UFC on FOX 24 Preview
The UFC is in an era that not many thought they would get to as they built a promotion whose name is bigger than the fighters that are a part of it.
They consciously did this to make sure that no one fighter had too much control over the success of the promotion.
It was built off of the same practice as the WWE who had plenty of stars but none were ever bigger than those three letters.
Now the UFC is falling off of that as they are still the best promotion in Mixed Martial Arts but they have now seen stars grow bigger than the brand.
Conor McGregor is the best example, as the UFC is never talked about more than when McGregor is on a card.
He is bigger than MMA and Ronda Rousey was much the same during her rise to bring women’s MMA into the UFC.
The problem is that when stars are this big it becomes a lot tougher when they are gone for an extended period of time.
Rousey just lost her second in a row and nobody knows if she is ever coming back while McGregor is more concentrated on a fight with Floyd Mayweather rather than continuing his UFC career.
That has left the UFC without many big names to help the promotion grow despite the amount of talent on the roster.
At UFC on FOX 24, the UFC will need to pay attention though as three stars will make themselves known after winning their fights in front on a major network.
The card is full of potential stars but the top three fights on the night are three fights with some of the best fighters in the UFC.
The first will be a big fight between Ronaldo Souza and Robert Whittaker that could make a big difference in the middleweight division.
Souza is one of the best middleweights in the world and just as he seemed headed to a middleweight division he was skipped over by Georges St. Pierre, who gets the next shot.
So he takes a fight in between and the 5-time BJJ world champion has gone through everyone except the top contender in the division, Yoel Romero, with a ground game that counts among the best in the UFC and power.
He takes on a fighter who very well could be the first major Australian star in the UFC as Robert Whittaker hopes to continue to make an impression.
Whittaker is coming off of a big win against Derek Brunson in his last fight that brought his win streak to six straight with a very exciting fighting style.
Whoever takes this fight will be right in the mix for the title and both have the talent to be champions along with becoming very exciting fighters that the fans love.
Next up is a match-up between strawweights that have proven to be two of the best in the world and are ready to take the next step.
One corner will have an Ultimate Fighter alumni in Rose Namajunas who is one of the best young prospects in the UFC.
She has already had a title fight but after losing that match she has only improved and looks better than ever.
The other corner sees the woman known as the Karate Hottie in Michelle Waterson who is a former Invicta champion and is among the best lighter women in the world.
These two face off for what is likely to be a chance at Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the strawweight championship.
With Namajunas beating everyone except the champ and Waterson going through some big names like Paige VanZant they are both poised for a good year but it will all start with this fight.
Then in the main event fans will get to see one of if not the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
Demetrious Johnson may only be 125 lbs but he is the most dominant champion in the UFC right now.
He will try to be the most dominant ever when he looks for his 10th title defence and if he gets it he will tie Anderson Silva for the most title defences in the history of the UFC.
In his way of that history is Wilson Reis, a hard-hitting flyweight with little hype but plenty of skill.
If Johnson wins he is solidified as one of the best ever and if Reis win he is the one who shut down the best.
One way or another the main event will see some big news and should create a star regardless of the winner.
UFC on FOX 24 features some big fights and some of the top talent in the UFC but not many will know who these fighters are.
This is their chance to make a difference in that perception as they get the chance to fight on a major network and show everyone that they can be a major star.
Fans and the UFC will be watching and all of these fights could set up an interesting 2017 for whoever takes the wins.
The Sport Addiction 