Often we hear the phrase "anything can happen in MMA".

This statement of coarse eludes to the fact that regardless of a fighters skill or experience or the probability that they will win a fight, this is not always the case. Upsets happen and often it is the upsets that remind me why I love this sport. (e.g. Lytle vs. Ebersole)

"Anything can happen in MMA" is also the mating call of the hype machine.

Georges St-Pierre vs Dan Hardy is a perfect example. When this fight was originally announced I laughed. It might even have been a scoff. How was Dan Hardy possibly going to contend with GSP in any way, shape, or form?  Most of us so called "hard cores" knew that this was a pointless fight with only one possible outcome, but that didn't stop the hype machine from creating doubt.

Enter, UFC Primetime and Countdown shows. I know GSP is going to win and that it's going to be a lopsided affair, but what's this? Joe Rogan is talking about the left hand of Dan Hardy? Now I'm watching countless replays of Dan Hardy knocking out Rory Markham with a counter left hook and hearing about Dan Hardy training with Shaolin monks in the mountains. There might actually be something to this guy, he might actually be able to pull it off!

Well, we all know how that fight went, but I'm sure glad I was accosted by the hype machine beforehand. We all rant and rave about how exciting of a sport MMA is, and a lot of this can be attested to the hype leading up to fights.

Often times I see people speaking negatively about the way certain fighters are marketed as being better then they actually are (Bisping), and I say "who cares". I watch fights because I like to be entertained and if marketing and hype can make an upcoming event seem more relevant than it really is, or make me think that fighter A actually has a chance of beating fighter B than I am all for it.

I don't want to tune in for a sure thing, I want to tune in for "anything can happen in MMA"

Thank you hype machine.