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The Fight That's Been a Long Time Coming and Bellator's Genius Move

Bellator has been sitting in the tail lights of the UFC for a long time now.  However, the promotion has decided to make an aggressive and different move, and for Bellator 97 the promotion announced the main event of their first ever pay-per-view event. Former UFC light heavyweight Quintin “Rampage” Jackson would face fellow former light heavyweight champion (and UFC Hall of Famer), Tito Ortiz.  Both men competed at overlapping times in the UFC for many years, and this fight could have happened on many different occasions. It’s a bout many fans have been waiting for.

This fight has created mixed emotions in fans. Some, like myself, have been waiting for this match-up of former champs, and are eagerly awaiting the event. Many though think Bellator’s decision to make this the main event of their first paper-view event is hilarious. They describe this match-up as a bout between two fading fighters that are over the hill and well past their prime. If you look at their numbers, one could make this argument. Rampage is on a three-fight losing streak, and Ortiz is only 1-7-1 in his last nine bouts. Therefore, many fans won’t think this event is worth purchasing or even watching. These fans, are also not thinking outside of the box; they’re not stepping back and looking at the big picture.

The fact is, Bellator has great fighters. Champions Ben Askren, Michael Chandler and Pat Curran are all exciting, talented fighters that could probably compete at the UFC-level. The problem is, if you ask a casual MMA fan about any of Bellator’s fighters, they’ll probably reply with “who?” The fighters in Bellator just aren’t as recognizable as the stars in the UFC. With Rampage Jackson and Tito Ortiz, there won’t be a problem with fans recognizing those headlining the event; both are true MMA legends and have been facing the best fighters in the world for the majority of their careers.

The fact they’re on the downside of the career doesn’t matter, despite what some think. I liken their situation to the hockey team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs haven’t won a Stanley Cup in many decades, and they finally made the play-offs this year for the first time in nine years only to come up short. But despite not being the best team in the NHL, the Leafs are one of the most popular hockey teams in the league and are one of Canada’s most beloved brands as a result of their hardcore and loyal fans. The same goes for Jackson and Ortiz. No matter how many times they lose or come up short, they still draw crowds, and people continue to watch them. That’s because they have loyal fans who have followed them throughout their career, that either love them or love to hate them.

Both men have almost half a million Twitter followers. Those followers who are fans will now have to watch Jackson and Ortiz in Bellator instead of the UFC. This means Bellator has many potential new viewers, which I believe will only increase their popularity and success. Some people feel Bellator is just picking up the UFC’s crumbs, signing the fighters the UFC releases – but, that’s just an ignorant statement. It’s a smart idea to sign the fighters the UFC releases. Not only are UFC fighters more recognized, they’re typically some of the more talented in the world too. On top of this, if the UFC decides to release their fighters, the fans of those fighters will have to watch whatever promotion signs these fighters next. By signing the fighters the UFC releases, they pick up talented fighters along with new viewers. Bellator already has UFC vets Kurt Pellegrino, Ben Saunders, Vladimir Matyushenko, and Diego Nunes to name a few, as well as Jackson and Ortiz now. They also have former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Muhammed Lawal. All those fighters have loyal fans who are now watching Bellator instead of, or in addition to, the UFC.

It’s crazy to think that Bellator will match the UFC’s success any time soon by continuing this pattern. The UFC has been doing this for just too long and is simply to big to compete with. However, if Bellator keeps signing their former UFC fighters, they will increase the talent of their weight class and acquire a decent amount of viewers.

Since Jackson and Ortiz are well known, are great at selling a fight, and have many fans, making their fight the main event of their first pay-per-view event is smart. As for the event itself, there’s more they’ll need add to make it a true success. To convince the critics of the “Jackson/Ortiz fight” to watch the event, they’ll need to add some solid Bellator talent on to the card – and not just UFC drippings. The previously mentioned Askren, Chandler or Curran defending their belt would make for a good co-main event. Adding two title fights to the fight card would be even better – and would make it their biggest event ever with the Jackson/Ortiz headliner. They need to go all out on this card and have their best talent on display. It simply needs to be their best event ever!

Jackson and Ortiz are no doubt on the downside of their legendary careers, but they’ll still do wonders for Bellator’s ratings even if the fight turns out to be a let-down. This is was a well played move by Bellator, and they should continue to sign former UFC legends and fighters. They will only continue to build their fan base on the path they’re headed on.

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