Melendez, Masvidal, Mousasi, OSP, CYBORG, Noons, etc...fight this saturday

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Gil should be moved to the UFC, they're treating SF has a feeder league, having Gil stay is doing him a diservice

but they have to keep showtime 'happy', this is why they should have just not reupped, but Zuffa doesnt want another org on Show, I'm sure they also pushed for M-1 to get the boot once there contract is up

 

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anyway, D1 Mousasi made some strides in improving his game, but still gassed in the 3rd and gave up keep TDs which would hurt him against better fighters, OSP held on and made a ncie comeback, Mousasi still needs to work on things

Gil is such a couter fighters now, so is Masvidal, thats what happens

CYBORG needs to start fighting BW men

Noons looked a little flat, I expect better, but sometimes happens after coming off a loss

 

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Potential UFC Lightweights to Send to the Hexagon

- Clay Guida - Perhaps the least appealing of the choices because years ago, Melendez beat Guida in SF. Guida is out of UFC title contention following the loss to Pettis but he has a great fan following. If he sticks in UFC, the most natural fight may be with Maynard.

- Winner of Guillard/Miller on FX - They main event the FX card and both are coming off losses which ruined their momentum. Either man should make for a great fight with Melendez.

- Gray Maynard - Again, not the most appealing after seeing the Bully in two title fights already in 2011. If he gets back in the cage early in 2011 and gets a win, why not? He won't be challenging for the UFC belt anytime soon so he'll just be picking off contenders.

- BJ Penn - He's not contending for the UFC 155 belt after losing twice to Edgar and his welterweight return has been blah. Does he want to fight another Gracie guy and is it cost effective to send him to Strikeforce? He's got the most name power and despite his losses of late, would still be an impressive win for Melendez.

Kenny 'Instant Title Shot' Florian

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Gil should be moved to the UFC, they're treating SF has a feeder league, having Gil stay is doing him a diservice

but they have to keep showtime 'happy', this is why they should have just not reupped, but Zuffa doesnt want another org on Show, I'm sure they also pushed for M-1 to get the boot once there contract is up

Let it play out.

I don't think they would attach Dana to what they want perceived as a clearly second rate feeder group. In reality, that's what they will be, because anyone who emerges as a top draw will be moved over as soon as they can legally do so without breaching the Showtime contract, but I do not believe it will be pushed as such. Dana is going to stand there front and center and do what Dana does, and put the shows over. And he's not going to do that if Tyrone Woodley & Chad Griggs are the top stars.

They are committed to 8 shows per year, and they are no longer allowed to cherry pick guys who are under contract. They put themselves in a bad spot when they thought it was going to die and they killed the roster, but now they really have no choice but to build it back up. I think you will see them get more aggressive on prospects (which is bad for Bellator), and I think you will see guys lost in the UFC shuffle either moved over or re-signed to SF deals when they are cut.

The Showtime deal is a good money deal for Zuffa, plus it allows them to keep an extra 100 or so fighters under contract. It also gives the women a major league outlet and allows Zuffa to control the top major league women's scene. There are too many reasons for Zuffa to keep SF strong instead of letting it die on the vine like they did in 2011 when they thought it was ultimately history.

 

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shocking that Wilcox got KO'd by Fodor, Fodor isnt even that type of fighter, he will outwork you to win, Wilcox takes a huge step back, they had high hopes for him, but I really like Fodor, tough tough fighter and a good story

 

[Liquidrob]

I dont think Dana will be front and center like you say and what has been said, he is all UFC brand all the time, he doesnt want to do the grunt work for the SF name, SF is a place holder for the next 2 years to keep other shows from being on showtime

They do zero promotion for SF and there live gates have been awful under the zufa banner, I dont see them stepping it up for SF, the matchmaking has also been brutal and picking off the only legit prospects they have, just bad all around since zuffa took over

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Also remember that Zuffa is slowly changing the business model from 'PPV or bust' to cutting TV deals and running a higher volume of shows. They want fights every night, and they want them on TV, and that can't happen with mediocre ratings. That's why they keep dipping their toes in uncharted waters, like having two world title fights on free TV this past year (including the heavyweight title which historically is the biggest drawing weight class in combat sports), and putting three high caliber PPV level fights on the next FOX show.

This is one of the reasons they killed Challengers, which was getting beat by low level M1 shows that had zero promotion and a complete lack of any star power, even to hardcores.

You are going to see strong Showtime events, with stronger prelims on Showtime Extreme that don't involve local schmucks anymore fighting in 3:00 rounds.

 

[Liquidrob]

also, Dana is doing enough rockstar and coke to keep 5 truck drivers awake with his current load, now throw in FOX, TUF international, Japan and other countries no way he dedicates more time to SF besides a couple sound bites about them

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

I dont think Dana will be front and center like you say and what has been said, he is all UFC brand all the time, he doesnt want to do the grunt work for the SF name, SF is a place holder for the next 2 years to keep other shows from being on showtime

They do zero promotion for SF and there live gates have been awful under the zufa banner, I dont see them stepping it up for SF, the matchmaking has also been brutal and picking off the only legit prospects they have, just bad all around since zuffa took over

Like I said though, let it play out.

Zuffa thought like everyone else that it was dead, because they weren't going to shop it around if Showtime balked. The change in leadership at Showtime changed the game. Now that they have this good TV deal, it doesn't make sense anymore to keep getting ready for a funeral that isn't going to happen.

Zuffa has a million reasons to keep SF at a respectable, pre purchase level.

Time will tell if Dana is serious about being the front man, but I think the mindset right now is that it will happen.

Plus the Gil promo had me reading between the lines. He sounded like someone who was told that he wasn't going anywhere, and that they were going to beef up his division. This way, he does a call out promo, challenges guys to come to HIS HEXAGON, and looks like a hot shot when Zuffa moves some guys over to face him. If they had been telling him he's going to UFC, that promo would have sounded a lot different. Sounds like everyone is staying put (aside from the heavies) and they are getting behind this thing.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

also, Dana is doing enough rockstar and coke to keep 5 truck drivers awake with his current load, now throw in FOX, TUF international, Japan and other countries no way he dedicates more time to SF besides a couple sound bites about them

Don't forget the live TUF fights every friday. He says he will be at every one of them, to stand in the cage and say "This is a two round fight in the lightweight division. If we are tied after two rounds, we will go to sudden victory. Good luck guys."

 

[EmpireWF]

It will be WEC 2.0 after they moved the heavier divisions out. It's not a bad thing. It gives a place for younger fighters to show what they've got before eventually moving up to the big stage.

Plus, by getting rid of Challengers, it will create cards with more depth. And we'll finally see prelim fights whether it be on ShoEXT or as filler on Showtime if/when cards end early enough.

Not to mention SF will the exclusive spot for high level womens fighting.

 

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and for the record, I agree on the call out, as soon as Gil did it I figured they told him to do it

They can really play it up if Gil keeps winning, but I doubt they pull it off right, they don't want to hurt the UFC 'brand'