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Around SBN: Kentucky 64, Connecticut 61 -- Postmortem

Lesnar's Bad News Could Be Good News for The UFC

"You were supposed to be this colossus. You were this great, legendary thing…" -Vizzini, The Princess Bride

1256834936_ufc106-lesnar_medium

 

My first column at Heavy.com is up, wherein I look at the pros and cons of Brock Lesnar being sidelined with the flu.

A cynic would argue that, had Lesnar not been so stubborn for so long and gotten himself some Tamiflu early on, we could all still look forward to watching him defend his title on November 21. That’s a reasonable position to take, but there is a silver lining to this cloud. It will, however, require some patience.

 

Fortunately, the re-match of Tito Ortiz v. Forrest Griffin features two high-profile fighters who have both come a long way since their first fight, in which Ortiz earned a split-decision victory.

Griffin, no longer the wide-eyed newcomer fresh out of the original "Ultimate Fighter" house, is a recent Light Heavyweight champion. Ortiz, on the other hand, is coming off of back surgery and returns to the UFC after an 18-month hiatus. Now the main event, the buy rate for Ortiz v. Griffin II will tell us whether or not Griffin’s recent meltdown following his loss to Anderson Silva will affect his popularity (probably not) and to what degree Tito Ortiz is still viable, both as a contender at Light Heavyweight and as a draw. 500,000 buys is a conservative estimate for the event.

Coincidentally,  when Tito Ortiz fought Forrest Griffin for the first time on UFC 59 in 2006, the match was billed as the "return of the Huntington Beach Bad Boy." Did you know that when they first fought, the event did a then-record 425k buys? By comparison, Dave Meltzer's latest trending numbers suggest Machida v. Shogun drew about that many buys. You can rest assured that Ortiz v. Griffin II will do better business the second time around.

Not only is the UFC is left with two shows that should generate a sum total of at least 1.5 million buys, but they are also left with a lot of options.

The UFC will have Silva v. Belfort, Machida v. Shogun 2, and ultimately St. Pierre v. Swick/Hardy at the ready. I know a lot of folks lately have been lamenting the lack of strong main events on UFC shows, but it sure looks like that won't be an issue, at least for the first few months, in 2010.

While it’s unfortunate that the UFC will end its year with more of a whimper than their previously scheduled bang, it’s difficult to shed a tear when thinking about the not-so-distant future. It’s ironic that this pandemic, this viral outbreak that’s causing so many people to lose their minds, is responsible for what may wind up as the most successful start to a year enjoyed by the UFC. To think that because Lesnar’s next title defense will be so early in the year he is all but ensured to fight at least three times in 2010, you can’t help but be optimistic.

It’s more than adapting to circumstance; it’s the taming of the flu.

For the rest of my analysis on the domino effect caused by Brock Lesnar's flu, check out the full article on Heavy.com.

(art via Heavy.com)

The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Bloody Elbow readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloody Elbow editors or staff.

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As far as I see it this just gives them time to schedule a UFC Primetime (which would do amazing for them) and scrap the Countdown.

Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."

by xFenixKnightx on Oct 30, 2009 9:06 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Yep

Loved the primteime. Want more.

'He built his whole reputation as a waffle house chef. They’ve been serving him up ham and eggs with a side of canned tomatoes' - Don Frye on Fedor Emelianenko

by Well Read Idiot on Oct 30, 2009 10:59 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

It all boils down to whether or not Tito-Griffin can sell a PPV. If they can, well, this just gives additional breathign room for a promotion that needs legit main events badly.

by Ty Lannister on Oct 30, 2009 2:20 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Flu

Tamiflu is usually only reserved for very severe cases of flu or for very young children, the elderly, and others with decreased immune systems. From what we’re hearing about Brock’s case it’s lasted longer than a week, so it’s prolonged, especially for the flu, but not severe. Severe would have landed anyone in the hospital or killed them within the first few days. Tamiflu is usually only effective if given within the first 48 hours,and even then only shortens the duration of the flu by one or two days. The above info is legit, I’m a Family Practice Doc as well as a Ringside Physician.

by Warhog on Oct 31, 2009 7:37 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Sure, but what if Brock had sought medical care at the first signs of his flu-like symptoms? Under the circumstances, I think the severity of the case would be open to interpretation, which is to say, he would need to get better in order to keep his scheduled fight date.

Although, as I said in my article, it probably won’t matter much in the long run.

...Behold, a pale horse. The man that sat upon it was Wieters, and hell followed with him.

"BJ on the BE" - Kierkegaard

by Brett Jones on Nov 2, 2009 8:44 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

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