This week has practically been a UFC media blitz. With UFC 93 going down today in Dublin and the premiere of UFC Primetime, which is promoting UFC 94, it is hard to even think about anything else in the MMA world.

Perhaps the folks over at ZUFFA have gone ahead and made the mistake of not thinking of anything else. The number one promotion in the MMA business closed out 2008 in style with one of their most stacked cards of the year, UFC 92. However, now they seem to be in danger of producing two less than stellar cards.

Some MMA pundits have complained about the quality of UFC 93, which is headlined by a too late match up between Rich Franklin and Dan Henderson and a rematch between Pride GP champions Mark Coleman and Shogun Rua. In a lot of ways this card does not live up to the UFC’s recent level, but it is still far and away better than what is currently scheduled to come next.

After the dream fight between BJ Penn and Georges St. Pierre at UFC 94, the promotion has already lined up both UFC 95 and 96. As of right now, both of the cards seem to lack a viable main event.

UFC 95 appears to be headlined by the Lightweight debut of Ultimate Fighter winner Diego Sanchez versus Joe Stevenson, while UFC 96 currently boasts the low profile match up between former title challenger Gabriel Gonzaga and heavyweight prospect Shane Carwin as its main event.

Perhaps sensing a public backlash against UFC 95, which will take place in London on February 21st, the UFC has already announced that the card will be broadcast for free on Spike TV instead of pay per view. This move should keep fans happy, because UFC 95 is actually a pretty high quality card for free television.

What will the UFC do about 96? The card can’t be considered a pay per view possibility in its current form. A true main event needs to be added to the card. Rumors have circulated that the promotion wants to use Chuck Liddell or feature a Light Heavyweight title fight with Rashad Evans and Quinton Jackson. However it would be short notice for the title fight and apparently it has been hard to find opponents for Liddell.

Last year the UFC was able to find a suitable replacement main event after two fell through for UFC 85, so let’s hope for the sake of the fans they can pull it off once again. With the price of pay-per-view as high as it is, the promotion owes it to the fans to present star laden cards.

By:  Richard Mann

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