I'm of 2 minds of this "lay-off" problem, assuming that it is even a problem.
Part of me feels that we are getting the right amount of UFC action, its just the scheduling that sometimes is a bit off. Another part of me feels as if there aren't enough title bouts on PPV's, but thats probably more a misrememberance than any actual lack of championship content on the part of the UFC.
For the sake of discussion, lets assume that there does in fact exist a problem wherein the UFC might have fighter morale or other personnel issues based on the event schedule. If that were the case, the UFC could easily bring in some logistics people to help craft a new event scheduling model for the promotion, one which standardizes seasonal "major" cards, which feature assigned title defenses, and "minor" cards, which are for working out unresolved issues of contention.
Therein lies a huge problem though.
Let's say the UFC decides that at their "major summer" PPV, the LHW and WW titles will be defended. A week before the event, the WW champion pops a hamstring, catches staph, or wakes up with the sniffles. He's naturally going to pull out rather than defend at less than 100%
What does the UFC do now? The whole house of cards comes crumbling down.
Given the nature of MMA and the money involved in the UFC, I'd say that their front office is probably doing their level best to get the highest number of events with the best available content per event out to their fans, or customers if you prefer.
I do think both carls and bigchris2328 make vaild points. I specifically remember Mirko CroCop having issues with fighting maybe twice a year, and this thing where Shogun Rua backs into an undeserved title shot because of scheduling conflicts really rubs me the wrong way. I've gone on record with the whole Brock Lesnar getting an undeserved title shot thing, and Shogun-Machida touches on that same raw nerve in me,
One way to help stop this sort of thing from happening again is for the UFC to stop scheduling these nonsensical catchweight and crossweight "super-fights". If Anderson Silva chooses to vacate the MW title and move up to LHW, fighting Forrest Griffin is a man event level fight.
Same with GSP and BJ Penn.
No longlasting benefit to the sport can be found in Penn and GSP fighting each other when both the LW and the WW ranks are filled with hungry contenders seeking title shots. The idea of Anderson Silva fighting Forrest Griffin instead of Demian Maia honestly makes me ill, and I say this as a Forrest Griffin supporter.
Griffin should be fighting Machida, Maia should be fighting A Silva, and GSP and Penn should be fighting contenders in their respective weight divisions, and the UFC should save the sideshow matchmaking for MMA promoters in Japan.
I realize that PRIDE fans were used to seeing crap like Wanderlei Silva fight a man who outweighed him by 40 pounds, but that stuff is now as outdated as MMA in a boxing ring.
Unfortunately the reason these pointless superfights takes place is the UFC's hellbent for leather pursuit of the almighty dollar. Most times I support anything that benefits the UFC, because by extension it benefits the sport as a whole, but superfights amongst current titleholders is just plain bad for the sport, even if its good for the UFC's bottom line.
Does anyone respect BJ Penn less because he lost to an amazing champion in another weight class? NO.
People respect Penn less after the GSP fight because of the way he conducted himself before and after the fight, NOT because of anything that happened in the cage.
The Anderson Silva-Forrest Griffin fight is also essentially without merit. Sure, it might be a great fight, but if Silva wins it does nothing for the MW division, and makes Griffin look less impressive in his eventual title bout. If Griffin wins, he's beaten a chunked up MW who he probably should be beating, and it does nothing for the LHW division. Two divisions of the UFC are jammed up because of this one superfight. Losing 2 decent title fights for one superfight doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to me.
It's one thing for fighters in limbo like Wand and Franklin to be booked in a catchweight throwdown. It's another to make contenders wait in 4 weight classes so we can see fights like Penn-GSP and Silva-Griffin, neither of which IMO wil lbe worth the hassle.
It's maybe time for Dana White to start looking at the bigger picture of the sport as a whole, and not just as a patchwork of events and fighters and PPVs and turning a profit.
Finally I do wish people would stop b*tching about the quality of UFC 103 before the event is even finalized. I'm sure that while UFC 103 won't be like UFC 100, the promotion will put together the best card they can with the talent available to them at the time. Yes, y'all down in Texas have a right to feel ripped off, but jeez, let the promotion solidify their card before drawing your six-guns and going all "Alamo" on the UFC's @ss.
Also, you never know when a fight is going to develop into something special. People in Texas might be treated to something truly unique or extraordinary inside the Octagon, and while I agree that Luiz Cane is nowhere near "ready for primetime", the UFC might still find a better fight for Franklin.
