Junior dos Santos has a fan-pleasing style. | Photo: Sherdog.com
What do you think about the UFC’s decision to base its first effort on Fox on the heavyweight title fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos? I think it is great exposure for both fighters, but I wonder if the American TV audience will get “hooked” from one fight, even if it is great one, since this one probably will not look like Forrest Griffin-Stephan Bonnar. I think even one more fight could have made a big difference, with the event being on the same night as the Manny Pacquiao boxing pay-per-view. -- Christian, from Sweden
Also, do not sell this fight short on its ability to magnetize people to the sport. Velasquez and Dos Santos are not hulking, muscle-bound sluggers who are going to gas out quickly. Velasquez’s fitness and output are heavyweight marvels, and Dos Santos cracks with able skill from bell-to-bell.
This fight might not best Randy Couture-Pedro Rizzo 1 or Josh Barnett-Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira 1, but it would not blow me away if it did. These two are legitimate, high-level athletes capable of making a 25-minute classic. In conjunction with the natural appeal of heavyweights, let alone heavyweights that can fight, it might translate well.
Furthermore, it is feasible that the UFC can still sneak in a prelim or two. If the Velasquez-dos Santos bout ends before the 25 minutes, or even if there is just a few exceptionally short prelims, we might get one or two extra bouts on the Fox telecast. Also, hardcore fans need not weep, as the rest of the undercard will likely be provided on Facebook.
As for Pacquiao’s third bout with Juan Manuel Marquez on Nov. 12 and its potential impact, the UFC is actually hoping to piggyback off of the fight. Zuffa and Fox are banking on many of those getting the Pacquiao-Marquez PPV to indulge in MMA as their warm-up, taking in the Velasquez-dos Santos fight as a lead-in to the pay-per-view. Given the ever-expanding public persona of Pacquiao, trying to ride his coattails a bit is not a bad idea at all.
The odds of any particular fight being a where-were-you-when milestone-type moment like Griffin-Bonnar 1 are low, great style matchup or not. Still, even if they do not turn in the “Fight of the Year,” Velasquez and Dos Santos should prove interesting enough to float an enterprising, unique idea by the UFC and Fox to try leapfrogging off the Pacquiao PPV.
Plus, do not underestimate the kind of video hype jobs that will air liberally on Fox through the early NFL season and MLB playoffs. These tools might be the most powerful opportunity Zuffa has had to access older male sports fans in a direct fashion.
We cannot say with certainty that it will be an overall success for the UFC, but Velasquez and Dos Santos will both be winners by some measure given the high-profile status their fight is going to get on Nov. 12.
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