UFC 200 Preview
In 2009 the UFC reached a milestone that many never thought they could ever reach when they held UFC 100.
It was the 100th pay-per-view event for a promotion that was the leader for an entire sport that many thought of as a flash in the pan.
It was considered a sport that was too brutal to ever last as a sport that could never match the rise and staying power of boxing.
UFC 100 was the proof that this sport was here to stay and that it was about to grow into something much bigger.
UFC 100 was the Launchpad for the promotion and in many ways the sport as it was a major turning point in the rapid growth of the sport.
Now the UFC reaches another milestone when they host UFC 200 as they have come far from where they were in 2009 and there is much further to go in the next 200 pay-per-view events.
They are no longer that strange brutal sport on the outskirts as major networks are now covering the UFC with FOX becoming the first major network to sign a deal with the promotion.
The growth has somewhat slowed but it is just on the fringe of major sports with a few stars transcending the sport and making into the mainstream.
The UFC is bigger than it has been but with that level of fame they are also coming under fire for a lot more than they used to be.
The UFC has recently come under fire for the pay rates of fighters with many struggling to survive on their UFC paycheques.
They have also been criticised for the favouritism they have expressed towards the biggest stars in the sport.
As UFC 200 approaches they have also been criticised for their tactics to sell fights and their partnership with the WWE.
That partnership will be in full focus at UFC 200 when WWE entertainer Brock Lesnar makes his return to the UFC.
Lesnar is not making another run at a title nor is re-entering the UFC as a permanent fighter as he is a direct result of a new deal with the WWE where stars from both sides will be able to participate in either the WWE or the UFC.
Lesnar is essentially coming back to help sell tickets for one of the biggest fights in UFC history as he takes on Mark Hunt who is a legitimate threat and someone pursuing a shot at the title.
It is a bit of a freak-show fight to sell tickets but it is also entirely unnecessary as the rest of the card is packed with amazing fights.
The undercard is full of young stars and veterans all vying to make an impact in their division with a big win on a big stage.
The main card features a top contender fight in the heavyweight division between Cain Velasquez and Travis Browne with both hoping to get that next shot.
There will also be two title fights on the night as Miesha Tate defends her bantamweight belt for the first time against Amanda Nunes with the winner likely facing Ronda Rousey when the former champ returns.
The next contender for Conor McGregor’s belt will be determined as well with José Aldo and Frankie Edgar fighting for the interim featherweight title and a date with the most charismatic fighter in the UFC.
The card is packed with plenty of great fights as it should be when the UFC is entering the biggest fight in their history.
The addition of Lesnar might have been good if he was truly training for a return to the UFC and more so if he didn’t get a testing exemption from the USADA.
Generally, a fighter is supposed to give the USADA a four-month warning before their fight and in those four months the USADA can test that fighter at any point.
Lesnar didn’t give that four-month warning, he received and exemption, meaning is will not go through the same testing as every other fighter leading some to speculate that he is likely using steroids, the WWE doesn’t test and rewards bigger more muscular fighters, but now won’t test positive.
It is just another criticism of the UFC that has come with their increased popularity as the UFC is at an entirely new level than it was in 2009.
They have come a long way since UFC 100 but there is still a long way to go and although they may be in a better place they are under a bigger microscope and have plenty more steps to take if they want to continue to grow.
UFC 200 is another step though as the UFC may not have put together the smartest card to be taken more seriously but for a sport that nobody saw lasting it is another major milestone.
The Sport Addiction 