Timing is very important in many different aspects of life, and the same can be said for professional sports. There are reasons that seasons run during particular points of the year and events are held on specific days. For example, the UFC has consistently held an event each year in Las Vegas that coincides with the NFL’s Super Bowl weekend, which is a perfect weekend to capitalize on gamblers and sports fans who have flocked to the city, as well as gain the attention the televised sports-watching public. However, this weekend, mixed martial arts may see an example of the exact opposite when card planning goes wrong for World Series of Fighting 5.
If you asked a casual sports fan what major sports event happens this weekend, there’s a good chance their answer will be football, which started its season last week. More knowledgeable sports fans would likely respond with the answer of Floyd Mayweather vs. Canelo Alvarez – a card that is expected to be the biggest boxing event of the year. Unfortunately, there’s no telling how many times you will have to ask the same question before the answer “WSOF 5” is given. For a number of reasons this card has flown tragically under the radar.
There is no denying that World Series of Fighting 5 is an extremely weak card when it comes to star power. Mainstream promotion or not, there is a level of marquee name that needs to be featured in major MMA events in order to capture the attention from fans that is necessary for an event to achieve success, and this card is truly devoid of any individual who fits that bill.
The biggest name on the card, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski, is filling in for Anthony Johnson to face Mike Kyle in the main event. Neither one of these fighters would be considered one of the top 20 fighters in the division, but at this point in time they are the best headlining options available for the promotion.
The bright spot of this card is the four-man tournament to determine the first ever WSOF Middleweight Champion. David Branch, Danillo Villefort, Elvis Mutapcic, and Jesse Taylor are all set to face off in a tournament that will be concluded in a future event. And while those names would not grab space in the brightest of MMA spotlights, they all have the ability to put on great fights for those in attendance and in front of the television.
However, the expectations for ratings for this event should be set extremely low. The last few weeks of MMA action have featured some big UFC events, and even those ratings tapered off towards the end. With Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson due to face each other next weekend at UFC 165, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the MMA-watching demographic took this weekend off to either catch the boxing match or go create some other adventure.
The WSOF should keep a close eye on the ratings this weekend , but not hit panic mode if they are low. This card doesn’t feature the organization’s biggest stars, such as Johnson, Josh Burkman, Jon Fitch, Nick Newell, and Marlon Moraes. Perhaps the promotion’s matchmakers are focusing on stacking the next card with its more prominent names.
On the other hand, they could choose to spread the stars on the WSOF’s roster across a number of potential cards. Either way, this coming card is not an accurate barometer of the promotion’s overall strength.
The fall season is the most busy time of the year in the sports world. This weekend is just one of the hectic periods that will come in the next few months with so many different sports going on at once. The World Series of Fighting is literally fighting for the limited attention of sports fans. This weekend’s WSOF 5 event may not generate the best viewership for the promotion, but a disappointing showing will not be a condemning one.
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World Series of Fighting 5 will take place on September 14, 2013 at Revel Atlantic City in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Click the stars to rate how good you think World Series of Fighting 5 will be.
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