logo
Mailbag: Is UFC 312 worth the pay-per-view price on Super Bowl weekend?

Mailbag: Is UFC 312 worth the pay-per-view price on Super Bowl weekend?

Yahoo05-02-2025

The people have spoken … and they are not terribly impressed with the lineup at UFC 312.
Is there a good reason to spend the big bucks on Saturday's pay-per-view from Sydney, Australia? Does Dricus du Plessis finally feel like the man at middleweight, or are we still waiting for a champ with more of an elite aura? And what would it take for the UFC to crack down on a fighter spewing ridiculous hate speech in his spare time?
All that and more in this week's mailbag column. To ask a question of your own, hit up @BenFowlkesMMA or @benfowlkes.bsky.social.
Is it just me or does Dricus still not really feel like the real champ? I don't know why but he seems like a placeholder to me. Am I crazy?
— Chris Lox (@Beastin364) February 5, 2025
@Beastin364: Is it just me or does Dricus still not really feel like the real champ? I don't know why but he seems like a placeholder to me. Am I crazy?
You're not crazy. I get where you're coming from. But at a certain point I think we have to ask, what more do we want from the guy?
Dricus du Plessis has already done what Sean Strickland never successfully did, and that's defend the title. He's never lost in the UFC. He's finished four of his past five opponents (another thing he has over Strickland). Truly, how could he reasonably have done any better than he already has?
I understand that people look at him in the cage and think that he just doesn't seem like he's that good. But he's also beating — and finishing — people who we do think are good. He knocked out Robert Whittaker. He submitted Israel Adesanya. Are we really going to say he's won eight straight UFC fights, captured and defended the UFC middleweight title, all through sheer luck?
It's fine to want to see him face new and different tests, but he can only win the fights he's been given. And in the UFC, he's won them all.
I remember way back at ufc 311 when the card was stacked with great fights. Now this?
— matthewpizana (@justlikelasagna) February 4, 2025
@justlikelasagna: I remember way back at ufc 311 when the card was stacked with great fights. Now this?
Yep. Now this.
Look, we all know how it works by now. UFC comes up with dates and locations long before it's even begun to think about the actual fights. Between site fees and broadcast rights fees, there's a lot of money for the UFC in just putting on some fights. Especially in a place like Australia, where there's an energetic fan base that will scoop up tickets without knowing who's on the card, there really isn't a ton of financial incentive to make sure the lineup is anything beyond just barely passable.
The added twist is that it's Super Bowl weekend. There was a time when the UFC really went hard on this weekend. Georges St-Pierre and B.J. Penn fought for the welterweight title all those years ago on Super Bowl weekend. I remember because I was at that one, up all night trying to report on 'Greasegate,' then fell asleep during the game the next day because I was so exhausted.
But at some point UFC executives seemed to realize they were better off saving the really good stuff for weekends they had all to themselves. I mean, do people really have a huge appetite for pay-per-view sports this Saturday night? The next day is basically Sports Christmas in America. People are probably more than happy to take that pay-per-view money and spend it on chicken wings instead.
Can you give two reasons why a person would pay 70 dollars for a ppv headlined by Sean Strickland?
— Scott Gray (@shadore66) February 4, 2025
@shadore66: Can you give two reasons why a person would pay 70 dollars for a ppv headlined by Sean Strickland?
My two reasons to pay for UFC 312 go like this: Zhang Weili and Tatiana Suarez. For me, they're the main draw.
I think Zhang doesn't get enough credit as one of the most dominant and thoroughly well-rounded fighters on the roster. As for Suarez, she's been through so much just to get here. As a fellow sufferer of bad discs in the ol' vertebrae, I feel for her. But I'm also invested in her personal story and I really want to see how it plays out in her long-awaited first UFC title shot.
As for the rest of the card? Du Plessis vs. Strickland 2 feels like the rematch no one asked for. The other fights on the pay-per-view main card feel like UFC Fight Night: Sydney. There's just not much else that feels like must-see TV.
Outside of criticizing the UFC, TKO, their execs, or their sponsors, what would a fighter actually have to *say* (not do) in order to get cut immediately here and now in 2025?Say 'Free Palestine' too many times?Admit to cannibalism?The mind fairly boggles. DISCOURSE
— trauma ray dudley (@RealFakeSamDunn) February 5, 2025
@RealFakeSamDunn: Outside of criticizing the UFC, TKO, their execs, or their sponsors, what would a fighter actually have to *say* (not do) in order to get cut immediately here and now in 2025?
Say 'Free Palestine' too many times?
Admit to cannibalism?
The mind fairly boggles. DISCOURSE
