavyweight, heavyweight, welterweight and middleweight title bouts. In chronological order, these fights will be Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson and Renan Barao vs. Eddie Wineland at UFC 165 on Sept. 21, Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos at UFC 166 on Oct. 19, Georges St-Pierre vs Johny Hendricks at UFC 167 on Nov. 16 and Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva and Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate at UFC 168 on Dec. 28.
Historically, events headlined by the lighter fighters are not as financially and commercially successful as their heavier counterparts. So this crescendo begins with events headlined by three of the lighter champions, it then ascends onto the two heaviest and climaxes with events headlined by the two biggest pay-per-view stars in the sport. The final event of the year, UFC 168, the big finale, even has the possibility of being the biggest in UFC history. The rest of 2013 should be a blockbuster period for both the UFC and its fans.
UFC 162 on Saturday night showcased four of the best featherweights in the world. So, consequently, the featherweights have been a hot topic of discussion in the days following the event. Due to the 'out of sight out of mind' nature of this sport, Ricardo Lamas has been missing from these discussions. Lamas, it seems, is quickly becoming the forgotten featherweight.
Lamas actually started the year in style by impressively finishing Erik Koch in January at UFC on Fox 6, a man who would have fought for the title in 2012 if it wasn't for the injury bug. However, since then Lamas just can't catch a break.
First, less than a fortnight after his win over Koch, the UFC announced that Anthony Pettis would drop down to 145 pounds to challenge José Aldo. Even though, that meant Aldo would be fighting a guy who had never competed at featherweight before, for the second consecutive time.
Then, last month, when Pettis got injured and was removed from his UFC 163 title bout with Aldo, Lamas was again overlooked for the title shot. Instead, the UFC called on Jung Chan-Sung aka the Korean Zombie. Despite the fact that Lamas is currently above the Zombie in the UFC's official rankings and he is riding a longer winning streak in the division.
Following UFC 162, and just in case Lamas hadn't been disregarded enough, all the talk of Aldo's next challenger was focused on Frankie Edgar and Cub Swanson. Many are proposing that the two should fight to determine a number one contender. Some have even suggested that Swanson has done enough and should fight the winner of Aldo/Zombie. A quite ludicrous notion when you consider that Lamas submitted Swanson in 2011 and hasn't lost since, arguably defeating higher caliber opponents along the way.
Lamas's career is strikingly similar to TJ Grant's, albeit with a different outcome. Both had respectable, but not exactly dazzling, stints in one weight class before a move down in divisions reinvigorated their careers. Lamas and Grant went from being middle of the pack in one division to elite contenders in another. They did this by going unbeaten at their new home, beating everyone the UFC put in front of them. Although, neither possesses a big name or personality, Grant's performances alone were enough to get him a title shot. Lamas, on the other hand, is still waiting for his.
It is starting to feel like Lamas isn't 'sexy' enough for a shot at the title. By which i mean he doesn't have a flamboyant fighting style, a loud mouth or any star power. Neither does Grant you might say, which is true but there was basically no other option at lightweight. Featherweight, however, has almost a plethora of contenders to choose from. Twice now, Lamas has lost out to the sexier option. First there was Pettis, a much flashier fighter with a bigger name. Then there was the Korean Zombie and come on, what is sexier than a Korean Zombie?
It is an arduous time for fighters like Lamas in the UFC. This year the likes of Chael Sonnen and Nick Diaz have jumped the queue and received title shots based on their star power and marketability, rather than merit. A few months ago the UFC introduced their official ranking system, which theoretically should stop this type of practice in its track. However, the fact that the UFC chose the Zombie to face Aldo instead of Lamas who is ranked higher shows that this isn't the case.
By rights, Lamas should face the winner of Aldo/Zombie and Edgar vs. Swanson should determine the number one contender after Lamas. His immediate future though is unclear, he reportedly still received his show money after the Zombie was removed from their UFC 162 bout but as of yet he does not have a fight booked.
MMA is a 'what have you done for me lately' kind of sport and Lamas needs to fight while he waits for the outcome of Aldo/Zombie. Otherwise, the title moves further and further away from him. An impressive performance from another featherweight in the meantime or an injury in training while he waits would again result in him missing out on a title shot. Other than remodeling himself into something he isn't, winning is all Lamas can do in order to avoid becoming the forgotten featherweight.
In part I, the reasons why Chris Weidman might be successful at UFC 162 were explored. This second and final installment will focus on what may prevent him from becoming the UFC middleweight champion.
A substantial proportion of the MMA community, relative to previous Anderson Silva fights, believe that the champion will lose his belt on Saturday night. However, those that side against Weidman usually site one reason, his inexperience.
Weidman's talent is irrefutable. What isn't, is whether or not he is ready for a fight of this magnitude.
