While all eyes will definitely be focused on the UFC 202 main event on Saturday night between Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor, the byproduct of being on this card will have a variety of benefits for a select few.
The UFC matchmaking team is fairly strategic when it slots each bout on a card and while this one is no different, looking up and down this card sees some potential gifts for a few fighters looking for a boost in what I generally regard as mainstream appeal.
I will never claim to know the exact secret or strategy the UFC uses for the three different sections of their cards, but over the years, behind the scenes conversations have taught me a thing or two about some of their methodology.
Truth be told, I’m likely more off track here than on it, but having also discussed this with a few of my peers has lead us to believe that the business motto is obvious: generate viewership and numbers for UFC Fight Pass, ensure some solid ratings for the televised prelims and of course, milk the pay per view cow for every penny it has.
Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz alone, be it Mystic Mac or The Stockton Slap are going to sell a boat load of pay per views … that’s a given. There is enough interest in this bout from the mainstream that house parties and bars will be filled with the anticipation of whether or not “The Notorious” can even the score or if Diaz simply has the irishman’s number.
But before these two step into the octagon to settle their score (en route to potentially setting up a trilogy bout … yeah, I said it), there eleven bouts that will take place in seven other divisions that could raise the stock value of a select few.
On the UFC Fight Pass prelims, Neil Magny and Lorenz Larkin can stand-out amongst the hardcore UFC fans, who cannot live without seeing every bout the company has to offer. It’s a solid welterweight tilt worthy of getting the juices flowing for a long night of bouts.
Moving on to the televised prelims, Randa Markos and Cortney Casey will kick off the Fox Sports 1 broadcast with all eyes not only learning more about them, but also about the women’s strawweight division and the fact the main event will be mentioned numerous times. Markos is rarely in a boring bout, so a good call by the UFC to have this one kick-off the televised prelims. Women’s MMA will always peak interest amongst casual MMA fans and this one (along with Bantamweight’s Raquel Pennington and Elizabeth Phillips) will likely keep viewers tuned in and prevent them from changing the channel.
The true benefactor here though will be Bantamweight Cody Garbrandt. He is set to headline the televised prelims with Takeya Mizugaki. The hype around Garbrandt continues to rise, what with divisional kingpin Dominick Cruz calling out his name, and the fact that if either has their way, Cody could get a title shot.
But standing in his way will be Japanes MMA vet Takeya Mizugaki, who, like Garbrandt, doesn’t seem to have much of a reverse gear. These two will aim to steal the show on Saturday night which is exactly what they both need and what the UFC wants. End the prelims on a high note, and drive some extra pay per view buys.
Once the main card starts, Welterweight’s Tim Means and Sabah Homasi have the unwritten luxury ( or job ) of ensuring the main card gets off to a banging start. Many people already know Means will show up to destroy Homasi. Having seen Homasi fight a few times and being lucky enough to have called his last two bouts, I am confident he will be more than happy to match his opponent’s willingness to swing for the fences … or at the very least, be patient enough to wait for the opportunity to tee off.
Smack dab in the middle of the pay per view card we have Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone competing at 170 lbs vs. Rick Story. If anyone anticipates this will be a boring fight, I would be interested to read your logic. Cerrone and boring will never be synonymous so I firmly believe this one will pave the way for the co-main event, which could also be a “bombs away” affair.
Light-heavyweight’s Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and Glover Teixeira will be our final bout before the big one on Saturday night. Two title contenders looking to use the other as a stepping stone in a division that is weeding itself out. Nobody really knows when Jon Jones will be back. “Bones” said it will be soon, as did Dana White, but I’ll believe it when I see it. In the meantime, here’s hoping AJ and Glover have their mouthpieces custom-fit, cause they’ll need them to work perfectly. Leather will be flying at a furious place in that octagon, so here’s hoping neither gets hurt and we get a great show. Oxymoron - I know.
Once they realign their positions in the 205 lbs rankings, it’s Diaz vs. McGregor II, a bout that many fans feel is unfinished business for Mystic Mac, while others simply see it as another special delivery of “ass whooping”, courtesy of a shipment from a specific address in Stockton, California.
The money is in the main event, but the long term stock options and dividends can also be found throughout this card. The biggest upward trends can be seen throughout, but my eyes will be on the stock of Cody Garbrandt, Randa Markos, Elizabeth Phillips and Sabah Homasi, with Garbrandt’s value seriously increasing with a victory on Saturday night.
He believes that one day, he will be bigger than Conor McGregor. A lofty goal if you ask me, but winning in the octagon is paramount first. After that, it’s eyeballs on his own brand that will really bring in the cash … and at UFC 202, he can actually thank McGregor (and Diaz) for thousands (if not millions) who will be tuning in to see him compete.