First of all, the idea that UFC CEO Dana White just loves free speech too much to take any action is obviously ridiculous. UFC has fired or otherwise punished multiple fighters in the past for saying (or tweeting) the wrong thing. UFC has also basically blacklisted journalists for saying or writing things it doesn't like, even when those things are simple facts.
UFC has banned fighters from bringing certain national flags to the cage. It's edited out political comments in post-fight interviews. You can't even mention Francis Ngannou's name at a UFC function without the company's internal censors jumping into action. 'Free speech' is just an excuse.
Really, UFC just doesn't want to do anything that might create a precedent which would require it to act in a certain way in the future. It wants to keep its options open. If you cut this middling fighter for a racial slur or some garden variety Holocaust denial, does that mean you'll have to do the same when a superstar does it next week?
As for what it would take to change that, it would have to be something that threatens to mess with the money. If sponsors started speaking up or pulling away. If broadcast partners exerted some pressure. Then the UFC would take notice and might even take action. The idea that the UFC is guided by some principle in this regard is laughable to anyone who's been paying attention these many years. It's guided purely by money. Same as it ever was.
What kind of a montage does Pavlovich need to get back to his skull smashing ways? I feel like his new fighting style does not put him on a rocket ship to the top.
— Chap (@Chapperton) February 4, 2025
@Chapperton: What kind of a montage does Pavlovich need to get back to his skull smashing ways? I feel like his new fighting style does not put him on a rocket ship to the top.
Before we pile on Sergei Pavlovich, let's remind ourselves that he was carrying a two-fight losing streak into that fight. We all know three in a row is where things get dire. Jairzinho Rozenstruik got his walking papers for losing that one and he'd won two straight before that. Pavlovich needed a win by any means necessary. He did what he had to do to get it. I'm not going to hate on the big fella for that.
Is this the weakest heavyweight has been aside from Jones and Aspinal? Think back to the days of Cain, DC, Werdum, Fedor, Overeem, Stipe, Mark Hunt, Arlovski, Nganno…. It just seems like after the top two there's such a steep drop off.
— Ihab (@ihab23) February 5, 2025
@ihab23Is this the weakest heavyweight has been aside from Jones and Aspinal? Think back to the days of Cain, DC, Werdum, Fedor, Overeem, Stipe, Mark Hunt, Arlovski, Nganno…. It just seems like after the top two there's such a steep drop off.
You're not wrong, but it's also not exactly unprecedented. I'm old enough to remember when the UFC's heavyweight division was just Tim Sylvia vs. Andrei Arlovski over and over again.
Also? If we're going to sit here wondering where all the good heavyweights went, let's not forget that the UFC fumbled the last true undisputed heavyweight champion (fella by the name of Francis Ngannou) and then badmouthed him all the way out the door and beyond. It's not like we just woke up one morning with the heavyweight cupboard bare. Choices were made.
Hi Ben, are the UFC to blame for bad weight classes?You would think a monopoly could get the best people, incentivize them to be interesting in & out of the cage, and have a steady flow of upcoming talent. When does the UFC need to change something?
— jona freedman (@JonaFreedman) February 5, 2025
@JonaFreedman: Hi Ben, are the UFC to blame for bad weight classes?
You would think a monopoly could get the best people, incentivize them to be interesting in & out of the cage, and have a steady flow of upcoming talent.
When does the UFC need to change something?
I think at the core of your question is a misunderstanding of the UFC's own incentives. Ask yourself, how does UFC suffer as a result of the shallower talent pool in certain weight classes (like heavyweight)? The answer is that it doesn't.
UFC has spent the last 20 years or so making the brand (and the CEO) the star. UFC sees the fighters as mostly interchangeable. They come and go, rise and fall. The brand continues. It's the brand that brings in the guaranteed TV money. It's also the brand that convinces fans to take one fighter more seriously than another.
I think the UFC actually does do more than people realize to cultivate talent (at least the talent that can get to a UFC Performance Institute), but at this point UFC makes money because it's the UFC. If there are only a few good heavyweights because the true elite athletes of that size are off making real money in the NFL or boxing or the NBA, so what? The machine still churns along. And that machine is not running out of lightweights or featherweights or bantamweights any time soon.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Report: Cincinnati Bengals set to release linebacker Germaine Pratt
Report: Cincinnati Bengals set to release linebacker Germaine Pratt

