UFC 103 is an interesting show.
For starters, it's up against the boxing return of Floyd Mayweather Jr. Mayweather, absent from the sport since a 2007 victory over Ricky Hatton, is one of the biggest pay-per-view attractions in the world. He's been surpassed as the undisputed king of pay-per-view over the past two years by Brock Lesnar, who has established himself as one of the biggest draws in combat sports history, but Mayweather still packs a punch at the box office.
And despite the rumors of slow ticket sales and a general lack of interest in the big return, Mayweather is still expected to land a resounding revenue victory on this night.
UFC 103 also lacks a real drawing card. The show has hardcore fans all over the world salivating, but it's not a show that will capture the hearts and minds of the casual fanbase, and that's the demographic that drives 90% of the UFC's current business. Zuffa is still making an attempt to bring in the casual audience; they did a very strong UFC 103 Countdown show, painting Vitor Belfort as one of the baddest men on the planet and a man who may very well kill Rich Franklin in the middle of the cage.
They're also showing two preliminary matches on Spike prior to the show. Other companies have taken this course (most notably Affliction), but this show marks the first time Zuffa will show live prelim fights for free. They'll push the pay-per-view hard and try to convince some on-the-fence viewers that UFC 103 offers more value than the boxing show they might be considering.
The preliminary matches and Countdown show will certainly help, but we're still looking at a pay-per-view event that will give us a rough estimate on what the low end of UFC buyrates are. And that's not really a bad thing, either; Zuffa will need to get used to the idea that they're going to do some bad pay-per-view buyrates, especially given the idea of running three shows per month in 2010.
There are plenty of fights on the UFC 103 card that have potential for excitement, drama and intrigue.
It's a show where multiple veterans are returning to the company that made them superstars in an effort to recapture bits and pieces of the glory years. The undercard features some of the best and brightest prospects in the company. The top two fights could, depending on the results, have title implications in the near future.
Nobody in their right mind will argue that it's a big show, because it's not. Mayweather vs. Marquez is the biggest fight available for combat sports fans on this night, and that's perfectly okay.
But fans of mixed martial arts who choose to purchase UFC 103 are almost guaranteed an entertaining card from top to bottom. Sometimes that's all you need.
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