UFC on FOX 2 good, but not great in second go-around

Rashad Evans defeated Phil Davis by unanimous decision at
UFC on FOX 2 for a shot at Jon Jones in April at UFC 145.

With two number one contender’s matches set for the UFC on FOX 2 in Chicago, which was the UFC’s second attempt at cable glory was poised to be the barometer that casual fans would judge the sport by. However, it was another lackluster performance that might have caused more fans to turn their backs than stay glued to their televisions.

Following their first foray into cable television, which resulted in a first-round KO victory for Junior dos Santos over Cain Velasquez, executives and fans were expecting more from this three-fight main card. All three bouts had its respective moments of entertainment, but none took the opportunity to standout and steal the spotlight.

Two middleweight bouts led into the light-heavyweight bout between Phil Davis and Rashad Evans, for a chance at Jon Jones and the UFC light-heavyweight title. The first middleweight bout was between Demian Maia and Chris Weidman.

That bout was not a bad nor was it a boring one. As is the case with a lot of mixed martial arts bouts, the fight on paper looked a lot better than the fight that took place. Weidman had taken the bout on just eleven days notice after Mark Munoz had to drop out due to an elbow injury, which caused Michael Bisping to move up and face Chael Sonnen. That left Maia without an opponent. Weidman stepped in to face Maia and held his own for the three-round battle. Both fighters were exhausted and had given it their all, but neither landed any hard shots. It ended as a unanimous decision victory for Weidman (29-28, 29-28, and 30-27).

Heading into the card Weidman vs. Maia was being seen as the bout least likely to give fireworks due to last-minute changes, but everyone expected Sonnen vs. Bisping to be a war. And, for the most part, it was.

Both Sonnen and Bisping are as entertaining on the mic as they are in the octagon. Sonnen clearly won the talking battle, but his victory inside the cage wasn’t as clear. The first-round was a highly contested start to the fight and it seemed Bisping had taken an upper-hand with his striking. Round two was a toss up. Both men could have won that round and it seemed they were even going into the final round all tied up at a round apiece. For a majority of the third-round, Bisping and Sonnen traded blows. Each man seemed to have a shot to win the bout when the final bell rang and there was bound to be some controversy when the judges decision came in.

At the worst, it would have been a split decision victory for one of the warriors. But, all three judges scored the bout in favor of Sonnen. During the post-fight presser Sonnen seemed surprised he won by unanimous decision and was nothing but complimentary to Bisping. Sonnen’s win, albeit a controversial one, earned him another shot at UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva.

With the two middleweight bouts down, the main event was ready to take center stage. Light-heavyweights Rashad Evans and Phil Davis were vying for a shot at Jon Jones’ UFC light-heavyweight title.

Evans, a Chicago native, was a heavy favorite over the undefeated Davis. From the get-go it was clear that Phil Davis was not ready for the jump in competition quite yet. He was impressive in the five-round bout, but Evans showed his versatility and veteran in-ring savvy. This fight had quick finish written all over it, but both men gave it their all for a chance at UFC gold. This unanimous decision victory wasn’t quite controversial, but the fight itself still drew boos from the United Center crowd. Evans looked distraught and unimpressed with his unanimous decision victory even though all three judges had it 50-45 in his favor.

An April 21, 2012 title shot against Jon Jones at UFC 145 in Atlanta was not enough to ease Evans attitude. He was clearly upset about his performance, but looks focused on the next task at hand.

After the UFC’s debut on FOX was lackluster, this card could have been a make or break moment for the promotion. For the hardcore fans, this was a night full of strong fights that gave fans great performances by the six fighters. For the casual fans, it might have caused them to turn away and decide not to give the sport another chance.

Either way, UFC on FOX 2 could have been what you expected or an utter failure. Luckily for the UFC, MMA is a sport where anything can happen on a given night and that is what will cause fans to continue coming back.

Follow me on Twitter @NiteshDutt.