2014 Has Been A Tough Year For The UFC, But The Best Is Yet To Come

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As we arrive at the half way mark in 2014, in what has been an up and down year for MMA, we are yet to see the thrills and spills of the previous year. 2013 was withot doubt the most exciting year in modern combat sports. I think back to the glory days of Pride FC and can summon similar feelings, but that was way before the sport had any legitimacy.

We saw the middleweight champion Anderson Silva dethroned by hungry challenger Chris Weidman, in what was undoubtedly the biggest upset in all MMA. UFC 162 was the setting, and ‘The All-American’ scored a shattering knockout to claim the title in a mix of shock and glory. That alone could justify last year being tabbed as the most crazy in recent times, so what is the hold up this year?

Well, I think the explanation is quite simple; the UFC is still dominating the market, but is falling short since the turn of the year. It all dates back to that night in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 6 2013. ‘The Spider’ got jacked of his title by KO at the hands of Weidman, and so the inevitable rematch was set. UFC 168 comes around, as the last major MMA event of 2013, and you couldn’t have scripted what happened that night.

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The UFC made a special announcement in the lead up to 168, unveiling the new ‘Fight Pass’ product; a place to watch free(ish) fights, catch up on old school scraps or events, and it was an obvious move upwards/outwards for the promotion. Almost poetically, and ironically, the UFC saw their biggest draw sidelined that night, as Silva suffered a broken leg, and that was just the start of things.

Just two months before Silva’s failed attempt at recapturing his belt, heavyweight kingpin Cain Velasquez looked to be back to his dominant form. After recapturing the title from Junior dos Santos, and defending it against Antonio Silva, CV stepped up to face ‘Cigano’ for their rubber match in October. The fifth round TKO win showed the champ back at his best, but shoulder surgery meant that the Mexican fan favorite has also been out of the frame since.

Then came the big announcement from Georges St-Pierre, as he semi-retired from the sport. The media swirled as the former welterweight kingpin seemingly abandoned the promotion, leaving them without yet another marquee fighter. Surely the next big star, Anthony Pettis, could help the promotion in their time of need. Finally back from a torrid run of injuries, ‘Showtime’ snatched the lightweight title from Ben Henderson at UFC 164, and was quickly becoming a household name.

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In stepped the injury curse to end Pettis’ hope of fighting Josh Thomson in late 2013, and he is also out of action until late this year. If that wasn’t bad enough, there were a number of rather boring events to kick off the year, and all just in time for fight pass. I won’t rattle off an endless list, but Fight Night 34, UFC on Fox 10, and Fight Night 36 all helped make the first 45 days of 2014 a rather crappy time for MMA fans.

Add in the fact that Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva have come under serious pressure over TRT/drug testing issues, and you have a bit of an overload of bad luck for the promotion. Then, probably the biggest current draw for the UFC, Chael Sonnen retires during the shake up of TRT being banned. All three men were unable to get licensed for one fight, at UFC 175, and the twisted triangle between the three fell apart.

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I have faith though, as Cain Velasquez will face Fabricio Werdum at UFC 180 in November, Gilbert Melendez will challenge Anthony Pettis in late 2014, Anderson Silva is eyeing an early 2015 return, hopefully ‘The Phenom’ can get cleared to compete soon, Georges St-Pierre is apparently more fired up than ever to fight, and Lyoto Machida challenges Chris Weidman at UFC 175 for the middleweight strap.

2014 may not live up to the lofty standards set by the previous year, but perhaps all the stars aligned perfectly last year. Injuries, controversy and title vacations are hard things to predict, and perhaps the build up of anticipation will make the next six months that much more satisfying. TJ Dillashaw adds a new dimension to what was a lifeless division, Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson II (!), and so much more is yet to come. Although events have become watered down somewhat, there are still plenty of gems in there to look forward to.