UFC 115: Frankly speaking....I almost up-Chucked

When I took my first look at the UFC's official release of the Vancouver card I wasn't very impressed. Chuck Liddell and Rich Franklin as the main event. The co main event Mirko Cro Cop versus Pat Barry. What was the UFC thinking? After all the drama that had taken place getting this event to happen and then they give us this mediocre card?

First off, I guess it goes to show don't believe anything Dana White tweets or even says on national television. He had told anyone willing to listen that it would be Liddell taking on Tito Ortiz here in Vancouver despite all the rumours to the contrary. Even Ortiz and Liddell supported this, though both have since apologized for misleading their fans. I get that White and co. want as many fans to watch the Ultimate Fighter Season 11 where Liddell and Ortiz are coaching--but you have to think they went a little far in perpetuating the lie of a third meeting between Liddell and Ortiz.

What do you think of Liddell taking on Franklin? For me--it's not a bout I'm terribly enamoured with. Both are long shots to ever get back into the title picture at 205. Over the past few years both have mediocre records. Franklin has dropped three of his last six fights, while Liddell has been even worse falling in four of his last five.

If Liddell wins he's still miles away from getting back into contention. He's only beaten a Rich Franklin who himself is on the down side of his career. And same goes if Franklin is victorious. It just means he's winning fights against guys of Liddell's pedigree...but can't seem to take the next step. In this fight it only really matters who loses. Especially if that's Liddell--it could conceivably be his last fight--unless they get around to doing the Ortiz match-up. If Franklin goes down it's more proof he's no longer amongst the UFC's elite, but rather a definite second tier fighter.

No, I would have way rather seen Ortiz in Vancouver. I'm not saying he's a better fighter than Franklin is right now--it just would have been a better match-up. Ortiz and Liddell don't like each other. Sure they're both all but washed up--but it's fun watching guys fight that truly despise one another. Add to that they're both coaches in season 11 of The Ultimate Fighter and you've got some fuel to the fire. I understand that Ortiz likely doesn't finish the season with Franklin subbing in for him, but that doesn't matter. I think they should have gone back to Ortiz for the coaches match up barring some sort of injury.

Then there is the rest of the card. According to the UFC's website the co-main event will be Mirko Cro Cop taking on Pat Barry. That's a co-main event? Not in my mind. Sure I was excited as anyone when Cro Cop made his UFC debut a few years ago. But for some reason he is not at all dominant in the cage as he is in the ring. Maybe it's his kickboxing back ground--but I've never been impressed by Cro Cop in the UFC. And Pat Barry? Well, suffice to say casual fans have no idea who Pat Barry is.

Now I like the rest of the fights the UFC is preparing for the main card. Paulo Thiago and Martin Kampmann are contenders for Fight of the Night. Both enjoy standing and banging though Thiago is definitely got the better ground game. Thiago is 4-1 in the UFC while Kampmann is 7-2.

The next fight features one of two Canadians on the card. Kelowna's Rory McDonald is widely acknowledged to be one of the bright young fighters in the welterweight division. But he will not have an easy time on June 12th. He'll face Carlos Condit who's five wins in the WEC propelled him into the UFC. He's 1-1 after two fights with his loss coming to the afore mentioned Martin Kampmann. McDonald made his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 20 where he submitted Mike Guymon. McDonald holds an untarnished MMA record of 10-0.

The last fight on the main card is also a Fight of the Night candidate. And why not? Tyson Griffin who'll take on Evan Dunham has five previous Fight of the Night honors in just nine UFC bouts. He's 7-2 over that span with his only losses coming to Sean Sherk and Frankie Edgar. Dunham has never lost. His most recent win a near arm breaking submission over TUF season 8 winner Efrain Escudero. Dunham and especially Griffin are like energizer bunnies. You've got to love the lightweights for that.

Now, there is one other bout that could find it's way onto the main card for Vancouver. And to me, this is the difference between a mediocre card and a solid one. Dana White tweeted a couple of weeks back that welterweight contenders Jon Fitch and Thiago Alves would hook up in Vancouver. You may remember they were supposed to fight a few weeks back at UFC 111, but Alves was pulled due to an irregularity found on his brain in a CT scan before the bout.

Despite the rumours--and White's tweet--Fitch and Alves were left off the Vancouver card. It's apparently because Alves hasn't been medically cleared to fight. Word is Alves is headed back to New York on April 21st for a check up, and if everything looks good he and Fitch will be added to the card. After everything that's happened with whether or not the Vancouver show was even going to happen and all the back and forth about the main event....I'll believe Fitch and Alves when it becomes official.

But make no mistake. UFC 115 needs the Fitch-Alves fight as it's co-main event. The card as it stands is totally void of any true contenders in any weight class. Fitch and Alves are widely regarded as the second and third best fighters respectively at 170. The winner would also likely be up for a rematch with title holder George St Pierre. So the fight means something. Vancouver needs a fight that has at least some implications on a title somewhere.

Unfortunately we are left hanging. The lustre of the UFC 115 card completely depends on what doctors find in the head of Thiago Alves. It seems that everything should be ok--Alves has already been cleared to train. But if he's not cleared to fight, Vancouver MMA fans will be watching an event featuring a few older fighters that are way past their best days, and a crop of young up and comers that are just as far in front of theirs.

Don't forget to join me at the Forum Sports Bar on Granville for UFC 113 on May 8th from Montreal. We'll be giving away Tap Out Gear to those who think they know a little something about the UFC. Hope to see you there!