The UFC Lacking Star Power? Not A Chance, Says Dana White
Similar to the tumultuous summer of 2012, the UFC has been going through some serious growing pains throughout the early stages of 2014.
Longtime champions and massive pay-per-view (PPV) draws Anderson Silva and Georges St. Pierre are on the sidelines recuperating from serious leg injuries. Two of the men tasked with the burden of replacing them, heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and lightweight champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, are also on the shelf.
Velasquez is recovering from a recent shoulder surgery, an injury that has made a 2014 return uncertain for the dominating American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) product. Pettis, who has been out of action since his title-sealing submission win over Benson Henderson at UFC 164, will coach the upcoming season of TUF 20 against Gilbert Melendez and face off with “El Nino” on the promotion’s traditional year-ending show.
The unfortunate circumstances have lead to quite a predicament in a year that features by far the most UFC events ever aired. In preparation for this Saturday night’s (April 26, 2014) blockbuster UFC 172 card from Baltimore, UFC President Dana White appeared on ESPN’s “Highly Questionable” with Dan Le Batard.
When asked if the UFC was currently lacking star power, the promotion’s headman was quick to shut that notion down (via MMA Mania):
“You are absolutely wrong. It is not the case. We are actually putting on more fights than we have ever put on and the sport is continuing to grow. Johny Hendricks just fought Robbie Lawler and the thing sold out with a massive gate down there and did very well on PPV. Quit reading the Internet. If you are going to ask me questions, ask questions that are true… stop asking stupid questions.”
The president may seem a bit defensive about the touchy subject, most likely because the timing absolutely couldn’t be worse for the rigorous UFC summer schedule, which features three straight months with two cards in one day/weekend.
That’s an extremely aggressive strategy that may or may not pay off, but even the most hardcore of fans are citing it as potentially too much of a good thing.
It certainly doesn’t help that many of the Octagon’s greatest stars are unavailable to bolster some of the upcoming cards that may appear a bit lackluster, at least on paper. There has been a solid mix of action at recent events, suggesting that the UFC’s talent can persevere without huge name stars.
But if the ratings for last weekend’s (April 19, 2004) UFC on FOX 11 are any indication, the UFC can use any and all star power they can get.
Do you agree with the president, or is the UFC’s showing been subpar thanks to the absence of true top-level PPV draws?
