Can’t sell some on fight alone
UFC 212: Aldo vs. Holloway is a great title match, so why is nobody paying attention?
During his most recent appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast, veteran journalist Chuck Klosterman made a point about sports commentary these days that really stuck out to me.
“You can’t talk about what’s going on, even if the game itself was fascinating,” he said. “That’s not enough now.”
While he was referring to the cabal of professional loudmouths who say outlandish things on the airwaves every day — Skip Bayless, Stephen A. Smith, Rob Parker, etc. — and their need to go one step beyond reasonable to generate buzz and incite battles on social media, I instantly thought of the way we talk about upcoming events, individual fights and different competitors and how what Klosterman said fits there, too.
This weekend’s main event pairing between Jose Aldo and Max Holloway is a perfect example of a fight that is absolutely fascinating, but still not enough to resonate with anyone outside of the MMA bubble.
Aldo is an all-time great, despite what the Conor McGregor sycophants might say. The Brazilian standout is 8-1 in the UFC, 26-2 overall and showed how dominant he still is last summer by pitching a shutout against Frankie Edgar at UFC 200. He’s lost just once in nearly 12 years and has posted a series of tremendous performances against an outstanding collection of opponents over the years.
Holloway enters on a 10-fight winning streak that includes wins over Cub Swanson, Ricardo Lamas and Anthony Pettis. He’s one of the most effective strikers in the sport, changing levels and stringing together lengthy combinations that crash home and drown the opposition. Despite being just 25, Saturday’s showdown with Aldo will already be his 17th appearance in the Octagon, making him both a veteran and someone who still has room to grow and develop at the same time.
In addition to being a battle between the top two fighters in the 145-pound ranks and one of the best matchups the UFC could put together right now, this weekend’s UFC 212 headlining act is also a championship unification bout and a potential “passing of the torch” situation, with the surging Hawaiian Holloway looking to usurp Aldo’s throne and usher in a new era in the featherweight division.
This matchup — to use Klosterman’s word — is “fascinating” on multiple levels, but unfortunately, it’s also not enough on a number of key fronts.
It’s not enough to capture the attention of casual observers or the mainstream media and was even being overshadowed on some MMA outlets by the latest social media nonsense just 48 hours before fight night.
It’s not enough to catapult either of these men to greater levels of recognition or esteem, even though Saturday’s championship unification bout will be a defining moment in each man’s career, regardless of the outcome.
It’s not enough to generate strong numbers on pay-per-view, which often becomes a greater talking point than the fights these days, something that has never made much sense to me given I care far more about getting to see outstanding fights than how many people are going to join me in taking in the excitement this weekend.
What I don’t understand (and perhaps never will) is how a fresh matchup such as this between the two best fighters in the division with a championship belt hanging in the balance is uninspiring to so many so-called fight fans?
Why is a fascinating contest between two elite fighters with a history of delivering sublime performances inside the Octagon not enough?
Why does there always have to be something more?
E. Spencer Kyte covers MMA for The Sun and The Province. Follow him on social media: @spencerkyte.