Issue 064

July 2020

World Extreme Cagefighting’ will have created many converts to the lighter men of mixed martial arts with its 48th event (back once again in Sacramento). It was both a thrilling event and made history as the WEC’s first pay-per-view broadcast, another sign that the sport has become wider-reaching. 

Personally, it struck me as one of the best events I have ever witnessed; quality, and entertainment, from top to bottom. Is it something to do with the faster speed and athleticism of the fighters? I haven’t made my mind up yet, but in mulling it over several things struck me. The main one: Has the time come to align the UFC and the WEC organizations, owned as they both are by Zuffa? 

The WEC’s 48th event was promoted as a ‘WEC pay-per-view event’, but was there any WEC branding? None that I could see. In fact, I looked into it – in all but name, it was almost presented as a UFC pay-per-view event. The weigh-ins featured Dana White (not Reed Harris) fronting them, we had Bruce Buffer and his twirling 180s in the combat zone, with color commentators and analysts in the ubiquitous Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg. It begs the question: Why have the WEC as a separate entity at all? 

Here’s the reason (at least for now). The WEC adds to the weight divisions already in the UFC. Headliners such as Jose Aldo, clearly a superstar, can gain more exposure in the WEC than lumped in with the rest in the UFC. Zuffa can also use the WEC as leverage for television deals over other organizations such as Strikeforce. Amalgamate the WEC with the UFC and Zuffa has only one type of event to negotiate with when it comes to talking to television companies, so it is keeping its options open. That may change – sooner rather than later – with the lightweight division, nonetheless. Dana White, the UFC president, has already admitted as much. 

They said BJ Penn had no one to fight (apart from a certain Mr Edgar), but Ben Henderson looks to be a clear contender for the UFC lightweight title, along with, I’d add, Aldo. There is even a case to make for Aldo becoming the first three-weight champion. If the UFC amalgamates the WEC lightweight division, the WEC could be adjusted to feature, possibly, 125lb, 135lb and 145lb divisions only. Certainly, at present, no one would consider Henderson the world champion at 155lb – just like Jake Shields, the Strikeforce champion, needs a winning showdown against Georges St Pierre before he can be considered a genuine world-belt holder.  

There is another germane reason for total integration of the WEC and the UFC. White has never subscribed to the description of ‘cage fighting’, and there it is, in big, bold letters. I’d wager that, before too long, the WEC will be forever an integrated group within the UFC – it will have served its purpose.

WEC 48 was expected to achieve 75,000 pay-per-views, the break-even number. Early indications were that it was closer to 200,000 buys, which means it would have grossed around $5.5million. Over one million viewers watched it on Spike.

That in itself might keep the WEC separate for slightly longer, although, looking at it another way, by integrating the two organizations it may enable the UFC to have a title fight on every numbered event going forward. Several recent UFC events – UFC 110, UFC 109, UFC 108, UFC 106 and UFC 105 – did not include title fights, and, although there were an unfortunate series of injuries and withdrawals affecting those events, it may make commercial sense in the long-term for one aligned body, from super heavyweight (say, 250lb+), down to 125lb. With all due respect to both legends, it may mean an end to headline events such as Randy Couture vs Mark Coleman. 

Referee bashing again – the Silva-Miragliotta axis

Twice in a row this column has picked on big Dan Miragliotta – this time I hark back to UFC 112, and Anderson Silva. It may be water under the bridge now for many – including Dana White, who was very quick to forgive the Brazilian for his comportment against Demian Maia – but there is a fervently strong case for the fact that the sport was brought into disrepute in that UFC middleweight title fight. 

It is an issue which needs to be looked at closely in the sport – forget retrospective punishment, which in this instance was negligible anyway, but look at the fight itself. Miragliotta should have stepped in and deducted points in the third, fourth and even fifth rounds. Miragliotta should have been harder on Silva earlier in the fight. The hubris Silva displayed in the later rounds was simply unacceptable and a disgrace. What Silva did mocked and belittled his opponent, the sport and those who had paid good money to watch it. 

In fact, if Miragliotta had applied the unified rules wholeheartedly, Silva could have quite simply been disqualified on the grounds of ‘The use of abusive language in the fighting area’, ‘Timidity’ and penalties for persistent misconduct. If Miragliotta had deducted points with alacrity I believe it would have sharpened Silva’s mind to get back to the job he does best: fighting.  

Rant over.

By Gareth A Davies.