September 22, 2012; Toronto, ON, CANADA; Joseph Benavidez (left) throws a punch at Demetrious Johnson in the flyweight championship during UFC 152 at the Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIRE
What does America’s Team have to do with an MMA world championship fight? FanSided’s Elton Hobson explores the fan backlash to UFC 152′s co-main event.
This past Saturday found me, as it so often does, watching a night of fights with a beer in my hand and a grin on my face. And, let’s be honest, some stains on my shirt, too. I’m a pretty handsy eater, after all.
But it wasn’t until the next day, as I sat watching another sporting event, this time with a Fresca in hand (damn you, Sunday!) that I had a revelation about the previous night’s flyweight world title fight.
Watching from a crowded sports bar in downtown Toronto, the Demetrious Johnson vs. Joseph Benavidez flyweight world title fight at UFC 152 was a rollicking good time. Because of the noise in the bar, I couldn’t hear the commentary from Goldie and Joe, nor even the sound of the Air Canada Centre crowd. And I wouldn’t have wanted to, anyways – the fight had me transfixed from start to finish.
And so I lived, in my ignorant little bubble, happily chatting with my friends about what a fun fight it had been. And when I got home, I was so tired that I went right to bed without going online first, a very unusual move for me.
The next morning, when I finally did go online, my ignorant little bubble was burst but quick.
Turns out I was heavily in the minority when it came to enjoying the Benavidez/Johnson fight. Turns out lots of folks found the fight “slow” or “uneventful” or “boring”. Turns out the crowd at the ACC – my hallowed, educated, awesome Canadian MMA-watching brethren – were booing during the fight.
Reality had hit me like a cold slap to the face. Or a Cheick Kongo kick in the pills. Or both, really.
My immediate reaction was anger, but that quickly gave way to despair. I began to ask myself some hard questions: how did I so completely misjudge this fight? What had I watched, that other fans had not? Did someone spike my beer with some drug that makes lackluster MMA fights seem exciting? And if so, where can I get some for the next Jon Fitch fight?
Just kidding – I love Jon Fitch. Yes, I realize that we may have a bit of a problem here, Houston.
So there I was, sitting on the couch the following afternoon, watching some high-octane NFL action.
Or not, as it turned out.
See, I had both Doug Martin and Demarco Murray on my fantasy football team, so I was watching the Dallas vs. Tampa Bay game. Which, as any of you who watched that game know, was pretty damn dull.
It was a classic case of two teams whose respective defenses were firing on all cylinders – to the detriment of their offenses. Over and over again, we’d see drives that would amount to nothing. Plays that would run into a brick wall of defense. 3 and outs. The two teams were so closely matched defensively that they couldn’t get much of anything going on the offense.
The game featured plenty of outstanding play and technical brilliance. There was no doubt this was football on the highest level (horrendous replacement refs aside). But it was also undramatic, unexciting, and ended with a whimper instead of a thud.
About three quarters of the way through the game, I realized I was watching the Demetrious Johnson vs. Joseph Benavidez fight all over again.
That fight too showcased outstanding defense, good game planning, and overall technical brilliance. But like the Bucs and the Boys, it was also undramatic, tepid at times, and incredibly evenly matched.
The only difference is that no football fan – in Dallas, Tampa Bay, or anywhere else – would think to boo the game for not being exciting enough. No fan would tell Tony Romo to start slinging bombs against a rock solid defense, with his team already up, to make the game “more dramatic”. No NFL fan would have the audacity to boo the game itself for not being exciting enough.
Yet 24 hours earlier, that’s exactly what transpired in the ACC.
Dana White drew a lot of flack at the post-fight press conference for claiming that anyone who booed the Johnson/Benavidez fight was a “moron” who “shouldn’t order another UFC PPV ever again.” When you’re the President of a billion-dollar sports company, telling fans not to order another PPV might not be the soundest PR strategy.
But since I don’t own a multi-billion dollar sports company, I’m going to go ahead and whole-heartedly agree with Mr. White. Please, if you didn’t enjoy the Benavidez/Johnson fight, which was the well-fought, technically brilliant co-main event of an all-around excellent UFC card – don’t order another UFC PPV.
And I would stay away from football, as well.
Topics: Demetrious Johnson, Flyweight Championship, Joseph Benavidez, MMA, UFC, UFC 152
