The Doggy Bag: James Toney Edition

With the UFC wanting to increase the number of their shows per year, and now expanding onto the Versus Network, is there a significant possibility that it will consume the WEC and all its fighters? Also, is there enough depth in the 125-pound division that it is likely the WEC will try adding it to their roster any time soon?
-- Eugene

Jordan Breen, FightFinder Czar: Your question hinges on time. At some future juncture, WEC will cease to exist. There is simply too much for Zuffa to gain by introducing three (including the perpetually-coming-soon flyweight division) extra weight divisions, and putting the UFC stamp on those fighters. It adds card flexibility, a plethora of new stars and new advertising opportunities, and in general, far more excitement since we’re talking about three extra divisions of all-out dynamism.

A Jose Aldo-Urijah Faber bout under the WEC banner is going to have to inch and claw its way to 100,000 pay-per-view buys next month. With the UFC trappings, that number would be multiplied several times, and that is without considering the long-term ramifications when a greater audience and media got acquainted with what a pistol like Aldo can do.

This week, everyone saw the ratings for WEC 47, and could easily tell they stunk. Though there are many factors that go into those ratings -- Bowles and Cruz not being well known, the ongoing DirecTV impasse -- the biggest is still that the letters “WEC” just don’t command the attention they deserve. I, like many, am extremely curious to see what kind of numbers the UFC on Versus card can pull next weekend.

But, it’s not all that simple. Zuffa signed a new deal with Versus in December for a reason. They enjoy having the ability to work with two networks, especially in a climate where they’re now running so many non-PPV shows that extremely thankful and pliant Spike may not be able accommodate them all.

At this point in time, that flexibility is the greater priority, and is ostensibly worth more money to Zuffa than a merger. However, that won't always be the reality. As the 155-pound talent continues to fight each other in circles, as more featherweight stars emerge, as the bantamweight division develops, and the world meets the 125'ers, the real value will be in those fighters becoming UFC commodities.

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