Bellator 97 could be considered a successful event for Bellator MMA. Two champions remained undefeated and finished their opponents: one cemented himself as a fan favorite, while the other further embraced his growing heel persona. The promotion also had one of its main attractions finish another opponent in his bid to become a champion. Knockouts and submissions were in full effect at the event. However, one announcement stood out, and in the end, this move may have negative ramifications that the promotion isn’t equipped to deal with.
The announcement that Quinton “Rampage” Jackson will make his debut for the organization against the recently retired UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz was pushed to the marquee during the event. Both fighters postured in the cage to begin the buildup for the organization’s pay-per-view debut on November 2nd. The grandstanding during the announcement was fun to watch, but in the end, one must question whether this is the right move.
Headlining a pay-per-view event with two light heavyweights that have combined to lose six straight fights will raise the eyebrows of the media and hardcore fanbase. It’s apparent that this is an attempt at a media grab by Bellator, as both Jackson and Ortiz are “mainstream” stars that have some buzz outside of the cage. Unfortunately, it is the hardcore base that has kept MMA afloat until this point, and the promotion may find itself accused of alienating that group with matchmaking such as this.
Bellator MMA features names such as Michael Chandler, Ben Askren, Pat Curran, and a host of others who put on exciting bouts each and every time they compete. While it would not be shocking to see these fighters on that card, not featuring them in some sort of main event is a move that will have a negative impact on the company. Tito and Quinton do have the talking ability to hype a fight, but at this stage in their careers, its understandable if the initial sentiment is lackadaisical.
This is comparable to the matchup between Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins that occurred when both star boxers were well past their prime. The event didn’t draw much attention in any respect, and is considered a laughable point in both fighter’s careers. The Spike platform is going to play a major role in the promotion of this fight, as the Total Nonstop Wrestling brand will be used to help build the card. Both Ortiz and Jackson have experience in the promotion and have recently appeared on air together to further the storyline. The question is whether or not this will affect the perception of the sport with both mainstream and hardcore fans.
Bellator’s first pay-per-view event was an opportunity for the organization to move away from the tournament format for a night, and give fans a multitude of fights to turn the spotlight onto them in a positive manner. Instead, they’ve announced a headlining bout featuring two fighters who were once great, but are now well into career downturns, and were expendable to the UFC. At first glance, this isn’t the best move to further the organization’s position in the sport, and it could have epic effects on the promotion as a whole.
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Bellator 106: Rampage vs. Tito will take place on November 2, 2013 at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center in Long Beach, California.
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