UFC 99: Amazing Card, on Accident or Purpose?

It is understood that a lot of top fighters do not accept fights overseas because the pay per view buys are smaller and therefore they receive a smaller payout.  This has previously led to loading the cards with average fighters or fighters who only fight in the UFC when they go abroad.  Paul Kelly and Paul Taylor come to mind.  The same problem has come again with a headliner fight between Rich Franklin and Wanderlei Silva.  Both are good fighters, or at least were in the case of Silva, and both can be exciting, but as of right now neither is deserving or capable of carrying a PPV card.  However, despite a relatively poor headliner I cannot wait for UFC 99.  The UFC may not be able to get their top fighters overseas, but they have loaded up with the rest of the main cards.  Was this planned or by chance?

Looking at the card there are four fights I am more excited to see than Franklin vs. Silva.  The most intriguing fight is the match between Velasquez and Kongo.  Zak already explained why this is the most meaningful fight on the card.  Not only is it important, but the style of the two fighters provides the potential for this to be the most exciting fight of the night.  However, this fight was not the original plan.  If Heath never got hurt and was still scheduled to fight Cain this fight would lose a lot of its luster.  Velasquez would not have proven a lot by beating Herring and Herring would still have had a ways to go to regain contender status.  Now the winner is either the next big thing or in line for a title fight (in my opinion).  The UFC may have placed Kongo into the fight, but this was not their original intention.

Once again I am agreeing with Zak when I write that Ben Saunders is overrated and going to get smoked.  Swick will slip under and pop Saunders before he knows what hit him.  While I like Swick the reason I am excited for this fight is to see who Saunders really is.  I may be wrong and he may have evolved as a fighter, but I want to know.  People also want to see him because of his fight with Wolfe.  The attention around this fight is because both fighters can be exciting and Saunders undefeated record provides excitment for those who are always looking for the next big prospect (the Marlins roster every year).  However, Saunders was originally slated to fight Dustin Hazelett at UFC 96, but Hazelett had to back out due to injury.  If Hazelett stays healthy, apparantely a big if, then I think he beats Saunders and Saunders is not fighting this Saturday.  Who do they put against Swick then.  With the way the UFC treats him it would most likely by an average fighter for him to tee off on.  Outside of Davis he has not been tested.  This is another exciting fight that might not have come to be.

The fight I want to see more than any other fight is Marcus Davis vs. Dan Hardy.  Not because of the bad blood, but because I am a big Davis fan and could care less for Hardy.  I know I said the Kongo/Velasquez fight has the potential for "Fight of the Night," but I think this will be the "Fight of the Night."  Both these fighters want to brawl and neither fighter has ever been KO'd.  The fighters have sold the fight themselves and this was a no brainer the second Hardy called Davis a fake Irishman.  Obvious, but smart move by the UFC on this fight.

The final fight I am more excited for is the Cro Cop fight.  If you have been following MMA recently you are aware of what has gone down with this fight.  I really want to see what Mirko has in him.  I am relatively new to MMA, but what got me hooked was watching my roommates videos of him smashing his foot into his opponents' head.  I think a lot of people remember the good old days and would like to see him have a better run in the UFC.  This fight was obviously not originally planned, but the UFC did boot Todd Duffee to make it happen.

To summarize, this card is great because of the non headliner main card fights and three of those fights could easily of not happened.  Did the UFC get lucky with their matchmaking for this fight or did they do a great job of adjusting.  Regardless of what is the case I cannot wait to watch my DVR on Sunday.  I would rather watch a great main card with a sub par main event as oppossed to a great main event with horrible supporting fights (UFC 98).