UFC moves to 5-round main events

[SHOGUN]

....effectively losing some luster for championship fights, all but killing chance for Jon Fitch to become a main eventer, and giving the UFC an opportunity to pimp not-so-awesome fights/events as championship-caliber somehow.

http://mmaweekly.com/all-ufc-non-title-main-events-will-be-five-round-fights-going-forward

UFC President Dana White made the official announcement on Thursday that any fight signed from this day forward as a main event would be a 5 round fight, regardless of if it’s a title fight or not.

Any fight currently signed for a main event that’s not a title fight such as Rashad Evans and Phil Davis, who square off at UFC 133 in Philadelphia, will remain a 3 round fight.

“What I don’t want to do to guys, fights that we’ve already made and they signed the bout agreement, you’re mentally training for a 3 round fight. ‘Oh now it’s 5 rounds’, you can’t do that to guys,” White stated.

White was specific in stating all future bout agreements for main event non-title fights would be five round affairs.

“From this day forward as we speak right here, right now today, every fight that is a main event that is not a title fight will be a five round fight,” said White. “For Spike and everything else.”

This will be the first time in the modern history of the sport that MMA has had five round fights that are not championship bouts.

White has long talked about making the move, and said they almost made the jump at UFC 131, but bout agreements had already been signed and the fighters were already in training camps to prepare for a three round fight.

“We’re very close to doing it,” White revealed when speaking about five round non-title fights following UFC 129.

Now it is a reality.

White also specified that this policy is in effect for any show that the UFC produces whether it’s a pay-per-view or a UFC Fight Night event, main event fights will be 5 round non-title bouts.

Let the cardio and conditioning workouts begin.

[EmpireWF]

People have wanted this for years and I'm okay with it. Gives a bit more bang for your buck when there is no title fight on a PPV.

The only negatives are some fights may not be better off as 5-rounders (Rampage/Jardine, Nogueira/Davis, Okami/Marquardt, etc.)....and if this rule also applies to live TV specials, it will cut down on the amount of fights they can air.

[Warner2BruceTD]

This is a positive. More rounds = less wacky scoring.

Also, they will add a 125 lb. division very soon.

[EmpireWF]

This is a positive. More rounds = less wacky scoring.

Also, they will add a 125 lb. division very soon.

I've been hearing about them wanting to add a flyweight division forever it seems...always figured it would be a long time away.

[SHOGUN]

This is a positive. More rounds = less wacky scoring.

Also, they will add a 125 lb. division very soon.

This doesn't change the judging at all. The only upside is that there is a more chance at a finish, taking it out of the judges hand.

In regards to the rash of judging incompetence, all this does is put a band-aid on a staph infection.

[EmpireWF]

In regards to the rash of judging incompetence, all this does is put a band-aid on a staph infection.

Considering the UFC has no hand in the judging pool, this is the best they can do, no?

[Warner2BruceTD]

People have wanted this for years and I'm okay with it. Gives a bit more bang for your buck when there is no title fight on a PPV.

The only negatives are some fights may not be better off as 5-rounders (Rampage/Jardine, Nogueira/Davis, Okami/Marquardt, etc.)....and if this rule also applies to live TV specials, it will cut down on the amount of fights they can air.

It will force guys to push the pace if they don't want to go 5.

And I dont see it mattering much in terms of airing just as many fights. They've done title fights before many times on tv with no issue or cutting down of the card.