Co-Main

The UFC is such a strange beast. The desperately want to be considered a “real” sport, but they just don't understand what that means.

Take the event that they put on Fox Sports a couple of weeks ago. As it was on free TV, there were no title matches, which is fine. There was a solid undercard and two co-main events.

In both of the main bouts, there were guys who did not deserve to be there. In the first it was a guy named Travis Browne up against Alistair Overeem. Browne's record was 14-1-1, while Overeem's was 32-12-1. You'd think it would have been billed as the up-and-comer taking on the old, battered veteran.

The way they were talking, Overeem was the guy they wanted to win. Every time he has won a fight over the last few years, they immediately start talking about a title shot after one more win. He then fails to get that win, either due to a loss, a fight cancellation due to injury, or drug suspension. The guy walks around looking like a poster child promoting sports performance through pharmaceuticals. I've seen him fight several times, and he fights that way, too.

Here they were again, talking how Overeem would be getting a title shot after he wins this one. No such talk about Browne. Somehow Overeem was rated 5^th in the world, and Browne only 8^th.

So it started, and out came muscle-boy Overeem; pushing Browne around like a rag doll. He gets Browne down and looks like he's killing him. No technique, just power. Browne weathers it, and gets back to his feet. He starts hitting back with simple, straight striking. Overeem has his hands up, but is so clumsy he is unable to block anything. Overeem is knocked just over 4 minutes into the first round.

In the co-main event it was former champion Mauricio Rua against Chael Sonnen. Going into the bout Rua was rated 8 in the world, but fading fast. His last few fights have shown that his mojo is gone. It's time for him to hang up the gloves.

So he is up against Sonnen. This guy's claim to fame was based on three big losses. Sonnen used to fight in the middleweight division, and was a competent competitor. The champ at that weight was so dominant that he'd beaten everybody better, so Sonnen got a title shot. During that fight, something seemed wrong with the champ, and Sonnen was winning every round, until the last where the champion choked Sonnen out.

Sonnen got a re-match, as he should. This time the champ was on his game and knocked Sonnen out in less than two minutes.

Sonnen's next fight after that loss was a title match in the Light-Heavyweight division. Notice that? A guy is knocked out in under two minutes by the 185 pound champ, so he has somehow earned a shot at the 205 pound title holder.

Sonnen is knocked out in the first round again.

Being one of the UFC's golden boys means he gets a big-name fighter opponent again. Out of the entire top-ten roster of the Light-Heavyweight division, who would he stand a chance against? The only one unable to easily destroy Sonnen would be Mauricio Rua, so that is who he faces.

Sonnen choked poor Mauricio out with 13 seconds left in round one.

Both of these “main-events” were embarrassing.