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It does not take a genius (I am my own proof) to realize that airing 9 of the 10 total fights is good for the fans.  Yes, we had to watch a couple matches again during the PPV broadcast, but the free spike fights have been a treat thus far.  Even if the two planned free fights were aired it still is a nice offering from an organization as large as the UFC.  Some may look at this as a kind gesture from the big bad UFC and a gift for the fans, but it is far from unconditional.  There are instant and quantifiable benefits as it may help bolster PPV buys and provide Spike, a loyal UFC partner, with strong viewership on a Saturday night.  However, the real benefit for the UFC is in the long run and it has become even more essential with the recent injury bug.

SBN coverage of UFC 106: Ortiz vs. Griffin 2

Showing four new fights help build fighter reputation.  No one who watched last night is going to buy the next PPV George Sotiropoulos-ous-ous is on simply because they saw him on Saturday night.  However, the amount of people who will purchase the prelims through the vault is minuscule compared to how many people will watch the fights free on Spike.  The casual fan is being introduced to fighters that can help with PPV buys later in their career.  Brian Foster has been shown on two free Spike prelims and put on a show twice.  A fight of the night against Rick Story and an exciting win over Brock Larson will help Brian later in his career and the UFC if he makes it to the main card as you have millions of people that would not see him otherwise.  Overtime more and more fighters will have the opportunity to present their craft to a larger audience and the UFC will have a stronger base if they ever need to promote these fighters. 

These benefits will not occur quickly enough to fix the recent injury problems to the UFC cards, but in the long run there can be a positive effect.  The UFC is realizing the danger of relying on a few fighters to be major PPV draws.  Fight cards that are solid throughout offer more insurance to potential injuries.  If the fans have a stronger attachment to the lower rung main card fights then they might be less likely to be scared off by an injury to a main event.  The UFC barley loses anything by providing us with the free fights yet they gain so much.  With five weight classes and a plethora of fighters it is critical to build awareness for as many fighters as possible.  The UFC roster is enormous and the UFC needs to make use of all their fighters.  The UFC brand is essentially what sells a lot of their events, but couple that with a larger amount of recognizable fighters and you have a recipe for continued long term success.

P.S. The past few years I had the Bears in the superbowl, Illinois Rose Bowl, and the White Sox World Series.  WTF happened, the Bears look horrible.

UPDATE: I posted this when the Bears where down 10-0 (should have been 14-0) and had 37 yards of offense.  That's why they play 4 quarters.