by: Kelvin Hunt
Ridiculously good that is and clearly the UFC has the right idea with this show in creating new stars. There were three main objectives with the hour long show.
- Paint Jon Fitch as a worthy challenger, and provide some detailed history about his upbringing
- Same process for Roger Huerta and Kenny Florian
- Paint Brock Lesnar as a real fighter instead of hyping up his WWE days
While the GSP/Fitch fight is a given for the hardcore fans, most casual fans still do not know who Fitch is. I thought the show did a great job of letting the casual fan know just exactly who Jon Fitch is and where he came from. While GSP is bordering on superstar status, I think they showed just enough of him to let people know who Fitch is fighting. Great job in realizing that Fitch needs more exposure instead of giving a lot of time to GSP.
The Roger Huerta portion of this show was the best part. Hardcore fans know his story, but most casual fans do not. The way they portrayed him last night should pay off BIG time win or lose on Saturday night, provided he fights the way he’s done in the past. It’s hard not to root for a guy coming from a background such as his. I had become a bit turned off by Huerta this week because of his complaints about money. However, after last nights show I’m hoping he pulls off the upset here. The way they showed the contrasting childhoods between the two was ON POINT. The only thing here is, I wonder if Dana is pissed they allocated so much time to Huerta on the countdown after the remarks he made about his contract?
They didn’t give Brock Lesnar much air time, as I had anticipated. The portrayal of him being a real fighter instead of a guy that used to do professional wrestling is a good move. I didn’t expect them to give Heath Herring much air time either, simply because he’s never gonna be a contender as long as Nogueira is champ (that could be a long time).
If you somehow missed the show, I’m sure there will be encore presentations on Spike TV so be sure to check it out. I was already pumped for this card, but now I feel like a kid at Christmas time.