With less than ten professional fights on his record, Weidman is still somewhat green in the sport. It is also easy to forget that he basically became the number one contender by default as all potential adversaries for Silva started dropping like flies. Michael Bisping was being groomed for a title shot, all he had to do was get past Vitor Belfort and the opportunity was his. He consequently got knocked out and the UFC had to look elsewhere. With very few viable contenders at middleweight, light heavyweight stand-out Rashad Evans entered the discussion. However, he then suffered a lackluster loss to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and the chance was gone. With essentially no other options the UFC turned to Weidman.
The step up in competition will be enormous for Weidman, his toughest tests to date have been Demian Maia and Mark Munoz. In an ideal world his title shot would have come further down the line, after he had gained more experience fighting in the upper echelon of the division. Fights with the likes of Yushin Okami and Michael Bisping would have provided a greater test of where he is at. As is he untested against the best in the world, it is difficult to classify him as anything other than a talented prospect.
If you are about the face the greatest fighter of all time, it isn't exactly ideal to go into the fight with no big fight experience. Weidman has never even fought on the main card of a pay-per-view before and he is about to headline the biggest event of the year, a championship fight in Las Vegas against the pound-for-pound king. That is some jump to make.
For someone who is used to fighting without much hoopla, participating in an event of this significance could be a bit of a shock to the system. A baptism of fire like this will be a real test of his mental fortitude. The media obligations alone during fight week can be enough to drain a fighter mentally. As well as the pressure and nerves that come along with such a high profile bout. This particular fight, mentally, brings with it a certain x factor. That x factor is his opponent. Silva has a unique aura about him, an aura similar to what Mike Tyson possessed in his prime. When Tyson was at his murderous best, his opponents would be defeated by their own anxiety. The combination of fear and the likelihood of being embarrassed in front of millions would cripple them. The same can be said of Silva. He has the potential to make talented fighters look like clowns. Silva's opponents have to face the fact that they may be romoshopped all over the internet the next day. Just making it to the fight with all his emotions in check could be a herculean task in itself.
As if the challenge wasn't already difficult enough for Weidman, he is going to have to face the greatest fighter of all time coming of a one year hiatus and shoulder surgery. He will also have to beat him twice. Dana White has announced that should Silva lose, there will be an instant rematch.
Silva has never been beaten in the UFC, he has defended his middleweight title ten times, he is the pound-for-pound king and he is widely considered to be the greatest of all time. Can Weidman defeat that man and overcome all the obstacles presented in this article? Well on Saturday night at UFC 162 in Las Vegas we will find out if Chris Weidman is the man to dethrone the king.
For the past seven years, Anderson Silva has been king of the middleweight division. On Saturday night at UFC 162, he will attempt to defend his title for the eleventh time.
Since he acquired the belt by defeating Rich Franklin in 2006, Silva has defeated every single challenger that has been put in front of him. However, Saturday night may very well be the night that he finally runs out of worthy contenders for his middleweight crown. If Silva defeats Chris Weidman, he may have finally cleared out the division. After all, Weidman only became the number one contender by default. After a number of top middleweights suffered losses, he was basically the only viable man left standing.
Trying to pick Silva's next title defense is no easy task, in terms of contenders, it is slim pickings in the middleweight division. Ignoring Weidman, who is the number one ranked fighter in the division, and moving down the list we reach number two and three ranked fighters (Vitor Belfort and Yushin Okami), both of whom were knocked out by Silva in 2011. So barring fighting the same guys again, there isn't much left to do for Silva at middleweight if he beats Weidman.
Outside of those top three ranked guys, there just isn't anybody else who deserves a title shot. Michael Bisping is probably the best of the rest but he has consistently fallen at the last hurdle. He has participated in three title eliminator fights in the UFC, against Henderson, Sonnen and Belfort, and lost all three. This is a shame because Silva vs. Bisping could actually be a big event for the UFC if it was to be held in England. It would have the potential to be the sport's breakthrough moment in the UK, a market that Dana White has been desperate to crack for years.
Silva is widely considered to be the pound-for-pound king and the greatest of all time but he is aging and, although he shows no signs of slowing down, he has a limited amount of time left in the sport. He has firmly established himself as the greatest middleweight of all time, there is nothing left to prove in the division and with no real challengers left now would be the time to turn his attention toward super fights before father time catches up to him.
Silva's rhetoric leading up to UFC 162 would suggest that his focus is intensifying on the super fights. I cannot recall a single word being said regarding his next fight at middleweight. Apart from Weidman, the two names to come out of Silva's mouth the most have been Georges St-Pierre and Jon Jones. Quite the contrary to his past behaviour on the subject, Silva has actually been fairly vocal on the subject of super fights.
