Josh Thomson: UFC/WEC Merger Is A Nice Way Of Saying That WEC Is A Failure

I don't think it was as much a plan as Zuffa would have you believe(or else why did they test the waters with a WEC PPV?) and I do question the level of their LW's but the smaller guys are clearly some of the best in the world.

 

That isn't true. The WEC was becoming more known as each PPV went by. The whole split was stupid from the start. They got rid of the higher weights for good reason. 2 155 divisions was silly but we get to see a unification. 155 needs some new blood and Henderson is good. The addition of Aldo, Faber and co is awesome.

 

Zuffa bought to the WEC to stop IFL getting a contract with Versus back when they could only do shows with one cable provider. That contract is up and they're free to run a limited number of shows away from Spike. Therefore with the rational for keeping the two promotions separate they merge them.

Seems pretty sensible to me.

 

To compare the WEC to the UFC is unfair - because the WEC was a much, much better product. I am going to stop watching most of those fighters now simply because I don't buy UFC PPVs as a rule.

WEC and Strikeforce was an apt comparison.

 

Bottom line for a WEC/UFC merger: LESS shitty UFC PPVs!!!!

 

Doesn't make much sense; Franca - Varner was in 06, Franca - Thompson was in 04 and a majority decision, what the hell does that have to do with anything?

I think it's a pretty straight forward way of making the UFC even more synonymous with the sport of MMA; most people already closely associate the two, now people who would have been seeing the WEC will be seeing the UFC. It seems like it would be easier to promote 1 brand rather than 2.

There are still going to be shows on VS, they will just contain a wider range of fighters, as will the PPV's and Spike shows.

The only way to know if the WEC "failed" is to look at their financial situation.

 

Makes sense.

 

They're losing at least one WEC fan.

That wider range of fighters they'll be showing includes heavier fighters, in whom I have little interest.

The beautiful thing about WEC is that it capped off at lightweight, and you just had this great crowded talent pool of smaller (read: better & more entertaining) mixed martial artists.

Yes, I watch Strikeforce and DREAM and they do have some heavyweights and light heavyweights but to be honest I'd be much happier if they didn't. Anything over 185lbs turns me completely off.

A big part of my dislike of the UFC is that traditionally the "face" of the organization (with the recent exception of GSP) has been a LHW or HW, and those two divisions have traditionally been promoted the most aggressively since the end of the pioneer days (and even during them, really).

 

So you don't watch MMA above 155? Even if not, I would venture to say most of the 145 and under fights will be on VS.

It's good fights on a cable channel, why not watch?

 

I probably will, since most of the WEC talents will still interest me (as might some of the UFC lightweights I'm not as familiar with...and of course if GSP fights on free television I'm all for that). I'll just change the channel when the big boys come on, or skip all the cards that feature them predominantly.

 

I think we are ignoring the pink elephant in the room.




Where are those fine ass WEC ring card girls going to work? Rotating shifts?

 

El Puma speaketh the truth :deal

 

I believe they have been retained, will do the VS shows.

 

:thumbsup Y'all know what time it is.

And I will be tuning in. Believe that:good