For the very first time, the UFC will be heading to Manitoba, Canada. More specifically, the MTS Center in Winnipeg. And it feels like nobody cares.
UFC 161 is a card that has been broken and put back together again, rather shoddily. As a result, the enthusiasm for this event is somewhat non-existent.
This event and its original line-up wasn't the strongest of pay-per-views to begin with, so once it lost its main event and a prominent main card bout it became a card more suited to a Fuel TV slot.
May 21 was the beginning of the end for UFC 161. It was the day that Renan Barao pulled out of the main event, an interim bantamweight title fight against Eddie Wineland. It would have been Barao's second defense of his title and the fight was the event's main source of credibility. With the fight scrapped, a lot of the drawing power of UFC 161 was lost.
After this, in a bid to reinforce the main card, the UFC decided to remove Soa Palelei from his fight with Stipe Miocic and replace him with Roy Nelson. A fighter with a much bigger name.
The final nail in UFC 161's coffin came just twelve days before the event was due to take place, when it was announced that Antonio Rogerio Nogueira had to pull out of his rematch with Shogun Rua due to a back injury. Rather cruelly for the much suffering Western Canadian fans, a potential Sonnen vs. Rua fight was dangled in front of them only to be taken away because of Sonnen's alleged visa issues. That fight will now main event the UFC's inaugural event on Fox Sports 1 in Boston.
These changes decimated the card. The fight that has now been bumped up to the main event is Rashad Evans vs. Dan Henderson, both of whom are coming off losses. Hardly what you would expect from the main event of a pay-per-view. In fact, in the main three fights, five out of the six fighters are coming off losses. Only Roy Nelson is riding a winning streak. To call this pay-per-view fight card shallow would be kind.
To say that this event 'doesn't really matter' is obviously hyperbole, but hyperbole that has its base in truth. UFC 161 will not feature a title fight nor will it even feature a fight to determine a number one contender, very unusual for a pay-per-view event.
Other than pride, there isn't much else to fight for on Saturday night. Very few of the fighters involved are ranked high enough to cause an impact upon their division with a win and the majority of those that are actually ranked in the top ten are coming off a loss. The only fighter who is in the top ten of his division and is carrying some momentum is Roy Nelson. However, he is facing someone he is expected to dispose of handily. Miocic has only been fighting professionally a little over three years and was knocked out in his last outing, a win over him will do little to advance Nelson's standing in the heavyweight division.
So UFC 161 will have little to no effect in the big picture, that isn't to say it won't be fun though. Both Evans and Henderson suffered lackluster losses in their last fights, the loser in this fight is finished as a contender. This should prompt an exciting fight, an impressive win is the only way to ensure one of them stays relevant. The card also features two heavyweight bouts, the other being Barry vs. Jordan, in which all four fighters are aggressive strikers. It's almost certain that both those fights will end with someone on their back dazed and confused. Alexis Davis will fight Rosi Sexton in only the fourth women's fight in the UFC and if they follow the example set by the last three, they will most likely steal fight of the night.
So UFC 161 will likely be a fun night of fights with very little consequence. Which sounds perfect for an event on Fuel TV, but this won't be shown on free television. The UFC are expecting fans to pay for the privilege of watching this card and that may prove to be a very difficult task for an event that 'doesn't really matter'.
The Ultimate Fighter divides opinion among MMA fans. For some it is compulsory MMA viewing, for others it is nothing more than a flailing reality show.
Many detractors will point to the show's waning ability to produce a star. Post-TUF 4 only two winners of the show have fought for a title (Nate Diaz and John Dodson), both losing. Ever since Matt Serra shocked the world and knocked out Georges St-Pierre to become the welterweight champion, TUF has largely produced fighters who occupy mid to low level slots on the roster. Fighters who rarely break into the top fifteen.
This begs the question. What is the point of The Ultimate Fighter? Is it to find promising talent or is it to make compelling reality TV? Obviously, the answer is both but for the past few years the priority appears to have shifted to the latter.
This season, more than any in recent memory, seems to blur these lines. This is because it will be the first to feature both men and women in the house, a decision that could produce two very different outcomes.
On the one hand, this season reinforces the notion that TUF is becoming nothing more than a gimmick. A reality show that only cares about viewing figures. We are all adults here, we know what will likely happen when you put men and women in the same house and throw alcohol into the mix. These people are fighters, they are not school teachers and office workers, they are slightly wilder than the rest of us. The likelihood of drama is going to be pretty high. Because, come on, without TV or internet what else are they supposed to do?
But maybe that is the point. After all, that is what makes a successful reality TV show. The Real World and Big Brother have proven that.
Conversely, some would argue that, because of the inclusion of the women, this season will be the first time in years that TUF will be a legitimate search for talent. In terms of the women, this is basically TUF 1 all over again. The women's division in the UFC is in its infancy and its roster is shallow. This consequently means there is a lot of unsigned talent out there. So the talent level in the house will be very high, comprising of fighters already at a UFC standard. As was the case in early seasons of TUF.
As yet, there has not been an official cast list for the show. However, Dave Meltzer has released a rumored one that features a stacked line-up of veterans and up-and-comers. Tara Larosa is arguably the early favourite, she holds wins over current UFC top 10 ranked fighters Alexis Davis and Julie Kedzie. Whilst housemates Shayla Baszler and Tonya Envinger have shared the cage with the likes of Cyborg Santos, Gina Carano and Sarah McMann. The first season of the ultimate fighter was such a pivotal moment in MMA, it's possible that TUF 18 will have a similar effect for the women.
Bearing this in mind, it seems odd that the UFC has decided that the women should share the house with the men. As was briefly discussed, there is enough talent for the women to carry the show by themselves. There is no need to include the men; this could have been a watershed moment in women's MMA, a season with an all female cast, coached by two of the best female fighters in the world. Instead, by combining them both, the show comes across as gimmicky. Maybe we should question the UFC's motives. Are they looking for sex, relationships, drama or serious talent?
The problem is that it feels like they don't know. The show is confused; it isn't sure what it wants to be. Right now, it is hard to predict which way it will go. But one thing is for sure, TUF 18 will either be remembered as trailblazing and pioneering or as a transparent attempt to revitalize a dying show.