However, his attitude toward his two potential adversaries has been night and day. When asked about GSP, Silva has been unusually mischievous in his answers. On Monday in an interview with ESPN, Silva made the comment that GSP was "no good" and also insinuated that Pierre was scared to fight him. This is in complete contrast to his answers about Jones, in which Silva has been nothing but respectful and courteous. At a press lunch on the same day, he even went as far as saying "If I fight Jon Jones, I don't think I'm going to win".
It is always difficult to second guess Silva, notorious for having fun with the media, he seems to enjoy misleading them wherever possible. So it is wise to take what he says, in public, with a pinch of salt. Nevertheless, he seems to have his sights set firmly on a super fight. Which is probably the right move, he is 38 and his accomplishments at middleweight are indisputable, he has a finite amount of time left in the sport and it would be more effectively spent on pursuing fights that would enhance his legacy.
At UFC 162, just ten fights into his professional career, Chris Weidman will face Anderson Silva for his middleweight crown, a fighter who is universally recognized as the greatest in the sport.
Due to middleweight contenders falling by the wayside over the last year, Weidman basically got the title shot by default.
Weidman and his progress, for a while now, have carried a sense of excitement similar to that surrounding the early career of Cain Velasquez. Before Velasquez became heavyweight champion or even a heavyweight contender, we would always hear his name mentioned by 'people in the know' who would wax lyrical about an up and coming beast who would be champion someday. The same thing has been happening with Weidman. It seems like the majority of the MMA community believe he is destined to become champion.
Ever since Silva became a seemingly unbeatable demi-god, it feels like his next opponent is always the one who has the tools to beat him. The marketing machine goes into overdrive and we hear all about how this challenger could be the one to finally dethrone the champion, Joe Rogan uses his "if I had to design a fighter in a lab to beat Anderson he would have... (describes the opponents skill set)" bit and some of us fall for it. Then inevitably, Silva brings a ballet of violence to the octagon and we feel foolish for ever doubting him. So we have danced this dance before.
The difference this time is the size of the hype train. Even though all of Silva's opponents are sold to us as having the best chance yet to beat him and possessing the ideal tools to do so, this fight is different. Never have so many fans, fighters and writers picked against the champion. So why is this the case? What makes Weidman different from the rest?
Well the fights with Chael Sonnen showed that Silva's Achilles heel, so to speak, is his wrestling. His two fights with Sonnen were the only in his UFC career where his opponent was able to have continued success. Sonnen proved that Silva can be taken down and kept there. Now considering that Weidman is also a big powerful wrestler, it's easy to see why many believe he is a bad match up for Silva.
Weidman, like Sonnen, has impressive wrestling credentials, he is a two-time NCAA Division I All-American and had victories over current light heavyweight contenders Phil Davis and Ryan Bader. However, the key difference between the two, and perhaps the reason Weidman is so heavily backed, is that he has much more of a propensity to finish the fight once it hits the ground.
Along with his accomplished wrestling, he is also somewhat of a jiu-jitsu prodigy. He has taken to the discipline phenomenally quickly. In 2009, after only eight months of training he qualified for and competed at ADCC, known as the Super Bowl of grappling. He lost in the second round to BJJ superstar Andre Galvao, but gained a lot of praise for his performance against the two-time ADCC champion. He is now a brown belt under former UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra.
Unlike Sonnen, who uses his wrestling to maintain a dominant position once the contest hits the ground, Weidman utilizes his well rounded grappling skills as a tool to finish the fight. Once he is on top of his opponent, he will constantly be on the offensive looking for a way to finish, usually searching for chokes.
Weidman's striking, despite not advancing as quickly as his BJJ, is competent. Whilst standing and trading with a master like Silva will obviously not be a part of his gameplan, Weidman will need to use his striking to exchange with Silva and punch his way in to get close enough to complete a takedown. Talented grapplers like Demian Maia and Thales Leites fought Silva and simply refused to strike, instead they limited their attacks to hopeful lunges towards Silva's legs. As we know, that didn't work out to well for them. Weidman's striking, whilst nowhere near Silva's level, is more capable than that possessed by Sonnen, Maia and Leites so there will be no need for desperate lunges, he should at least occasionally be able to work his way in to secure a takedown.
Because Silva has never lost in the UFC, we can only examine the fights in which he was least impressive. Top of that list would be his first fight with Sonnen. Sonnen managed to consistently get the fight to the ground and control Silva there for the majority of the fight.
Well Weidman is essentially a better version of Sonnen, his game has more dimensions to it. He has the wrestling pedigree of Sonnen as well as the added layers of potent BJJ and more competent striking. He is also younger and more athletic. So if Sonnen and his skill set can have that level of success against the middleweight champion, logic would suggest that a Weidman victory on Saturday night is certainly feasible. One thing is for certain, it will certainly be much more difficult for Silva to submit Weidman off his back.
In part II, coming in a couple of days, I will look at the reasons why Chris Weidman may not be the man to dethrone the king.
