The Importance Of The Heavyweights

By Raphael Garcia

The announcement of the UFC’s debut on Fox Television was a huge development for the organization and the sport as a whole. Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos have been charged with putting on a great fight, and their heavyweight title showdown will bear the burden of pushing the sport to new heights. In the aftermath of the announcement and all the buzz that it has generated, it has become quite clear that even in the current state of combat sports, the heavyweight championship is still the most important, at least in terms of perception.

Of all the divisions in the UFC, the heavyweight and middleweight divisions are the least interesting when it comes to potential contenders for the current champion. Dos Santos poses a very stout threat to Velasquez, but beyond these two I wonder where the UFC will go to build up the next title fight. But even though this may not be the most stacked weight class that the organization has to offer, heavyweights are still being showcased and thrust in the forefront on November 12th.

In combat sports, the heavyweight championship has always been viewed as the measuring stick for the sport. Take boxing for example: while the lighter weight classes provide action-packed bouts week in and week out, the sport is considered to be struggling (some even consider it “dead”) due to the dire situation of the heavyweight division. You would be hard pressed to find a casual sports fan who could name the current World (or closest thing to it) Heavyweight Champion, and a top contender. Unfortunately this lack of interest in heavyweights has affected the perception of the entire sport.

This problem has not affected mixed martial arts due to the long list of potential contenders at many different weight classes. However, the heavyweight division does not have the depth of such divisions as the lightweight weight class. Even still, a viable reason could be found for denying every other weight class this time slot, which is another reason that Velasquez vs. dos Santos received the nod.

Lightweights Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard put on a show the last time they faced off in the cage, and are set to finish the trilogy in October. However I do not believe this fight will mirror the January event, because both fighters will fight more cautiously, and pace themselves for a 25-minute grinding-type battle. While Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre is a popular figure in the sports world, the UFC executives likely wanted to avoid the possibility of GSP handing out a one-sided Beatdown that could be considered “boring” by the mainstream fans. The featherweight and bantamweight weight classes do not have the name recognition or star power to head up such an important and widely-televised event. At middleweight, Anderson Silva is just now becoming a name in the sport, and I think the only way he would have been placed on this card is if Chael Sonnen was available to stand across the cage from him, or if Dan Henderson was signed to face him.

Thus, the heavyweight title is the big prize up for grabs at UFC on Fox, solidifying itself as the most important division in the organization. Even though it may not have the most intriguing matchups, the big guys have always held the attention of fight fans, and hopefully this event will prove the same.