Yahoo

time13 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Report: Cincinnati Bengals set to release linebacker Germaine Pratt

The Cincinnati Bengals are expected to release veteran linebacker Germaine Pratt, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Pratt, 29, played six seasons for the Bengals. A third-round draft pick in 2019, Pratt played a significant role in the Bengals' defense during Cincinnati's Super Bowl run in 2021 and return to the AFC Championship game the following season. Advertisement In 96 games, Pratt recorded 616 tackles, seven forced fumbles, seven interceptions and five fumble recoveries. The Bengals this year used their second- and fourth-round draft picks to select linebackers Demetrius Knight Jr. of South Carolina and Barrett Carter of Clemson. Cincinnati also signed former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Oren Burks in free agency. The Enquirer will update this story. Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt (57) pressures Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) as he throws in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 13 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. The Steelers won 44-38. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Report: Bengals expected to release linebacker Germaine Pratt

Travis Kelce Issues Stern Warning to NFL Ahead of 13th Season with Chiefs
Travis Kelce Issues Stern Warning to NFL Ahead of 13th Season with Chiefs

Yahoo

time13 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Travis Kelce Issues Stern Warning to NFL Ahead of 13th Season with Chiefs

Travis Kelce Issues Stern Warning to NFL Ahead of 13th Season with Chiefs originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce is 35 years old and widely regarded as one of the greatest to ever play his position. However, statistically, the 2024 season was one of the least productive of his storied career—despite the Chiefs making yet another Super Bowl appearance. Advertisement Kelce finished the season with 97 receptions for a career-low 823 yards and just three touchdowns (not counting his rookie year in 2013 when he didn't log any stats). Following Kansas City's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl, Kelce seriously contemplated retirement. But he ultimately chose to return for a 13th season, saying he felt like "he let his teammates down in more ways than he helped them," along with simply not wanting to go out like that. On Wednesday, the Kelce brothers dropped a new episode of their "New Heights" podcast, featuring special guest and NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal. During the episode, Shaq didn't hold back when questioning Kelce about his limited usage in the Super Bowl this past year. 'How come they didn't use you a lot at the Super Bowl?' O'Neal asked. 'I know you were [explicit] pissed. Like, I don't wanna get you in trouble, but because I know you're on a team.' Advertisement Kelce responded professionally: 'You already know. We were trying to use all the pieces, man.' But Shaq wasn't satisfied with that answer, firing back, 'No. No. [Explicit] all the pieces. I need the pieces to help us win the first [explicit] Super Bowl. Don't be trying to do new [explicit]. Like, I don't know if you said anything to get in trouble, but I wasn't happy about that.' That sparked a fired-up message from Kelce, who ended the conversation with a clear warning to the rest of the NFL: "Wait till you see this year, baby. I'm coming back with a little bit of Shaq [explicit]—pissed off and ready to rock and roll, man.' Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Biggerstaff-Imagn Images The Chiefs have retained the bulk of their roster, and as long as Patrick Mahomes is under center, they aren't going anywhere in the AFC. Advertisement That said, if Travis Kelce can return to peak form—or even something close to it—Kansas City could very well find themselves back in the big game when it's all said and done. Related: Travis Kelce Breaks Silence on Taylor Swift's Major Personal Announcement This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.

Chiefs Announce Retirement of Veteran Coach Ahead of 2025 Season
Chiefs Announce Retirement of Veteran Coach Ahead of 2025 Season

Yahoo

time14 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Chiefs Announce Retirement of Veteran Coach Ahead of 2025 Season

Chiefs Announce Retirement of Veteran Coach Ahead of 2025 Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off their third straight Super Bowl appearance this past February. While they ultimately fell short of securing a third consecutive Lombardi Trophy, they remain a top contender heading into the 2025 season, with the majority of their roster and coaching staff returning under head coach Andy Reid. Advertisement However, on Wednesday, the Chiefs announced the retirement of Assistant Special Teams Coach Andy Hill, who had been a part of Reid's staff from 2020 through the 2024 season. During his tenure, Hill helped the franchise capture two Super Bowl titles and reach four championship games. Hill's ties to Reid date back to his distinguished coaching career at the University of Missouri, where he earned a place in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. He played a key role in leading one of the league's most consistent special teams units throughout his time in Kansas City. "Thank you for helping us make our special teams extra special, Coach Hill. Congratulations on a well-earned retirement!" Chiefs posted. Chiefs fans reacted to the news: Advertisement "Helped make Tommy Townsend one of the best in the business. Happy Retirement, Coach!" A fan said. Another fan posted, "Thank you for all you've done. Best wishes on your retirement!" Someone else added, "Hill wrapping up an impressive tenure." One more fan commented, "Mizzou legend." Missouri Tigers wide receivers coach Andy Hill against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2010 Insight Bowl at Sun Devil Stadium.© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Hill began his coaching career in 1992, just one year after Andy Reid, then an assistant at Missouri, left to begin his NFL journey. Hill eventually joined the Missouri coaching staff in 1996 and went on to spend 23 seasons with the program, becoming one of the longest-tenured coaches in school history. Advertisement Over the years, he served in a variety of roles, ultimately rising to the position of associate head coach before departing to join the Chiefs' coaching staff. Related: Travis Kelce Issues Stern Warning to NFL Ahead of 13th Season with Chiefs This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store